MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 4, 2013) – Seven Filipino lawmakers, who belong to the so-called Makabayan Coalition, denounced President Benigno Aquino stand on the controversial funds given to legislators for various development projects.
The seven lawmakers – Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan, ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap, Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon – have campaigned hard for the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund following a scandal involving some P10 billion in PDAF projects of several legislators in the House of Representatives.
“The President has chosen to make his stand known at a time when evidence provided by whistle blowers, together with findings of the Commission on Audit that are only now coming to light, are uncovering a widening network of corruption centered on the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Funds, involving scores of legislators, including members of his own Liberal Party, and even a member of his own Cabinet.”
“Furthermore, the President has chosen to make his stand known when the snowballing public outrage has, for the first time, transformed the call for the abolition of the pork barrel system into a realistic proposition. No less than the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has taken a stand against pork. The President’s own allies in the Senate had expressed public support for the abolition of PDAF,” they said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
They said the timing of Aquino’s statement is clearly intended to squelch the momentum in favor of the abolition of the pork barrel system. They added that that the so-called “pork barrel scam” is a continuing racket that is not just a legacy of the previous administration, but persisted for years under the Aquino dispensation.
“President Aquino’s pro-pork barrel stand utterly robs his vaunted anti-corruption campaign of any credibility. Daang Matuwid will be exposed as a sham. How can he reconcile Daang Matuwid with the system that has spawned what could prove to be one of the largest, longest-running corruption rackets in our history?” they asked.
“The President himself has revealed how far he is willing to go in his anti-corruption drive—not far enough! It ends when it could threaten to disrupt the system of patronage politics that enables the President to use PDAF as a carrot-and-stick to control Congress and subvert separation of powers and checks-and-balances. It ends when it could lead to the abolition of the pork barrel system which political dynasties rely upon to ingratiate themselves with voters and maintain their grip on power,” the statement further said.
The seven lawmakers called on Aquino to re-examine his stand, repudiate his support for pork barrel, and respond immediately to the clamor of citizens by removing the PDAF and the President’s own pork barrel in the proposed 2014 budget already submitted by Malacañang to Congress.
“We, the Makabayan Coalition, express our determination to fight for the abolition of the whole pork barrel system and other sources of corruption in all branches of government. We will not access our own PDAF allocations as we fight for its abolition. We will press for the rechanneling of Congress’ and the President’s pork barrel to finance the building and operations of more public schools, public hospitals and low-cost houses for the poor instead of privatizing and commercializing these services,” they said.
There was no immediate reaction from Aquino’s spokesmen about the Makabayan’s demand, but congressmen receive P70 million in PDAF, and senators P200 million annually.
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