No To Pork: A Rally Of Indignation Versus Misuse of PDAF

-

     This morning, I, along with thousands of Filipinos in Manila and across the Philippines, participated in a gathering to express our anger and indignation against the wanton greed that has gripped the government. In the past weeks, local media headlined what was supposed to be a shocking revelation: how our Senators and Congressmen misused their 10-billion pesos worth of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or infamously known as pork barrel by siphoning them through ghost NGOs and transactions. One person who allegedly benefited from this corruption was a private citizen named Janet Lim Napoles who made up at least 10 fictitious NGOs which received billions of pork money from the lawmakers and used them instead to enrich her family. Social media was teeming with pictures and videos of Napoles' daughter living a high life in the U.S. allegedly using taxpayers' money.

     Calls have been made to investigate the alleged corruption but the Philippine Congress and even no less than the President himself dilly-dallied in their decision of investigating their fellow politicians. Fed up by this apparent lack of action and conviction, the public planned to express their outrage by marching to the Luneta Park, a National Park where a monument to the National Hero, Jose Rizal, marks the place of his death. Days before the planned rally, which spawned from spontaneous calls made by private citizens through facebook and twitter, President Noynoy Aquino declared his change of heart and decided that the pork barrel of the lawmakers be abolished, retaining only his own presidential pork barrel (discretionary fund). But it was already too late for the people. What the people want is to abolish the pork barrel entirely and make sure that those who are guilty of misusing the funds must be prosecuted and be brought to justice. 





     Despite the bad weather, we went to Luneta Park, armed with nothing except our jackets and umbrellas, and stood on muddy ground along with thousands of protesters. We shouted our frustration. We vented our disappointment. We signed the petition. It is time that this President, who stands on the platform of transparency and truth, must walk the talk. 




    







   The mood in the Park was more festive. All kinds of people were there: rich, poor, middle class, professionals, unemployed, people from the left, the right, laity, religious and even the cynics. This time, everyone was shouting the same shout: No To Pork! No To Pork!



    
   It is high time that the government should start listening to the people and must take action on the clamor of the people. We are fed up with corruption. We are fed up with all of this. Enough is enough!


Like it? Share it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Visita Iglesia: Tracing The Pilgrim's StepsIn Europe Part Two

-
Image
Town-hopping from one historic place to another in Europe has given me the opportunity to appreciate not only the local colors but at the same time the wonderful architecture of the place, especially its churches and cathedrals. More than just the structural beauty, the story behind every building is equally astounding. 1. Messina, Sicily, Italy - I happened to walk around town all by myself and I found my way to the Doumo of Messina. This historic Cathedral boasts its very tall bell tower which every noon time sounds the alarm with a spectacular show of moving statues adorning the bell tower and the church. Inside the church are huge statues of Christ's apostles. The park right outside the Cathedral is beautiful as well, with locals gathering to talk with friends or find some private moment with a book and a cappuccino in a nearby restaurant. 2. St. Peter's Basilica - I found myself truly blessed when I had the opportunity to visit Rome and stand at St. Peter'...
Read Full Story »

When Dining Inside A Museum: Romulo Cafe

-
Image
Last night, the Zuellig Family Foundation held its annual Christmas Party at the Romulo Cafe in Makati. It was my first time to step inside Romulo Cafe but it was not as intimidating as some high class restos are. It is definitely a highly recommended place to dine or hang out with family and friends, whether you are talking about the most trivial things in life or closing a business deal. Romulo Cafe is named after the famous Filipino diplomat, Carlos P. Romulo. History class would teach us that Romulo was the first President of the United Nations General Assembly. It is owned by the granddaughter of the diplomat and the idea was not only to share good food but also good lessons in history. Upon entering the restaurant, one would not miss the many framed pictures highlighting the many moments in the life of Carlos Romulo. The second floor appears to be almost like a museum. The maze like pattern of the wall paper creates a contemporary atmosphere but the comfortable sofas and pil...
Read Full Story »

The Weekend in Tallinn

-
Image
I have just come back from Helsinki where we spent 2 days for the practical part of our Global health course. I am now blogging from Tampere, tired and with a sore back. During the weekend, we have been carrying our backpacks and running around Tallinn, the beautiful capital of Estonia. It was my second European country to visit and I loved the place. It was beautiful and the old medieval buildings almost brought me to another dimension. For one, the trip going to Tallinn from Helsinki was already exciting. It was my first boat ride across the Baltic Sea, aboard Viking Express. The ship was huge and inside the ship was a grocery, dozens of food shops and bars, a dance floor, even a couple of playrooms for the kids. It was almost surreal. When we docked at Tallinn, it was a long walk to our Hotel where we immediately left our bags and headed outside to the Old Town where a lot of tourists were also finding their way in the labyrinthine cobblestone streets of the historic city. Of course...
Read Full Story »