Tag: pork barrel

The 2025 ‘election budget’ now foundation for unprecedented corruption

July 3, 2025 Ramon Ortoll 3 Comments

To the Duterte detractors, former President Rodrigo Duterte (PRRD) was left with a budget surplus by his predecessor, the late former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, that only exists in their collective imagination. Libre naman managinip ng dilat as part of their myth making. The truth is, public sector budgets are meant to be spent….

Crime

Mistakes, miscalculations, and mismanagement summarize the Liberal Party’s leadership

March 30, 2022March 30, 2022 The Unpopular Opinion 5 Comments

The signing of Imperial Japan’s instrument of surrender on the USS Missouri officially created a deadline for the Philippine commonwealth to transition herself to the third republic. The Nacionalista party, a political party established by Presidents Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmena, was dominating the legislature with their numbers. With President Quezon succumbing to tuberculosis during…

History, Politics

Dick Gordon’s blue ribbon “investigation” into DOH procurement: in “aid of legislation” or in aid of ELECTION CAMPAIGN?

September 9, 2021 Ramon Ortoll 15 Comments

The traditional sins of omission of Senate investigations “in aid of legislation” are on exhibit again this being the an election year. Politics is tough in the Philippines. It’s tough everywhere but it’s tougher here because there is no such thing as a principled stand. It is mostly the business of show as an entertainer…

Crime, Government, Politics

Controversy surrounding Bong Go “protégé” Christopher Lao highlights Philippines’ dysfunctional civil service system

August 30, 2021 Ramon Ortoll No Comments

The brouhaha at the Department of Budget Management (DBM) caused by Senator Bong Go’s protégé Christopher Lao, former Undersecretary at the Presidential Management Staff–Office of the Special Assistant to the President, has brought to fore the issue of how political patronage and the bureaucracy contribute to the culture of corruption in government. It’s not wise…

Government, Politics

Yellowtards gaslighting Filipinos into believing Noynoy Aquino was a great man is EMOTIONAL ABUSE

June 29, 2021June 29, 2021 Ramon Ortoll 4 Comments

The edification of Noynoy Aquino continues. “Soul-searching” is often mentioned. Few of his faults are highlighted in death. It’s his achievements which are being bruited about along with the anecdotes about how “good” a person he was. I bought into all these in 1983 after his father former Senator Ninoy Aquino was assassinated. No Internet…

Crime, Politics

Senate Bill No. 23 (BRAVE Bill) aims to make pork barrel corruption a thing of the past

June 28, 2021 Ramon Ortoll 6 Comments

Probably unknown to many, Senator Panfilo Lacson filed Senate Bill No. 23 last July 2, 2019. The Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) seeks to empower local government units throughout the country down to the barangay level by allocating development funds which cannot be impounded by the national government. In a speech delivered on…

Development, Government

An Open Letter (of Apology) to My Toddler

June 20, 2021June 20, 2021 Vincent 5 Comments

On the occasion of “Fathers’ day”, while some dads are going to be receiving gifts or having dinners arranged for them, I opted to write my child an open letter that I hope she will read in the future. Here goes… Dear child, It is 2021. It has been quite a number of years since…

Education, Government, Society

‘Pork Barrel Queen’ Janet Lim Napoles convicted but the buck stopped with Aquino in 2013

February 7, 2021 benign0 1 Comment

After years of muddling through the Philippines’ “justice” system, some progress in the crackdown on pork barrel politics has finally been made. Janet Lim Napoles now reportedly faces “jail time of 12 to 18 years for each count of malversation” after the Sandiganbayan ruled “Napoles, [former Cagayan de Oro representative Constantino Jaraula], and three others…

Crime, Politics