Anomalous pork deal unearthed in 2011

My name appeared in a news report titled “Why Congress won’t act on call for probe” (Front Page, 8/19/13) by Gil Cabacungan. The story was based on an audit report prepared by the Commission on Audit (COA), covering the period 2007-2009.

Unfortunately, the report simply bundles up all false, irregular and anomalous transactions. The disturbing subtext of the report is that all congressmen mentioned in the report are tainted with dirty money.

I take exception to this sweeping generalization. I categorically deny ever misusing my Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). What the COA report conveniently fails to disclose is that some congressmen, like myself, have in fact reported as early as 2011 the bogus nature of the transactions involving us.

On Aug. 5, 2011, I received a letter from COA Assistant Commissioner Arcadio B. Cuenco Jr., requesting me to confirm an alleged letter I supposedly made to the Technology and Livelihood Training Center in 2010, soliciting livelihood funds for my district in the amount of P10 million. The conduit nongovernment organization (NGO) supposedly was a certain Kagandahan ng Kapaligiran Foundation Inc. On Sept. 16, 2011, I replied that I did not make any such request; that my signature on the certificate of acceptance was a forgery; and that the recipients of the livelihood projects (all barangay chairs) were either long dead or have ceased holding office since 2007. I asked, in that same letter, that COA conduct an investigation posthaste.

I don’t think it did. In any case, I would suggest that COA walk the public through the report in order that they may judge whether or not a particular congressman is guilty. The scale of the perfidy beggars the imagination. For the sake of those who played by the rulebook, like myself, COA must submit a fuller explanation of its findings, taking into account those who may have been victimized only.

On my part, since I joined Congress in 2007, my PDAF was either implemented by the municipality of San Agustin (2007-2010) or the provincial government of Isabela (2010-2013).  None of it has passed through any NGO for implementation. All disbursements, therefore, are fully scrutinized and examined; and all documents are first passed upon by the local accountant, local treasurer, resident COA auditor and local executive prior to payment. There is thus in place a mechanism of check and balance and a high degree of transparency.

Every Saturday, I go home to my district for People’s Day, where people, mostly dirt poor, ask me primarily for financial assistance (e.g., to pay for hospital bills, funeral expenses, matriculation fees, livelihood and medicines). To these people, the assistance we give is a lifeline. It would be a pity to stop the PDAF simply because many shamelessly corrupted it. The solution is not to stop it, but to keep an airtight rein on its implementation.

—GIORGIDI B. AGGABAO,

deputy speaker,

House of Representatives