My Speech during the Lugawan for Liling, March 11, 2010

RUNNING AGAINST TIME

By Prof. Leonor”Liling” Magtolis Briones
KAAKBAY Partylist Nominee

This is a gathering of people I love and who love me in turn—my family as represented by my daughter in law Babes Javier Briones and my eldest brother, Engr. Isagani M. Magtolis, my other family, the National College of Public Administration and Governance, my former colleagues in the Commission on Audit and the Bureau of the Treasury, Social Watch and Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) colleagues led by Marivic Raquiza, Rene Raya, Jec Reyes Cantos and Janet Carandang, our friend and gallant champion, Cong. TG Guingona, my fellow singers in the Manila Concert Choir under the baton of Dr. Romy Pizana, my beloved students who support me without reservation, and my co-KAAKBAYS led by Alain B. Pascua.

I stand before you, surrounded by your love, support, and patience even as I announce that I have accepted the invitation of KAAKBAY to be a Party-List nominee in the coming 2010 elections.

From the purely personal point of view, there is no reason why I should join the electoral process. I have had a long and full career which will reach a peak when I turn 70 on October 2010. I have done many of the things I have always wanted to do: excel as an academician, join the revolution, go underground, fall in love with a look alike of Che Guevara, have two wonderful sons, a loyal daughter-in-law and a precious, precocious grandchild, lead two civil society organizations with national, regional and international renown, gain the loyalty and love of my students, write a book and two columns, and sing in countless concerts with the Manila Concert Choir. Lately, I have gone “birding” or watching birds—the kind that fly up to dizzying heights in the sky and zoom down with equal grace to the swamps of Candaba.

Yes, I have everything but money. Money does not matter. But then, why am I running?

I am running because the work of Social Watch/ABI, of which KAAKBAY is a part of, needs to be expanded and enhanced. For the past four years, ABI has chalked up an impressive record of increasing allocations for education, health, agriculture, and the environment. It is already going into budget tracking, mobilization of indigenous peoples into the budget process, local governments, and people’s participation in public finance.

Nevertheless, the effectiveness of its work is hampered by problems in the budget process—impoundment of funds, transfer of allocations, use of savings, and non-accountability in the use of Special Purpose Funds, to name a few. A strong voice is needed in Congress, especially since our budget reforms champion, Cong. TG Guingona is moving on to the Senate.

I am running because questions need to be asked and answers need to be sought in the halls of Congress. When the new President assumes office, how much will be left of the Ph 1.5 trillion budget for 2010 after the orgy of spending and electioneering? How much will the deficit be? Let us not forget that the 2010 budget deficit is projected at more than Ph300 billion. How much will the total debt be? Only in January, 2010 the Department of Finance borrowed $1.1 billion in bonds. In February, it borrowed $1.5 billion more. This already amounts to $2.6 billion borrowing in bonds for just two months. It does not include borrowing from other countries, the multilateral banks, as well as domestic borrowing.

How will the new president fund the expected deficit? From where will he get his expected revenues—from the high income groups who should be paying their taxes properly, or from the very poor who have to pay taxes for food, clothing and shelter?

I am running because Congress needs to review government expenditures, especially during the election period. Who are the beneficiaries of government expenditures? Whose poverty are we going to alleviate? The poverty of more than 29 million people, or the “poverty” of government officials? Only last Saturday, I went to a barrio in Antique and visited its elementary school. In that elementary school, there was not a single computer, whether for the use of the teachers or for instruction of pupils. Drawings of computer parts and keyboards were made on manila paper. In other schools, six year old kids lug expensive laptops to school while the children in this school have to be content with “pretend” laptops on manila paper! Where have the billions budgeted for information technology gone?

I am running because abuses in the budget process are rampant. In 2008, Ph140 billion in so-called savings were transferred to preferred areas of government, thus distorting budget priorities. Actual expenditures exceeded allocations in the appropriations

I am running because the President has vetoed the limitations on the powers of impoundment which Congress sought to put in place in the 2010 budget. I am running because the present president has vetoed the efforts of Congress to limit her nonstop borrowing activities.

Finally, I am running because Congress will be the center of national debates which will determine the continued survival of our country and people. With the entry of a Chief Executive and a former First Lady as members of Congress, the House will be the eye of many political storms and conflicts.

Running Against Time

I am not only running against presidential abuse of the budget, the murky negotiations in the Bicameral Committee, the surreptitious insertions in the expenditure programs and the impunity with which public funds are stolen, wasted and pocketed; I am also running against time.

With your help and with God’s blessings, I will win, not only against entrenched powers in Congress. but against time itself!