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The PDAF scam and the 2016 election

Randy David

Philippine Daily Inquirer

12:08 AM | Thursday, May 15th, 2014

Will the ongoing investigation of the large-scale diversion of lawmakers’ Priority Development

Assistance Fund (PDAF) to private pockets have any significant effect on the 2016 elections and

on Philippine politics in general? This is a complex question.

The answer, I think, greatly depends on the level of importance Filipino voters assign to the

personal integrity of elected officials as against the myriad forms of assistance they expect toderive from them. In general, I think the connection between integrity in public service and

persistent mass poverty is still largely viewed as something abstract. Therefore, a lot depends

on how effectively the anticorruption movement, which is basically a middle-class constituency,

can shape the electoral debate.

The Supreme Court decision abolishing the pork barrel system is an incredible achievement. It

lays the foundation for all future reform efforts in governance. But, a discreet return to the old

ways is not improbable. The high court prohibits lawmakers from inserting in the national budget

lump-sum allocations for projects to be determined by them, and from playing any role in project

implementation and budget disbursement after Congress has passed the budget. Nothing in thisruling prevents the executive branch from accommodating specific requests from favored

legislators. Indeed, nothing prevents lawmakers from using their influence and connections in

various government departments to secure funds for their pet projects. If anything, the PDAF

ruling tilts the balance in favor of the executive, and makes lawmakers more dependent than

ever on the president’s discretionary powers.

Clearly, while the abolition of the pork barrel has derailed an entrenched system of generating

slush funds for electoral campaigns and everyday patronage, it does not kill patronage politics

itself. What we can be certain of at this point is that the proper and responsible use of public

funds will henceforth depend heavily on the commitment to systemic reform of whoever sits in

Malacañang.

Things would be immensely better if we had an independent judiciary and mature political

parties to check the abuses of those who wield political power. But these modern institutions are

evolutionary achievements. They grow out of everyday practice. While it is gratifying to see that

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the checks and balances in our system of government appear to be working, we need to get

used to a way of doing things that nurtures and strengthens these institutions.

Now that we are seeing the full measure of the thievery that took place during the Arroyo

presidency, we can only be grateful for the blessings that come with having an honest president.

This, however, need not be entirely a matter of luck. By choosing well in 2016, we can make

honest and dedicated public service the new norm, and avoid repeating the excesses of that

plunderous decade when an unelected president seized power and used every dirty trick in the

book to preserve it.

Personal integrity is not the easiest thing in the world to measure, and looking for virtuous men

and women in politics could be a futile exercise. But there are things we can reasonably demand

of our political leaders. First, that they must take their responsibilities seriously. We should not

waste our votes on people who, after being accused of cheating, lying, and stealing or misusing

public funds, do not bother to offer a persuasive account of their innocence. Today the burden

falls most heavily on those whose names have been mentioned in sworn and signed statements

as having received kickbacks or commissions from their PDAF. Even if no cases have been filed

against them, it is their duty to render a complete and verifiable report showing how and where

they used their PDAF.

Second, we need to expand the meaning of personal integrity to include two qualities of

leadership most needed by our society at this time—selflessness and discernment. The

constitutional provision banning political dynasties and mandating the democratization of

opportunities for public service is very clear. Any elected public official who ignores it, on the

pretext that this constitutional mandate still awaits legislative enactment, can be accused of badfaith. We cannot go wrong if we choose those who have not built or shown any intent to build

political empires for their kin.

Similarly, I take personal integrity to mean the capacity to draw a sharp line separating one’s

functions as a public official from one’s obligations to the business groups that financed one’s

political career. The failure to differentiate has been one of the biggest obstacles to our evolution

into a modern society. It has stunted our economy, and has kept our political class small and

exclusive. More important, this lack of discernment has lain at the center of nearly every

instance of corruption in our national life.

Instead of withering away like atavistic survivals of a bygone era, political families have

multiplied and become more shameless in their pursuit of power and wealth. Their persistence

mirrors the paucity of statesmen who can think and live selflessly for country—individuals who

think of politics as a vocation, not to make money or gain a name or protect their family’s

fortunes, but to pursue a vision for a hopeful nation. I’m aware that these words are so loosely

spoken in the campaign trail that hearing them only elicits cynicism.

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But, we need to recover the power of words in political discourse by daring our politicians to look

us straight in the eye when they speak, to say what they mean and to mean what they say.