Die, Filipinos, die; budget isn’t for you

The President proposed a lavish P16.3-billion budget for the House of Reps in 2025. And P12.8 billion for the Senate.

The two chambers quickly approved their respective allotments. The bloated figures came from them anyway.

Then came last Wednesday morning’s closed-door “bicameral conference of two.” A congressman inserted P17.37 billion to the House allotment – more than doubling it to P33.67 billion. A senator added P1.1 billion to the chamber – making it P13.9 billion.

That afternoon congressmen and senators ratified their final loot: P47.57 billion. Just like that.

Why are politicos so greedy? This fable somehow explains it:

“Help, save me, help!” the trapped scorpion hollered. Floodwaters were rising fast and about to overflow the rock it was perched on.

Up the tree the monkey heard the cry and shouted, “Fear not, my friend, I’ll help you.” He grabbed a vine and swung onto the rock. “Quick, cling to my shoulder,” he told the frantic scorpion.

The monkey leaped back to the tree and panted, “We made it just in time.” The torrent deluged the rock.

Suddenly the scorpion stung the monkey in the neck with its poison tail. Paralyzed, the monkey gasped, “Why did you do this to me, my friend, when I saved your life?”

The scorpion beamed: “I can’t help it. It’s my nature.”

Its politicos’ nature to plunder. The 2025 budget shows it:

(1) Bongbong Marcos slated P898.9-billion public works. That’s what DPWH is capable of spending on roads, bridges, flood controls.

But the secret bicam of two that Congress ratified last week raised it to P1.11 trillion – the highest budget item.

The extra P214 billion is for more flood works that congressmen, senators and their local official-kin can pocket in full. Also 70-percent kickbacks from highway rock nettings and cat’s eyes.

(2) Senators assigned for themselves P5 billion and congressmen P21 billion in Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program.

AKAP cash is to be handed out by re-electionists to voters. It will foment drunkenness, gambling, indolence – and dependence on politicos.

(3) BBM allotted P66.09 billion to local government units. Bicam upped it to P76.66 billion. The extra is again for their local dynasties.

(4) BBM proposed P158.67-billion unprogrammed budget. That’s for more roads, bridges and flood works in case of new loan and unexpected revenues. Bicam raised it to P531.67 billion.

It’s like 2024’s P282-billion unprogrammed fund, which the closed-door 2023 bicam tripled to P732 billion for pork barrels. Failing to get new loans, the Department of Finance stole from Executive agencies – including P90 billion from our PhilHealth.

(5) BBM set P748.09 billion for DepEd. Pretending to favor education, Congress publicly raised it to P748.65 billion. But the bicam of two slashed it to only P737.08 billion.

That’s lower than DPWH’s. It violates the constitutional rule for highest budgetary priority for education (Article XIV, Section 5). For a decade now Filipino public grade schoolers are dumbest among 85 countries in Math, Science and Reading Comprehension.

A congressman said it’s all VP Sara Duterte’s fault, for misspending DepEd confidential and computer funds. Students are being punished for the principal’s fault.

BBM said he’ll restore DepEd’s budget before signing on Friday, Dec. 20 because “it’s contrary to our directions.” Correction: That’s not his direction. It’s the peoples’ mandate when they ratified the 1987 Constitution. BBM was then in Hawaii exile after People Power toppled his dictator-father Ferdinand E. Marcos.

(6) BBM set only P30.11 billion for the Commission on Higher Education, P113.75 billion for state universities and colleges and P18.5 billion for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The bicam raised those: CHED, P33.31 billion; SUCs, P122.16 billion; TESDA, P20.74 billion.

But, even with DepEd’s P737.08 billion, they total only P913.29 billion – still less than DPWH’s P1.11 trillion.

BBM is realigning funds from other agencies – but not from public works, reserved for Congress’ pork barrels.

(7) BBM set P180.14 billion for transportation. Congress cut it to P103.93 billion. Bicam further axed it to P87.24 billion.

Politicos think Filipinos don’t need to go to school or work. After all, they’re pampered with ayuda.

(8) Agriculture, originally P128 billion. Congress at first raised it to P144.46 billion; bicam, down to P124.44 billion.

Starve, Filipinos, starve.

(9) BBM wanted P31-billion calamity fund. Congress cut it to P21.5 billion; bicam, to P21 billion.

Victims will be to blame if their homes get flooded. That’s because they live there knowing that politicos have stolen their flood funds.

(10) Miscellaneous personnel benefits was at first P163.33 billion: deficiencies in salaries, bonuses, allowances, premiums, medical aid.

Congress cut it to P114.13 billion; bicam, to P109.13 billion.

Suffer, Filipinos, suffer.

(11) Social welfare, originally P229.79 billion. Bicam: P217.34 billion.

(12) Housing, originally P4.24 billion. Bicam: P3.66 billion.

(13) Pensions of military and other uniformed personnel, originally P232.02 billion. Bicam: P144.72 billion.

(14) AFP modernization, originally P50 billion. Bicam: P35 billion.

(15) Bicam removed PhilHealth’s P53-billion automatic share from sin taxes and P21-billion subsidy.

A senator said it’s all PhilHealth mismanagers’ fault for letting DOF take the members’ P90 billion. Meaning, we members are to be punished for the Malacañang appointees’ collusion in plunder.

Another senator claimed that PhilHealth has P600-billion “excess” to spend. BBM claimed it’s P500 billion.

Commission on Audit records only P431-billion “reserves.” Yet PhilHealth has P1.16-trillion insurance contract liabilities (debts). Meaning, it’s P729 billion in the red.

“Don’t get sick,” a congressman advised. It’s like saying don’t catch leptospirosis, cholera, dengue, diarrhea, pneumonia, tetanus, rabies, hepatitis caused by Congress’ fake flood works.

BBM supported zero-funding for PhilHealth. He was silent on the Universal Health Care Act’s automatic shares from quarterly earnings of PAGCOR and PCSO – both under the Office of the President.

Die, Filipinos, die.