Lessons from acquittals in 2013 PDAF scam
It is crucial to keep in check that the appropriate cases are filed with sufficient material and testimonial evidence to ensure conviction and that court proceedings will not last years, or even decades.
Contributor Archives
Pork by any other name would stink just as bad
Over the years, lawmakers have mastered the art of bastardizing the budget, the most important piece of legislation that Congress passes every year. Based on how they mangled the 2023 to 2025 budgets, it would appear that the present crop of legislators has outdone all past congresses in terms of the enormity of the amount and degree of shamelessness in abusing their power of the purse.
The evolution of congressional budget insertions
The first time I heard of the term budget insertions was about 30 years ago, during the Ramos administration. It referred to funding provisions for projects or programs identified by congressmen in the General Appropriations Bill. The insertions were over and above what was then called the Countrywide Development Fund.
On the road to perdition
The public is getting swamped with false, misleading, or completely fabricated information that creates confusion, anxiety, fear and distrust, aggravating the anger and stress over the rising cost of living and our daily struggles with congested traffic and inefficient government services.
Duterte’s ‘troubling conditions’ at ICC
The former president is indeed in "troubling conditions," not because of what his children are protesting about, but because of the special treatment accorded him, such as the frequent visits by family members, the comforts at the Scheveningen penitentiary and the legal processes on the charges against him, things the thousands of suspected drug users killed under his brutal drug war never had.
Where do we go from here?
Mr. president, the people are watching with eagle eyes and eagerly waiting for more decisive actions from your end.
Guilt beyond reasonable doubt
When the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, created on Sept. 11 under Executive Order 94, conducts its own probe, how will it untangle the complex web of untruths and distortion of facts by personalities perceived to have benefited from the anomalous deals?
Political theatrics
Bersamin's statement rebuking the House over a plan that had been shelved appears to be unnecessary, unless the Palace wants to send a message to Romualdez to "moderate [their] greed."
Tighter vigilance on P6.793 trillion 2026 budget
The current brouhaha over fictitious and anomalous flood-control projects necessitates closer monitoring of how Congress will play around the proposed P6.793 trillion budget for 2026.
Is there ‘institutionalized cartel’ in DPWH projects?
The president should sustain his efforts in finding the truth behind these “ghost” and other anomalous projects, not only in the DPWH but also in other agencies involving procurement and other forms of contracts. That would be a meaningful legacy to leave behind.
