The JLN pork barrel scandal

The Inquirer has run a series based on the allegations of a group of whistle blowers to the effect that five Senators and twenty three Congressmen directed their PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Funds) (200 million pesos annually for Senators, 70 million pesos annually for Congresscritters) to "fake" NGOs in return for a substantial cut.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/443297/nbi-probes-p10-b-scam

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/443825/i-am-not-involved-in-any-scam

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/444275/how-p10-b-racket-works

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/444693/28-solons-linked-to-scam

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/444719/flow-of-pork-funds

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/443635/nbi-probe-into-pork-barrel-scam-backed-by-palace

see also

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/15/13/drilon-proposes-remove-pork-barrel

and, of course...

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/444297/whistle-blower-of-p10-b-pork-barrel-scam-faces-arrest

I wish I knew what a pork barrel is...in laymans terms...

Having looked it up...

"The term pork barrel politics usually refers to spending which is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_barrel

"The pork barrel is officially called the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Each senator is allotted 200 million in PDAF every year to fund projects for their constituents. These projects are in the form of infrastructure, health, education and social aid packages. Congressmen get a pork barrel of P70 million per year."

http://www.rappler.com/nation/33780-senators-pork-barrel-scam-reactions

Miriam to Aquino: Probe pork scam

"After a long absence, Sen Miriam Defensor Santiago came firing back at her fierce rival, resigned Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and his allies, this time over their alleged involvement in the P10 billion pork barrel scam.

Santiago turned her speech for National Accountancy Week into a tirade against the 5 senators named in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report on Monday, July 15, as having given a syndicate access to their pork barrel to fund dummy NGOs.

Besides Enrile, the Inquirer report said Senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr, Jinggoy Estrada, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, and Gregorio Honasan II, and 23 other congressmen allegedly funded ghost projects of the bogus NGOs in exchange for hefty kickbacks."

http://www.rappler.com/nation/33765-miriam-aquino-probe-pork-barrel-scam

[video=youtube;I_Ty5aHMziA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=I_Ty5aHMziA[/video]

I've corrected my original post slightly.

In the Philippines, the official title is Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) - it is money given to Senators and Congresscritters to spend on supporting development projects of their choice.

The way in which these funds are accounted is the subject of a good deal of controversy.

Poltically, the PDAF funds are of course spent to boost the politician's chances of re-election. A Congressperson will spend his or her PDAF in gtheir own constituency, or at least that is the idea. Senators don't have constituencies so being as honest as the day is long, they will spend their PDAF on nationally beneficial projects.

Keep in mind that we are discussing a million pounds a year for Congresspeople and three times that for Senators.

The main reason why the evident risk of abuse has not prompted Presidents to put an end to the system is that it provides a handy mechanism for bribing the Senate and the House, since the PDAF is paid out on the President's say so.

And there's more...

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/445585/malampaya-fund-lost-p900m-in-jln-racket

I get the impression that they are all at it?

Perish the thought!

Seriously, there are some "solons" don't take their PDAF allocation.

some discussion on the pork barrel here:

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/04/30/936523/senate-bets-divided-pork-abolition

quite interesting article on the history here:

http://philippine-democracy.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/pork-barrel-and-philippine-politics-and.html

Of note is that a maority of the senators involved were/are those who were anti-RH Bill.

It was an interesting bunch of names - Enrile, Honasan, Marcos.... all the men whom we have learned to admire so much, over the decades.

Certainly, men of note in their chosen fields of endeavour.

Amazing that this wasn't closed down years ago?

one of their endeavours being the cybercrime bill

Seems though that only opposition senators are under close scrutiny?

Designed, of course, to protect the elite from criticism.

I have to say that I know so little about Philippine politics. It is no secret that my wife's family have an almost lifelong connection with the Remullas. But it doesn't go much further than that, where I am concerned. Having said that, I am intrigued by this pork barrel malarky and wonder that surely all those that have received such funds should be subject to transaprency, to accountability and audit and not just a few that the Aquino admiinstration have picked out because they see these guys as opposition.

Miriam has heaps to say on this sort of thing....


http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/?p=996

The Philippine Inquirer newspaper and the ABS-CBN television network both support the present administration...

The Pork Barrel is an entirely separate issue.

Okay. When I first read it I thought it was, then I became unsure.