Nowadays, bukol has become a metaphor for corruption and a byword at the Senate. ZTE-NBN whistle-blower, Rolando Noel “Jun” Lozada, Jr. introduced the word bukol in the political and economic lexicon.

“Bubukol po ito” (it’s going to show), Lozada narrated before the Senate blue ribbon committee, referring to the $130 million alleged “kickbacks” the former COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos wanted him to protect in a government’s $329 million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp. His conscience would not allow it; the amount was too big for one person or a few others to luxuriate in. But as a mere consultant, Lozada could do nothing but pass the message to another interested party vying for the same project. Joey de Venecia would have wanted to burst the bukol, by appearing in the Senate investigation, but it took some time to burst it.

Eventually, the ZTE NBN deal was cancelled because the bukol was discovered to be real and not imaginary. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s men could not keep the bulge from bulging anymore! Later PGMA admitted in a radio interview that the hideous lump in her administration’s economic dealings was actually an “anomalya” (a corruption). The confession stirred further outrage among the Filipino people. Pinoys could only hope that PGMA would not end up like Gehazi, prophet Elisha’s servant in the Old Testament. Gehazi salivated over the gifts the prophet refused to accept from commander Naaman, the Syrian commander who was healed from leprosy with Elisha’s prayers. (Elisha told Naaman to bathe himself in the river Jordan and when the officer came out of the water, his skin was cured of leprosy, 2 Kings 4:1-27).

Gehazi ran after Naaman, concocted a story about two poor prophets needing support. The officer handed him two bags of silver and sets of clothes which he hid in his house. He appeared before the prophet, pretending innocence. But the prophet knew. The bukol was evident in the hungry glint of his servant’s eye, in his shifty moves, in his constant backward look towards his house. “Gehazi,” Elisha said, “you have no right to accept money or clothes, olive orchards or vineyards, sheep or cattle, or servants. Because of what you’ve done, Naaman’s leprosy will now be on you and your descendants forever!” Suddenly, Gehazi’s skin became white with leprosy, and he left (vv. 26-27).

Bukol (bulge)
bubukol (will bulge, will show, will be apparent)
mabukulan (one might/will have a bulge or boil)
bukul-bukol (many bulge or boils)

Possible source synonyms in a technical document:

* corruption or anomaly - metaphorical 'bukol'
* not intended -- saying 'kung hindi ukol, hindi bubukol'

Bukol may be due to 'pakikisama'