Lobby money

Based on revelations made by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, we concluded in our last column that out of the total appropriations for one senator in six years, the senator could illegally shave a minimum of P393,560,000.00.

That amount is small change compared to the average actual election expense of a senatorial candidate.

It is reported that three weeks to the day, Team Unity has already spent a total of Php 9.0 billion for its campaign, or a whooping Php 750.0 million per candidate. And yet, more than half of the TU candidate is not assured of victory.

The amount that a senator could steal in six years – is barya lang , and is never enough to replenish his election expenses. If he lost the last time he ran, he would want his expenses in that previous election replenished too. And as astute businessmen and politicians are wont to do, he wants a good tubo (profit) for his investments.

Why would a senator spend so much in getting elected and expect to earn too little payback even by stealing from the government? The reason is the real source of a senator's billions: lobby money .

Lobby money is any consideration – money or anything of value – that is promised, offered and given to a senator to influence, one way or another, a legislative action or inaction, decision or indecision.

The Constitution vests the Senate with powers such as legislation, oversight / investigation / inquiries, confirmation of appointments and many others. The acts of the upper house have far-reaching bearing on contracts, franchisees, businesses, taxes, landholdings, and a myriad other matters of national importance.

Lobby money could be in exchange of a vote of yes or no, or a committee chair's action, inaction or machination. Lobby money is no different from bribe money, grease money, extorted money or political contributions practiced by lesser mortals. All have the same and one purpose: to buy or influence official favor for one's personal interests.

Who resorts to lobby money? First and foremost, the administration, who must assure that its agenda and interests are carried out or protected in both houses of congress. Billions of pesos were spent to influence the outcome of several impeachment proceedings and legislative inquiries during the last four years.

Big business and landowners stand to lose billions of pesos from a piece of legislation, or from a simple word inserted or expunged from a proposed law.

For example, the Biofuel Act took too long to pass due to a powerful and lucrative lobby from oil companies, car manufacturers, big plantation owners and other prospective investors.

A simple amendment of the time frame for the implementation of the mandated use of biodiesel blend or ethanol blend in cars, or by simply changing the percentage amount of such blends, spares affected industries of billions of pesos in losses.

A legislated increase in the wages of employees faced a strong and emotional lobby from big employers all over the country. The lobbyists won, workers lose (and became more hungry).

Other lobbysists who will not hesitate to offer lobby money to a senator, sky is the langit , are drug dealers, smugglers, human traffickers / big time pimps, land grabbers / professional squatters, power brokers, mining companies, big tax evaders, gun runners, local warlords, big landowners, generals, foreign governments, the CIA, TNCs/MNCs, and many other interest groups, both legal and illegal.

It's good to be senator. Earning billions of pesos – for a corrupt senator - is easy. This, Miriam forgot.

Corrupt senator? It's a redundancy. Honest senator? That's an oxymoron. We will dwell on that next time.