NAMING GOV'T PROJECTS AFTER OFFICIALS
A CRIMINAL ACT, CHIZ SAYS

No government official can anymore lay grand claim to any erected infrastructure and any procurement once Sen. Chiz Escudero's bill is passed.

Senate Bill No. 2187 which Escudero filed declares as unlawful any government projects to be named or identified after government officials and other persons whose name or identity may in any manner be associated with said officials.

Escudero said it has been a traditional practice in the country among government officials to procure items and build infrastructure after their names.

"You see basic services such as waiting sheds, ambulances and even trash bins tagged with a politician's name. This has got to stop if taxpayers' money is used to build these. It falsely gives an inflated sense of accomplishment to of public officials to their constituency".

The senator said no one should lay claim to the public funds as if it is theirs to freely spend for personal and political vanity, like prematurely campaigning for re-election all year round.

"Filipinos have entrusted their money to the government by way of taxes, it is the people's money not the public officials'. Their offices are merely given the authority, privilege and right to identify, administer, implement, coordinate or propose a government project. Thus, laying personal claim to it should be deemed criminal".

The bill proposes to penalized violators with one year imprisonment and a fine of Php100, 000.00 to Php 1,000,000.00 depending on the amount of the government project concerned.

Exempted from this are those projects that may be determined by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in accordance with law or its duly issued guidelines or regulations.