The original sinners

Who has the original sin in the flood control mess?

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

Seeing the players in this scandal pointing fingers at each other, it’s complicated to identify the original sinner.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson says his fellow lawmakers are the original sinners, with their budget insertions providing the opportunities for infrastructure projects that are difficult to keep track of, and facilitating the payment of kickbacks.

Lacson is suggesting that the Senate and the House of Representatives agree to end budget insertions. Good luck on that.

Say goodbye to insertions, to the pork barrel, to those epal moments distributing tax-funded ayuda?

Really, what are they smoking in the Blue Ribbon committee?

Just watching congressmen realigning the P255.5 billion budget for flood control that was cut from the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways is not inspiring confidence that they are ready to say goodbye to all that.

Of the P255.5 billion that DPWH chief Vince Dizon slashed from his own department, the House budget amendment and revision subcommittee realigned P32 billion to the “KBL” (kasal, binyag, libing) aid program — the Aid for Individuals in Crisis Situations. AICS is the state-funded dole-out program used by politicians for self-promotion. The Department of Health got P29.2 billion from the realigned DPWH budget while the Department of Education got P26.5 billion.

It’s fine to provide all forms of assistance to the needy, especially since there are still too many Filipinos genuinely falling under the extremely poor income category.