IGNORANTE DAW TAYO SABI NI CONGRESSMAN

Puno's Claim of Ignorance [00:12]

• Deputy House Speaker Ronald Puno dismissed public criticism regarding budget "insertions" and anomalies as ignorance.
• He stated that Congress merely reviews what agencies submit, implying citizens don't understand the process.

  "All those things are submitted by the agencies. Sana maging seryoso sila sa mga banat nila no? Kasi it just betrays ignorance pagka ganun eh."

"Power of the Purse" and Accountability [01:27]

• The "power of the purse" comes with the burden of accountability.
• Legislators must own the outcomes of the budgets they approve, as they dictate spending.

  "Ibig sabihin non friends na kapag ikaw ang nagdidikta kung saan igagastusin ang pera ng taong bay you have to own the outcome."

Legislative Oversight [03:03]

• Legislative oversight does not end with budget enactment.
• Congress has mandatory oversight powers to monitor budget spending, including committee inquiries.

  "Kasi under the constitution, ang congress po hindi lang taga-approve ng budget. Meron siyang mandatory oversight powers or kumbaga binabantayan nila yung paggastos nung budget na yon."

Vigilance vs. Ignorance [05:48]

• Questioning last-minute budget insertions is not ignorance but vigilance.
• Citizens have the right to question the budget, and politicians cannot get away with questionable practices.

  "So in short, questioning last minute by Insertions isn't ignorance on the part of the citizens. It's called vigilance."

Historical Context of Pork Barrel [04:44]

• The public reacted strongly to the P70 million pork barrel per congressman in the past.
• Current discretionary budgets, some reaching billions, are significantly larger, fueling public anger.

  "Pork barrel. Alam niyo ba ang pork barrel non guys? 70 million per congressman lang. 70 million lang. T's nagalit na ang Pilipino."

Gaslighting Taxpayers [06:55]

• It is unacceptable to "gaslight" taxpayers who scrutinize public funds.
• The democratic response to citizen inquiries should be transparency and accountability, not condescension.

  "Kumbaga dapat nga puriin yung mga yan eh. Kasi they are taking the time of day to look into this at bantayan lahat ng kaguhan na to. Instead iga-gaslight niyo sila."

Congress's Role in Budget Manipulation [04:21]

• Many corruption issues stem from how Congress manipulates, inserts, and "bastardizes" the budget.
• Citizens are becoming increasingly aware of the link between congressional actions and national problems.

  "A lot of it has to do with Congress and conmen how you guys manipulate, insert and bastardize the budget."

The "We Are Not Ignorant" Microsite [13:10]

• In response to Puno's statement, the "Better Gov" and "People's Budget Coalition" launched a microsite titled "We Are Not Ignorant."
• This site details the 7,465 inserted and adjusted projects in the 2027 House Budget Bill.

  "We are not ignorant. Nakikita niyo ba 'yan, Guys? May ilalagay akong ilink sa chat. Tingnan ninyo ha."

Budget Insertions and Reductions [14:37]

• Congressmen insert new budget items by reducing funds from other projects.
• These reductions often affect crucial long-term projects like railways, classrooms, and healthcare.

  "Kailan may tanggalan kang budget kasi kailangan magbalanse pa rin yan. So ang ginagawa ng Congress, ito yung ginawang plano ng DPW."

Call for Action and Unity [31:46]

• A general assembly for "Creators Against Corruption" was announced to organize and fight corruption.
• The initiative aims to unite individuals who are angry about corruption and want to expose it.

  "So sa mga gustong tumulong, meron akong panawagan sa inyo. Pakita mo nga yung invite invite natin. Meron kaming general assembly ng creators against Corruption."

Senator Robin Padilla's Demonezation Proposal [23:46]

• Senator Robin Padilla proposed demonetizing cash to curb corruption.
• The idea is to force the deposit of all cash to banks, creating a paper trail and making illicit funds traceable.

  "May proposal si Robin Padilla na 'yung pera daw i-demonetize. Alam niyo ba 'yon? So yung cash, yung cash bills i-demonetize daw."