Name names already

In several exchanges of views, Senator Ping Lacson, closely followed by the public regarding the pilfering of the budget, particularly in the P545-billion flood control scandal, stressed that legislators’ involvement in the mess is inescapable.

He pointed out that even senators are not beyond suspicion in the controversy.

After Quezon City residents were caught off guard by Friday’s flash flood, one that could have been prevented by a properly designed mitigation project costing far less than the amounts plundered over the years, it now behooves Lacson and the other whistleblowers to start naming names.

Lacson had said that his peers in the Senate and the House of Representatives introduced insertions or amendments in the national budget bill, which is why he repeatedly called for transparency in the budgeting process.

Another squealer, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, said he will wait for the right venue to identify members of Congress who have benefited from the yearly heist.

The public now asks what is stopping them. They have the wealth of evidence, as they claim, yet they have kept the public in suspense, it seems, for their benefit.

The increasingly tragic fate of the public after a downpour makes it incumbent upon citizens to know who among the officials they elected should be held accountable and face consequences behind bars.

Lacson is more specific in his allegations, stating that members of both chambers insert amendments into the national budget to fulfill “campaign promises” or to obtain personal gain.

The insertions, in turn, allow lawmakers to select contractors and claim up to 25 percent as “funders.”

Yet, Lacson insists on a “solid factual basis” before accusing a legislator.

Senate President Francis Escudero admitted to a P30-million campaign donation from Centerways Construction, one of the 15 top contractors identified by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as cornering P100 billion worth of contracts for shoddy projects.

Escudero called his association with the contractor a “demolition job” despite owning up to it.

Then, the attention was diverted to the contractors and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), including the accreditation body, the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), as being the crux of the outrage.

Thus, those following Lacson feel a sense of betrayal as he now appears to be playing it safe while keeping himself in the limelight.

Lacson’s cautious approach is engendering frustration as his stream of allegations sidesteps the identity of the ringleaders who packaged the pork barrel projects to be funded in the budget.

The Bicameral Conference Committee (Bicam) is where 70 to 80 percent of insertions occur without public scrutiny, and the senators usually have control over its final phase.

Of the P545 billion in anomalous flood control projects exposed by President Marcos, 15 percent, or P82 billion, was traced to bicam insertions. Former anti-graft body chair Greco Belgica cited a “cartel” involving at least 10 senators as the architects of the bicam draft with the insertions.

Lacson focused on House members, such as Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan, but he only hinted at a “big fish” in the Senate, which was a massive letdown for many.

Maintaining the anonymity of those behind the plunder of funds for flood control and other projects reveals the true motive behind the string of revelations — one that has nothing to do with protecting the national interest.

Exposing the crooks would assure the public that they will no longer be taken for a ride.