A good laugh

It has been my daily routine when I get to work to go online and read the Philippine newspapers. Three news dailies in the Philippines have a space in My Favorites - Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Malaya. I used to also read The Manila Times but since Mark Macapagal stopped writing his column, I have stopped reading that newspaper all together. Anyway, the headline in Philippine Star made me laugh. It said: Congressmen: Abolish Senate Senators: Abolish House! Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago made an even better suggestion - abolish both all together!

It seems that Congressmen/women were a bit disgruntled with the Senate approval of the 2005 national budget without going through a bicameral conference committee. Actually, in my opinion it was just a glorified term for the congressmen not happy that their pork barrel will remain the same. When GMA announced that the country was in fiscal crisis, some Senators were quick to give up part of their "pork barrel" but the congressmen were not so quick.

It's so laughable that the congressmen are acting like spoiled kids who were not given the correct amount of allowance supposedly due them. I actually have no problem with them having their pork barrels but I just wish that it is being used to those who need it the most...their constituents. These congressmen or maybe politicians in general should take into consideration the state of the country and see if an increase or the same amount of pork barrel is even feasible. I mean the entire country is languishing in poverty and the people are trying to make the most of their situation and here are our congressmen who should be looking out for us are complaining that they will not be getting enough. They already take up a big chunk of the national budget when most of them are just sleeping, what more do they want. I really do not know how we can expect our country to progress when the very same people who should be helping are the same ones making our country sink even more. Go Figure!