MikeLigalig.com

No more pig-out

The legislature will now gorge on a pork-free diet after President Aquino ordered a menu-based system under the Priority Development Assistance Program (PDAF) allocated to senators and congressmen, but the investigations will continue based on the 462-page COA Report that included Bohol's four former solons during GMA's administration.

The COA audit was conducted June 15, 2010 and was finished September 13, 2012 covering CY 2007-2009.

Congressional allocations under PDAF are directly released by the DBM to the Implementing Agencies (IA's) identified by the legislators.

Project proposals for funding are submitted to the Appropriations Committee. These proposals are submitted to the DBM through the Speaker of the House and the Senate President. After evaluation, a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) and Notice of Cash allocation (NCA) is released to the selected IA's.

Funds released to duly accredited NGO's should be backed by an appropriation law or ordinance for their implementation.

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Former 1st District Congressman now Governor Edgar Chatto had a total of P174.184M made available by DBM for his projects.

Chatto poured P119.884M into infrastructure projects while allocating P54.300M for health, education, livelihood and pro poor programs.

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For the three year period covered by the audit report, a total of P1.890B pork barrel were allocated for the three districts in Bohol.

Each congressman gets P70M a year for his pet projects that is released to an implementing agency (IA) and distributed to so called accredited NGO's for implementation.

However, the COA report showed that the four congressmen's funds were channeled to dubious NGO's thru their apparent favorite Implementing GOCC, the National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR), an attached government corporation under the Department of Agriculture (DA).

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The DA Secretary during the audit period covered was Arthur Yap, now on his second term as congressman of the 3rd District.

The Chronicle did not receive any reply from Yap to the COA's findings on the DA's role during his term as DA secretary in the pork barrel controversy as promised by his staff.

Saying that NGO's were selected on the basis of the purported endorsement by the sponsoring legislators, the COA report bared that the four former congressmen placed their funds in the hands of 18 NGO's for projects worth P171.766M.

Eleven projects were released thru NABCOR, four to Technological Resource Center (TRC) and three went to the National Livelihood Development Center (NLDC).

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Chatto's pork worth P51.360M was released to NABCOR, TRC and the NLDC and implemented by six NGO's.

The six NGO's were identified by the COA as GPMFI (P9.7M); KMFI (P8.820M); KKAMFI (P12.610M); KapKFI (P13.449M) and KMBFI (P6.790M)

KMBFI, KKAMFI and KMFI were also found to be part of an NGO with Roque as incorporator, Board of Director, stockholder and treasurer while the rest of Chatto's NGO's were of doubtful origin.

In a statement sent to the Chronicle, Chatto strongly denied involvement in any PDAF irregularity.

Chatto categorically stated that all his communications to implementing agencies of his pork barrel contains a proviso stating that prior to the start of all his projects NGO's must strictly comply will all auditing rules and regulations to qualify as project implementor.

A letter sent by Chatto to the COA reminding the agency that the condition precedent requiring compliance with COA rules, policies and guidelines were sorely missing.

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Commissioner Jala did not respond to a txt message sent by the Chronicle but Adam Relson Jala txted the Chronicle "My role in the projects was only in assisting and facilitating the release of the funds for the projects but not the implementation thereof or the identification of the NGO.

Jala pointed out that no funds pass his office and stressed that there were no ghost projects since livelihood training programs were actually conducted.

What started in 1989 as the Mindanao Development Fund and the Visayas Development Fund with a total appropriation of P720M became the Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) with an initial funding of P2.3B and was later called the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF)

The term pork barrel refers to a barrel of salt pork which in the 19th century was a measure of a family's wealth while pork barrel politics is funding for government projects whose benefits are concentrated in a local area.(CMV)

http://boholchronicle.com.ph/

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so they didn't check the legality of the NGOs, nor even check the project sites whether billboards were put up with their smiling faces frozen for posterity announcing that those are their projects, aka epal?

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from a gma news item---

Seven foundations run by the same people
 
Among the COA's findings, one observation stood out: at least seven foundations allegedly involved in irregular transactions with the government are being run by the same individuals.

"Marilou L. Antonio was the Project Coordinator of Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation, Inc. and Ikaw at Ako Foundation, Inc. and Chief Finance Officer of Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay Sa Masa while Marilou C. Ferrer was the Project Coordinator of Kapuso't Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. and Corporate Secretary of Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa," COA observed in 2007.

In a 2008 audit, COA disclosed that Antonio, Ferrer and Godofredo G. Roque were also incorporators of Gabay at Pag-asa ng Masa Foundation, Inc., Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation, Inc. and Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation, Inc.

-more at http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/318925/news/specialreports/pork-racket-ngo-headed-by-luy-got-p225-m-from-da-s-corporate-arm

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In his letter to these agencies prior to any project implementation, Chatto had categorically stated that NGOs must comply with the standard auditing rules and regulations, policies and guidelines prescribed by law and the appropriate agencies to qualify as project  implementer, the then congressman stressed.

Such a proviso, if not satisfied, would at the same time serve as a categorical objection to the participation of non-compliant bogus NGOs, much less the fake or bogus ones, Chatto emphasized.

The agencies concerned would know which organizations are accredited by them after passing their due diligence tests and criteria.

Chatto welcomed the audit report which the Commission on Audit (COA) promised to furnish all legislators after its completion to clear the names of those who are not involved.

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there seems to be one thread in the ex-solons' defense: it is not for them to know or check whether the NGOs are legal or not.  they now seem to be passing the buck back to the executive branch of government, like the implementing agencies.

questions: who asks these solons to fund projects through their PDAFs?  do they have the funds released only if they are asked?  does this mean that those billboards and streamers announcing to one and all that those are their projects come from the goodness of the implementors' hearts? 

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heaven help us.  what that stolen money (limited, as yet, to 3 years as reported by the coa) could have done to our infrastructures.  kun gitunong lang unta ang kwarta, wow...

"we are a rich country pretending to be poor," a marcos lackey had said in the old days.  well, it looks like we have moved on to become a rich country governed by thieves who make us poor.   

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