BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – The filing of plunder charges against and the arrest of several individuals who allegedly funneled pork barrel funds to bogus non-government organizations should be highlighted in President Benigno Aquino III’s 2014 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Ilonggo congressmen said.
Aquino will deliver his fifth SONA when the 16th Congress opens its second regular session on July 28.
Iloilo City’s Rep. Jerry Treñas said the arrest of senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., among others, “is an achievement”.
The arrest, investigation and prosecution of “powerful legislators” has “never ever happened in our history,” he stressed.
Only the Aquino presidency has the courage to investigate the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel, Treñas said.
Lawmakers being charged or jailed due to corruption is becoming an “international trend”, observed Iloilo 2nd District’s Rep. Arcadio Gorriceta.
“I think people now are crying for blood. They expect may mapreso nga high officials because of corruption. Such will send a strong message to all,” Gorriceta said.
For his part, Iloilo 5th District’s Rep. Niel “Jun-jun” Tupas Jr. said he expects President Aquino to identify his objectives in the field of “good governance,” “campaign against graft and corruption” and the “economy.”
Tupas said he also wants to know the President’s plan for the protection of the country’s territorial integrity.
But Bayan Muna party-list’s Rep. Neri Colmenares believes there is nothing to celebrate when many Filipinos suffer amid price increases.
“When President Aquino was elected, the people expected him to alleviate them from poverty through wage increases, decreases in prices of goods, genuine land reform and the eliminate corruption,” Colmenares, a Negrense, told Panay News.
The Aquino administration is a “failure” because corruption, overpriced exportation of rice and the pork barrel scam persists, Colmenares said.
Only the opposition are being targeted in the “pork” scam investigation while allies of the President remain scot-free, he added./PN
