Pedestrian Observer GB: Sorsogon Representative Jose Solis still hungry for more Pork Barrel

Can you believe this guy is not happy with the present Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Various Infrastructure and Local Projects (VILP) better known as oink oink pork barrel is asking for more? In a report by Lira Dalangin-Fernadez, Jose Solis is seeking an increase without saying how much of an increase was needed, to quote:

Sorsogon Representative Jose Solis filed House Bill 1232 seeking to increase the discretionary funds of lawmakers “to adopt to the present high cost of commodities, especially construction materials.”

P70M each representatong receives yearly according to Solis is not at par with inflation rate due to the global financial crunch that necessitates pump-priming responses from the government. Really, if that is the case his boss Le Glutton de Gloria errr cheat oooops chief executive Arroyo is simply lying when she repeatedly states that the Philippines were not affected by the global financial meltdown. So who is telling the truth then? To quote further Lira Dalangin-Fernadez report below:

“The irregular, anemic and sometimes regressive annual adjustments in the aforesaid congressional funds, which have not taken into account the continuous rise in the prices of labor and construction materials, have correspondingly failed to stem the tide of widespread poverty and check the advance of disillusionment of the people,” Solis said.

He said the PDAF of House members had stayed at P30 million per lawmaker since 2007, while the VILP fund has been at P40 million per lawmaker since 2006.

The VILP was at P50 million in 2003 and 2004, and even plunged to P20 million in 2005 and 2006, he pointed out.

Senators, on the other hand, get P200 million a year in discretionary or pork barrel funds.

Is this amazing or what? Not that we approve of the senators P200M pork barrel but citing the senators allocation is like comparing apples and oranges. In case Solis is not aware the senators’ scope of coverage are nationwide while representatives only covers a small local district in the province.

The timing also does not make sense since this is Jose Solis last term having served his third term in office. So why ask for an increase of oink oink pork barrel now? Is it to make Flor the missus happy because she is fielding her as his replacement in the 2nd district while he eyes the gubernatorial position? Talk about political dynasty in the making and this is one of the solon who voted to con our asses’ errr I meant HB 1109 or Con Ass.

Is it really poverty alleviation when he was the one who proposed Human Security Act where Le Glutton de Arroyo tried to revive RA 1700 known as the Anti-Subversion law that is now deemed irrelevant? Ironically while all those solons who opposed the measure were urging the government to come up with poverty alleviation alternative to fight insurgency his position was Marcosian militaristic approach. What’s up with the change of heart or was it more about un-audited discretionary funds answerable to no one but their conscience if ever they have one?

Update: 3/3/09

The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan sentenced to up to 10 years in jail incumbent Sorsogon congressman Jose Solis after finding him guilty of graft and falsification for fraudulently classifying a government owned land to favor a private claimant more than 10 years ago.

Solis before his 3 term stint with congress was a former administrator of the National Mapping and Resource Information Administration (Namria), the government agency has the power and authority to classify, reclassify, assess and re-assess lands in the public domain.

A survey was conducted by the agency signed and approved by Solis on the false claim of Florencia Garcia-Diaz that 4,689 hectares hectares of the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija was not part and outside the reservation.

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