Crocodiles

That was a most bizarre scene: the congressmen applauding lustily when President Marcos railed against the corruption that went with the flood-control projects.

- ALEX MAGNO

It was like crocodiles cheering their circus master. Either the politicians suffered a sudden change of heart — after making the session hall a fashion ramp for designer bags and expensive watches and their parking lot a showcase for supercars — or they were just humoring the Chief Executive. The change of heart is less likely.

President Marcos threatened the lawmakers with a reenacted budget if the spending bill they pass does not align with the national expenditure plan. That was a funny threat on two counts: first, Congress holds power over the purse and, second, the 2025 national budget was thoroughly deformed by congressional looting.

The Chief Executive will violate the Constitution by limiting the legislature's power over the purse. Congress may impeach him for that transgression.

On the second point: reenacting the 2025 budget may not be a bad thing for the legislators. It is a deformed budget designed to optimize looting. This might be why the politicians were applauding loudly.

The President should have addressed the peculiar culture of budget-crafting that has become deeply ingrained in our institutions. This is the source of most of what is wrong with our country.