WITHOUT kickbacks would legislators be interested in the implementation of infrastructure projects?
A legislator’s principal function is precisely that – to legislate, meaning to review or enact laws.
But why is there an upsurge in the number of public works contractors in the hallowed halls of Congress?
Is it the function of legislation that attracts them? Or is it the enactment of the national budget – a shared power between the executive and legislative branches of government?
***
It is not a congressman’s job to build roads, bridges, or flood control structures for his constituents. It is to make their voices heard in the formulation of rules that dictate national policy.
Yet every electoral season a congressman running for reelection would banner infrastructure projects made possible through his efforts – although funded with the people’s money.
The sad reality is that many of our voters cannot tell the job description of senators, congressmen, governors, and mayors.
***
Mayor Bernie Tacoy of Matag-ub, Leyte, was in the news lately for taking potshots at Richard Gomez, the representative of his congressional district.
He said that the flood control project in his town is only a month old but is unable to stop rampaging waters from causing damage to farms and houses.
Tacoy said that he is “facing a difficult situation here in Matag-ob because of perennial flooding. It is heartbreaking to see how much damage even an LPA can cause. This isn’t even a typhoon, yet many of us are already struggling. The month-old flood control project that was supposed to protect failed at the first sign of flood.”
***
While the project was publicly acknowledged to have been initiated by Rep. Gomez, Mayor Tacoy said that he learned of it only through social media and anecdotal accounts.
There was no coordination between the national government and LGU officials, not even the municipality’s engineering department, he said.
The national trend is to ignore the LGU whenever congressional insertions are implemented at the local level.
***
Gomez’s public reaction to allegations that the project is substandard is far from reassuring. He is skirting the merits of Tacoy’s claims.
The congressman instead posted the reporters’ names and mobile numbers, with reference to alleged media corruption – “the media spin being done against me is expensive.”
Gomez doxxing members of the media might elicit an ethics complaint against him. Doxxing, or the act of publicly revealing another person’s private information, is prohibited under Republic Act 10173, or the Data Privacy Act.
***
The ad hominem disregards Gomez’s duty as a public servant to account for his actions while holding office funded by government.
It cultivates the growing perception that senators and congressmen act as “funders” of infrastructure projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
About 60% of budgetary insertions for favored infrastructure projects are allotted to “commissions,” according to Sen. Ping Lacson. How can Filipino lives improve with only 40%?/PN
