mini pork barrel fund

since 1998, there seems to be a mini pork barrel fund that the senators (and apparently members of the House of Representatives as well) have been feeding off, courtesy of some provision inserted in the General Appropriations Act at the time. In effect, the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) budgets of the legislators have been and are being treated like “confidential and intelligence funds” (CIFs), in the sense that when liquidating these expenses, the legislators do not need to produce receipts or other documentary evidence to justify them. All that is needed is a “certification,” signed by them, that they had spent the money on MOOE items.

Comments

  1. Sanamagan, are these members of Congress HOLY COWS that they do not need to justify their liquidation of millions,not centavos, of expenses. Except perhaps for Sen. Ping Lacson, who has not touched his pork barrel allocations, all of these CROCODILES who received Xmas bonus & perks should resign and be charged with plunder. Its really disgusting that even our COA Chief cannot lift a single legal solution just to enforce audit procedures as mandated by our Constitution. It’s a shame that our middle income earners and ordinary workers are paying withholding taxes while they are legally robbing our coffers. I hope the Malacanang Palace should do a self-examination to stop this highway robbery and pursue counter measures to declare such legal acts contrary to Pnoy’s call for “Daang Matuwid”. In this coming election, let’s show Pnoy’s administration it’s veerung away from his goal of eradicating corruption.

  2. If COA chief cannot demand receipts and justification, she should at least make paper trails where these volimnous amounts are deposited, and if these funds are reported in their SALN and if such funds were use for private confidential purposes. We qill knoqq who are really serving their constituents. She must publish the findings since they are of public interest, detailing perhaps exceptional reports which are anomolous.

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