Lawmakers on Friday warned of the possible “reincarnation” of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF)—which President Benigno Aquino III said he wants abolished—under a different name.
In a text message, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said that while he supports the scrapping of the PDAF, popularly known as the "pork barrel," Congress and the public should make sure that this discretionary fund will not be revived under another system.
"Let us all be on the lookout for the possible reincarnation of the pork barrel in the future. In the past, when the Countrywide Development Fund was abolished, the PDAF took its place," Pimentel said.
He also said Congress should closely scrutinize the proposed 2014 budget to make sure that all projects will be accounted for. At his press briefing in Malacañang earlier in the day, Aquino called for the abolition of the PDAF, a turnaround from his earlier statement. But he also said this discretionary fund would be replaced by a new mechanism that would achieve the same goals.
"Now, we will create a new mechanism to address the needs of your constituents and sectors, in a manner that is transparent, methodical, and rational, and not susceptible to abuse or corruption," Aquino said. Aquino made the announcement three days before the scheduled mass gathering at the Luneta Park against corruption involving the PDAF system, including the reported scam which used pork barrel funds to fund ghost projects worth P10 billion.
In a separate statement, ACT Teachers' party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio also expressed fears that a "reformed PDAF" may resurrect "with a different name."
"We have yet to see the details of the President’s proposal, but based on his statements to the media, it could be the case of the same dog with a different collar," Tinio said.
'Transfer of corruption'
Senator Gregorio Honasan II, a member of the opposition, meanwhile said Aquino's proposed reforms in the handling of public funds may just change the venue for corruption. "Abolishing pork will only transfer power and corruption from Congress to the executive department agencies. It will deprive politically obscure districts of fundsin favor of urban areas," Honasan said in a separate text message.
He said that if the government really wants reforms, it should abolish all discretionary funds in every branch and department. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, for his part, said Aquino should let go of his own "pork" in the form of the President's Social Fund. "PNoy cannot escape from answering the biggest question now: How about his own portly chunk of pork? Certainly, he cannot have his portly pork and eat it too," Zarate said in a separate statement.
'Undermine anti-pork protest'
Activist youth group Anakbayan, meanwhile, saw the President's change of stance on the PDAF issue as "an obvious spin to try to undermine the peoples' protests against pork barrel and corruption." Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said that people should still support the anti-PDAF march scheduled on Monday. “Looking at Aquino's statement, he still stubbornly refuses to abolish pork by merely changing the name PDAF and putting in regulations... Aquino hopes that by changing its name as itemized pork, people will be misled into thinking that there is no need for the August 26 rally," he said.
A "pocket picnic" for taxpayers is set at the Luneta Park in Manila to protest alleged anomalies in the use of the pork barrel fund. As of Friday afternoon, almost 13,000 have indicated on the event's Facebook page that they were attending, but the target attendance is pegged at one million. — KBK/HS/ELR, GMA News