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Friday, April 30, 2004
Editorials: Girl Scout funds: not that kind of closure
An official of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP)-Cebu Council reportedly said its investigation on the P26.5 million from Rep. Clavel Martinez’s pork barrel funds is “closed” and the results are an “internal” matter.
A report of a committee of the GSP-Cebu Council revealed that more than half of the money was deposited in Martinez’s bank account.
It is apparently GSP-Cebu Council’s wish not to pursue the case in public. Not a purely public organization, it prefers privacy in handling the findings of its committee.
Yet, GSP-Cebu cannot hide its decision, not for long. GSP is also public because it accepts contributions from the public and the money involved in the controversy is part of public funds. It has the moral, if not legal duty, to help in digging out the facts.
Not for Clavel, not pork issue
Whatever the fallout from the case, it can’t hurt her candidacy because Rep. Clavel Martinez is virtual winner in her district. She and her family are so entrenched there that they are assured of uninterrupted reign in the next two decades or longer.
It might affect the candidacy of her husband Junie, who is running for governor, but watchers doubt if it will be a huge factor in the Capitol race.
The Martinezes must want the case quickly closed. It’s embarrassing to be caught with government money in one’s personal bank account, whatever the explanation. It’s hurting personal honor and reputation.
Yet, public interest demands that answers be fuller than what their Monday press conference yielded.
Legislators, we are told, don’t touch pork barrel money. They identify projects, get cuts and/or favors from contractors (one congressman reportedly got three young women aside from commissions). But, they swear, they don’t hold the money.
And why did the funds take a circuitous route—from DBM to Bogo to GSP to Clavel, then back to Bogo? (The public doesn’t even know yet if the funds are already returned. The receipts still have to be shown.)
There’s, of course, the matter of conflict of interest. Clavel has the Bogo mayor for a son and the GSP-Cebu treasurer for a daughter, with the congresswoman herself as GSP vice president.
Election or no election, it will benefit the public officials and their public if the questions are adequately answered.
To be fair to Clavel, hers is not the only incident of questionable handling of pork money in the
country.
The problem of “development funds” misuse has been festering for so long. The public needs to make a stronger clamor for full disclosure and tight accountability.
The Martinez case is only one eye-opener. Other cases in other congressional districts can be mind-boggling.
(April 30, 2004 issue)
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