Frustrated in anti-pork drive, Ping eyes Manila mayoralty - Malaya 10.03.2006

BY DENNIS GADIL

SEN. Panfilo Lacson is mulling a run for the mayoralty of Manila next year, saying there is a better chance that his anti-corruption advocacy would succeed if he would work on the ground.

He said his fight against pork barrel in the Senate is often drowned by the tyranny of numbers.

He said his advocacy has earned only few co-champions in the Senate, whose members are entitled to at least P200 million of countrywide development funds every year.

"You want to pursue an advocacy, you cannot because you are governed by numbers," he said.

"I feel very strongly against pork barrel. I feel legislators and other officials are stealing the money of taxpayers in using pork allocations," he said.

Pork barrel allocations are said to be source of kickbacks, with the legislators’ take ranging from 20 to 30 percent of the entire project cost.

The funds are tucked in the Malacañang-proposed national outlay passed by Congress each year.

Lacson never touched his pork barrel allocation since he was elected senator in 2001.

"I came from an executive position. I was CPNP (chief of the Philippine National Police) and I miss those days I could handle things hands on," he said.

Lacson nevertheless said he is not ruling out a run for re-election.

He said he is having talks with political parties with the objective of fielding a unified opposition ticket next year.

Lacson’s name has consistently cropped up in the list of leading candidates for mayor of Manila.

Mayor Lito Atienza is on his last term.

The list includes Sen. Alfredo Lim who is a former Manila mayor, Manila Rep. Joey Hizon, former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez and Imelda Romualdez Marcos.