All the while, we have been of the belief that the “chop-chop” business is only in the junkyard and clandestine shops buying stolen vehicles, specifically motorbikes. Now, if we take the statement of Third District Congressman Isidro Ungab during the other day’s 2026 national budget deliberation, there is this latest disclosure that in the Lower House – or the two lawmaking chambers – there also exists a “chop-chop” gang.
According to Ungab, the gang is responsible for breaking up big budgets of some foreign-assisted projects into smaller ones and has the resulting funds allocated for a number of smaller projects instead. This time, according to the third district congressman of Davao City, more lawmakers, mostly their party mates or belonging to their blocs, will be given projects for their respective districts.
The congressman added that a scheme like this does not bode well with foreign countries or international financial institutions that lend the money to the Philippines for the purpose of implementing big-ticket projects, more specifically, projects on flood control.
He mentioned a few of the foreign countries and the financial institutions that have been helping finance these kinds of projects in the Philippines. He identified the countries as South Korea, China, and Japan. As to financial and lending institutions, he said among these are the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Bank of Korea, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
Indeed, we agree with the Congressman that “chop-chopping” the foreign funds in order to finance more but smaller projects, most likely without prior clearance from the funding countries and agencies, is one system adopted by the crooks in Congress that the Philippines and the Filipinos should be ashamed of. Unfortunately, however, the majority of the Congressmen who have the title “Honorable” attached before their names are already so thick-faced. Any effort intended to shame them, hoping that this could put a little dent in their consciences, can no longer penetrate. It is as if the callous on their faces is much thicker than the asphalt overlaid on already concreted highways, or of the cement used to build the wall on river dikes.
Nonetheless, we still encourage our district’s Congressman to level up his exposé on the so-called “chop-chop” gang in Congress. He must name all of them if he is certain he has the beef on these “chop-chop” gang members.
If there is no rule prohibiting the calling of the congressmen “gangsters” to a probe by their own peers, then call them and ask them to justify their action. After all, it is our take that their act of dividing the foreign funds for specific projects is public record. It is in the minutes of the final deliberation of the national budget before it is transmitted to the President for his signature.
But of course, the final budget as approved by the bicameral body represents the collective action of all members of the two legislative houses. Meaning, even if a congressman or senator does not agree with the figures or the projects intended to be funded by the national appropriations, they are as good as those who approve of the appropriations act.
Again, we encourage our Congressman Ungab to look into the rules of the House and if no bars to a fellow member or members suspected of participating in manipulating the national budget, including “chop-chopping” foreign funds for allocation to more projects, then he explores the possibility of doing this unusual move.
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A councilor in the Second district of Davao City urges the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to construct a pedestrian overpass in front of the Panacan Public Market.
In a resolution authored by Councilor Ralph Abella, it said that if the DPWH constructs an overpass for pedestrians, a repeat of an accident somewhere in that specific location where a pedestrian was killed is not likely to happen again.
In other words, had an overpass for those who cross that particular portion of the highway been built, that incident would have been avoided. But how come the official only came to realize the lurking danger after the death of a pedestrian? Why hasn’t the good councilor anticipated that, without the safe crossing facility, road accidents that could result in deaths or serious injuries could happen at any time?
Now the councilor is urging the DPWH to build one. But how could that be possible if the congressman representing the district has not included it in the projects he has proposed for this year or after? If at all, the new lawmaker representing the second district will be able to wiggle a project of that kind for the next year and get it approved, then it would again be years of waiting for its implementation.
Why can’t Councilor Abella look into the finances of the local government of Davao City, where we are aware of huge savings made from its budget every year? Besides, the city’s executive department strongly prides itself on running a local government without a single centavo in debt.
Why hide the savings in banks? Why not use it for projects that will benefit the people of Davao City? Is basking in the honor of a “debtless” city enough to make the population enjoy their lives?
