WHERE SHOULD INTEL FUNDS GO?

Folks, this is a personal view. I think that we are not advancing economically because the very people who are supposed to help us, those holding the institutions, become so paranoid that they use the moneys for secretly spying on people Have you heard how much the intelligence fund is? It runs into 1.2 billion, and will be unaudited. 

This intelligence fund, how much is reserved for spying on media practitioners? What kinds of spying do they do? What happens to the data they gather?

How come they don't spy on why food prices are going up and up? How come they don't unearth the truth as to why petroleum prices are skyrocketing? Or why the budget of the government keeps increasing, instead of decreasing? Where does the money go? Do we see any difference in our lives?

I only see indifference and hopelessness around. The thriving groups are those funded from abroad. Where do the trillions go?

The Maguindanao Massacre happened because there was connivance between government people and the police forces there. So what happened to the intelligence funds there?

The problem with our intelligence groups is that they fancy themselves as untouchables. They do not even reveal how they have spent their budgets. But we need to know why. 

I know that intel groups are having a heyday. They can ride fancy cars, buy good clothes, and fancy gadgets to justify their snooping. They have access to all kinds of reports, no need for FOI. Everyone is at their beck and call. 

When I was working for the Budget Commission from 1977 to 79 we unraveled the secret role of one of our employees. He grew red in the face. In that office, there was Rey Abella the Division Chief with a radical background, and many employees with UP student group backgrounds. I was then the spouse of an ex-detainee. So our division was really crawling with radical minds. 

Yet, we knew our limitations. We could not raise our fists nor shout slogans as  the student demonstrators could do. But we were able to present three part play showing the history of our country from Spanish to American and Japanese period, with the title: "Ganito Kami Noon..."

Before the intelligence committee chairs in Congress decide to increase the intelligence funds, they  should line up where the funds should go -- what are the critical areas where mindsetting, using brains is needed -- and primary to that is the food sector. Our people must have food to eat. All else may follow. 

Where are the sources of food, of agricultural crops? What brings up their prices? What are the responsible government agencies doing? Can there be a monthly monitoring of these prices so that the agencies shall be able to say definitively that the prices shall go down?

I don't think our problems are unsolvable. They are. It is only a matter of having the will. 

Think Food Senate and House. And Malacanang. Think of mouths to feed. 

That is democracy?

I get paranoid whenever I enter an internet  kiosk. I fear that someone is peeking into whatever I am writing on the screen, or that my article would not be uploaded at all or if so, would be diluted. That is "democracy?"

WHOSE VOICES SHOULD BE HEARD

Even if non-government organizations proliferate in our country, we still do not feel their real power. We, in the NGO movement, still are a marginalized group that has to look for connections, establish rapport with influential people, and do underground activities to maintain ties with them (as the Napoles group which brought a really negative image to NGO work) just so that our objectives would be realized.

Why so? What is missing in our existence as a Movement. This is capital M simply because it is an important sector of society. We should be treated with great importance, because as we think -- opposite or maybe and parallel with how governance should be conducted in our country -- in opposition to or in collaboration with those in the bureaucracy-- then our image, our presence, our words and thoughts have to be valued, respected and sustained, not degraded, nor our personas killed and murdered.

I was listening to a popular radio program of someone from Eastern Visayas one morning as to how the Yolanda victims are being treated by the government. And I heard that a website has been created so that the people may insert their ideas and have them be read by the power-that-be.

What is good about this? First it is a recognition that our ideas matter.

Second, that they have to be heard or read shall we say.

But what is lacking here? What is lacking is that we are still marginalized. They may or may not take our ideas; they may or may not regard them as valuable for inclusion in their plans, strategies and programs; they may or may not exist in the website at all

Hence, what is the best solution to be done to make us -- the real NGO movement-- matter?

The best thing where infrastructure and all other terminal projects and activities are concerned are these:

1. In the case of housing projects, there should be triumvirate watchers who will be always on alert if the moneys are being spent judiciously; if the timetable is being met; if the steps to realization of the projects are being done qualitatively and quantitatively.

2. These watchers should include:
a. government - COA
b. private sector -- NGO with capabilities related to the project
c. ecumenical religious sector -- ecumenical

B and C sectors are the real voices that should be heard in any government program.

All these people should have the power to approve and disapprove every step along the way the releases of checks for payment. In the event that the contractor fails to fulfill the requirements of one step, then they should be barred from receiving any further payments. Should the people in the area complain about the havoc they are causing to them, then they (the contractor) should be made to pay a penalty to be distributed to the people in the area.

I think institutionalizing the roles of these sectors -- private and ecumenical sectors should make all who are transacting business with the government wary about making hanky-panky activities that would bolster the corruptibility of government public service.

Vox Dei, Vox Populi!