PDAF Watch Phase 3 2009-2010 Report: PDAF during the Arroyo Administration
The Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) published this August 2011 its findings in the latest round of the Priority Development Assistance Fund Watch, or PDAF Watch. Entitled “PDAF Watch 2009-2010: A Step Back into the Darkness”, the publication reviews the use of the so-called “pork barrel funds” or the PDAF of Representatives and Senators in 2008 to 2009. The content also outlines the project team’s efforts to obtain data from government agencies, Representatives, and Senators, and it includes an analysis of the data that was eventually provided.
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The third round of the PDAF Watch was initiated in November 2009. CODE-NGO wrote to 269 Representatives and 23 Senators requesting data about their PDAF and Congressional Allocation (CA) projects in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Nine (9) replied positively to the letters sent. At that time, CODE-NGO also requested data on PDAF and CA from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the two main government agencies that are involved in the PDAF and CA. However, despite months of repeated follow up by phone and visits to their offices, DBM and DPWH still did not provide the requested information. Thus, the volunteer monitors that CODE-NGO had trained in early 2010 were unable to conduct their monitoring work. Given the difficulty in accessing information from government agencies and elected officials, PDAF Watch looked forward to signs of hope after the national elections in May 2010. The DBM, under the leadership of Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, expressed that they will institute measures to make PDAF more transparent, and in July 2011 the Department launched the Electronic Transparency and Accountability Initiative for Lump Sum Funds (e-TAILS) website which shows to the public real-time information on the releases of lump sum funds, starting with the PDAF. The DBM has also integrated the CA (which used to be in the DPWH budget) into the PDAF, for greater transparency. |
On the other hand, the DPWH, under Secretary Rogelio Singson sent the requested information to CODE-NGO on July 29, 2010, an analysis of which is presented in the publication. An analysis of the transparency of the Representatives and Senators in their websites is also included in the publication, along with recommendations for the government on the use and transparency of PDAF.
The PDAF Watch project is a civil society monitoring effort, spear-headed by CODE-NGO in partnership with the Coalition Against Corruption (CAC). It aims to help make public service delivery and the use of PDAF more transparent, accountable, responsive and effective. The PDAF annually amounts to P70 Million per congressperson and P200 Million per senator or a total of about 20 Billion Pesos per year (for 2011, the total appropriation is PhP24,600,000,000). – by Sandino Soliman, CODE-NGO Project Assistant for Advocacy.
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