WHEN there are many construction firm owners in the 19th Congress, you would think they would all put together their combined gray matter to put order in the infrastructure of the country — from roads and bridges, school buildings, evacuation centers, irrigation, and the like, all in the service of the nation. Alas, the almost 20-percent construction firm owners of the 316 members of Congress seem to be there to just corner contracts from their colleagues and earn a keep. That's what plagues the development of the country's infrastructure because they know the program, the budget and can curry favor from the leadership to the rest of the members for the duration of their three-year term in office.
It used to be that there was equal and fair allocation. Today, it depends a lot on the leadership who will get more, based on how a member plays his power of persuasion from the district or constituents, if a party-list, and how one defends the leadership and the administration, landing defining roles in pursuit of political aggrandizement. As one would put it, "weather, weather lang 'yan."
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