Aquino urged to junk ‘pork,’ review Jpepa

Even as he has yet to sit in his presumed-to-be new post as next President of the country, Sen.

Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is already being beset by demands for him to act on issues that have borne controversy in the outgoing Arroyo administration.

Clergymen yesterday had asked the presumptive President-elect to abolish the “pork barrel” of the members of the two Houses of Congress, saying this is the prime source of corruption in the government.

“Pork barrel is really a source of corruption (in Congress). Their (lawmakers) duty is to make laws and not rural development,” Sorsogon province Bishop Arturo Bastes said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Web site.

Bastes said government funds should be handled by the various and concerned agencies of the government and not by the lawmakers and that the “bad congressional tradition” should be “forbidden forever.”

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo also called for the abolition of the pork barrel system because, he said, it makes for corrupt legislators.

He also said the “pork” makes the Legislative lose its independence from the Executive branch as it makes lawmakers beholden to Malacañang.

It is common for some lawmakers from another political party to join the administration coalition after elections to ensure that they get their pork barrel.

“Congressmen should focus on making laws because that is what they are supposed to do,” Pabillo stressed.

He said it is the local governments that should be the one to utilize such funds because they are supposed to implement pet projects such as the construction of roads and school buildings.

“That is the important duty of the governors and the mayors and not of the senators and congressmen,” Pabillo said.

Pork barrel, formally known as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), is money taken from the national budget to fund projects of senators and congressmen.

A congressman is entitled to P70 million in PDAF every year while a member of the Senate, P200 million.

Meanwhile, Aquino is also being called on to immediately review the controversial Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), which was ratified by the Philippine Senate in 2008.

The leftwing fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) also yesterday called on presumptive President to consider the possible abrogation of the bilateral trade pact between the Philippines and Japan within the first 100 days of his administration.

“This is a make or break for Aquino and his Yellow Republic. We are giving him 100 days to serve the death sentence to this one-sided agreement whose only claim to fame is the awarding of 30 caregiving jobs to 30 Filipino nurses in 2009,” Pamalakaya national chairman Fernando Hicap said.

Hicap also claimed that the Japanese government and Japanese corporations are engaged in indirect bribery to ensure the incoming Aquino administration will continue to uphold and support the anti-Filipino economic and partnership treaty.

Citing a recent report of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), he said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) recently renewed its offer to provide at least $ 700 million in aid to the Aquino administration.

NEDA said the JICA country assistance to the Philippines is meant for the country to achieve its next Medium Term Philippine Development Plan that involves support programs and projects in the areas of capacity building, operation and maintenance and climate change.

But Hicap said the money was meant to fast track the implementation of Jpepa.

“This $700-million economic aid to the Philippines is part of the pro-Jpepa offensive of Japan. If this is not a direct or indirect bribe, then what is it? A charity work from Japanese corporate syndicates? We don’t think so,” he said.

According to Pamalakaya, a single 3,000-gross ton Japanese factory ship is capable of harvesting 50,000 metric tons of tuna a year or 150 metric tons of tuna per day. Based on industry standards, a single factory ship could earn as much as $32.5 million in gross profits from the sale of skipjack tuna.

Pamalakaya said the bulk of the profit will come from the remaining 35 percent of the 50,000 metric ton tuna catch, which is $210 million.

“A single medium size factory ship thus will earn $242.5 million a year, and since Japan at the very least, employs four factory ships in its regular tuna fishing expedition per country, we expect them to earn a total of $ 970 million or P43.5 B per year,” the group said.

At present, the local tuna industry yearly produces 400,000 metric tons of tuna, with 15 percent of the production going to domestic market and 85 percent for exports.

The European Union accounts for 40 percent of the country’s fresh and canned tuna exports or roughly 64,000 metric tons per year. The rest of the exports are shipped to tuna markets in Japan and the United States.

Pamalakaya recalled that during the Senate deliberation of Jpepa, Aquino voted against the controversial treaty. The group said he can challenge the treaty again by calling on the Senate to review the pact and compel the 23-member of the August chamber to recall its ratification in 2008. –Marie A. Surbano and Charlie V. Manalo, Daily Tribune