More than two-thirds of the Senate now seek pork barrel abolition

More than two-thirds of the Philippine Senate--or 17 senators--have expressed willingness to forego their pork barrel funds on Friday, three days before a citizens' movement is set to hold a protest action in Manila on Monday.

In separate statements, Senators Nancy Binay, Juan Victor “JV” Ejercito, Juan Edgardo Angara, Grace Poe, Aquilino Pimentel III, Gregorio Honasan, Serge Osmeña, and Lito Lapid said that the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF)--which gives them P200 million each in funds--should be abolished immediately.

Earlier, Senate President Franklin Drilon also said he supports the move, reversing a previous decision upholding a resolution to stop the release of PDAF until “stricter measures” are adopted by the Department of Budget and Management.

Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano filed separate resolutions seeking the abolition of the pork barrel and other lump sum funds in the national expenditures program.

Senators Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona III also expressed support for the move.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has filed the first resolution calling for the abolition of pork barrel in gradual phases, one-half in 2014, another half in 2015, and its eventual abolition in 2016.

Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., also said he wanted to do away with the system after he was linked to bogus non-goverment organizations that siphoned off pork barrel funds through spurious projects and programs.

Lately, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Honasan also echoed calls for the pork barrel abolition not only in Congress but also all government agencies including from President Benigno Aquino III. “But if it must be scrapped, the pork barrel system should be scrapped totally.

"We should not only look at scrapping the PDAF but include the various “pork barrel” or lump sum appropriations of all departments of government under the GAA as well,” Enrile said.

“After thorough impartial investigation by concerned agencies, departments, shift to line item budget process, immediate passage of FOI/POGI bill that would mean full transparency in public affairs. I would support calibrated abolition of the PDAF/pork barrel/discretionary fund system in all branches/departments of government,” Honasan added.

Former Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who, like Revilla, is linked to the pork barrel scam, also supported the snowballing move to eradicate the pork barrel system.

While Angara urged Congress to support the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to avoid misuse of public funds, he also supported the call to abolish PDAF.

Newly-elected senator JV Ejercito said "I feel sorry and really bothers me to witness our nation being embroiled in an anomaly involving the use of government funds. This issue does not only drag the image of the Senate, House of Representatives, and Malacañang, but the entire system of governance as a whole.”

“At this juncture, the function of our President plays an important role in giving direction to where this will all go. The President can end this by issuing a vital decision that mirrors the voice of the people,” Ejercito added.

For her part, Poe thanked President Aquino and supported his statement condemning the abuse of PDAF and his directives to make sure that those who took advantage of pork barrel be brought to justice.

“I also agree with him that the discretionary nature of the PDAF encourages corruption. Together with the President and millions of our countrymen, I support the abolition of the pork barrel system,” Poe said.

Aquino said he will take part in the necessary steps to abolish the PDAF in the Senate, a move that supports assertions of his cousin, President Aquino.

For his part, Pimentel said: "Let's prepare for very thick and detailed national budget because there will be line item budgeting to reflect budget priorities at national district and sectoral levels. Tiyagaan ito sa budget process which should really be the case because budget is the most important law enacted by Congress yearly. But let us all be on the lookout for possible reincarnation of the pork barrel in the future.

"In the past when the CDF was abolished, PDAF took its place," Osmena said that he had already moved in 1997 for its abolition. “Only one senator voted with me.”

Lapid said that he welcomed the decision of President Benigno Aquino III to scrap the pork barrel fund in line with the administration's effort to beef up transparency and ensure propriety of the use of the fund.

"Ito na ang pagkakataon nating mga lingkod-bayan na maipakita na tunay tayong seryoso sa pagsuporta sa adhikain ng ating pangulo para sa isang pamahalaang bumabagtas sa tuwid na daan," Lapid said.

source: interaksyon.com

Sen. Pia spells it out for RH critics: 'Abortion is a crime'

MANILA, Philippines - To accommodate Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III's misgivings about the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, Senator Pia Cayetano on Thursday amended the bill to include a specific provision that declares that abortion is a crime.

“To put the issue to rest and allay fears that the RH bill will promote abortion,” the sponsor of the bill introduced subsection (j) in Section 3: “Abortion is a criminal act in accordance with existing laws.”

The line came along with 12 other amendments introduced by Cayetano.

Cayetano's list of amendments followed on the heels of an earlier set of suggestions from Sen. Ralph Recto, who interpellated Sotto after the last part of his turno en contra speech Wednesday night. Among others, Recto wanted amended the penal provisions on LGU chiefs deemed "violators," noting that local governments already have a grave financial burden in terms of basic health care, without having to worry about the new fiscal impositions from enforcing the RH bill, let alone jail terms. Recto's wife, Vilma Santos, is governor Batangas province.

Addressing concerns that the bill promotes population control, especially of the poor, Cayetano renamed the bill from “An act providing for a national policy on reproductive health and population and development” to “An act providing for a national policy on reproductive health and responsible parenthood.”

In response to Sotto’s opposition of having contraceptives categorized as “essential medicines,” Cayetano deleted the objected phrase and introduced the concept of the Philippine National Drug Formulary System. The title of Section 9 thus now reads: The Philippine National Drug Formulary System (PNDFS) and Family Planning Supplies. The list of contraceptives in the section were not removed but the tasks of PNDFS was defined to include “selecting drugs, including family planning supplies, that will be included or removed from the essential drugs list (EDL) in accordance with existing practice.”

On the issue of public awareness, which is now Section 15 (previously Section 16) of the bill, Cayetano expanded its coverage to include maternal health and nutrition, as well as “family planning information and services, adolescent and youth reproductive health, guidance and counseling and other elements of reproductive health case under Section 4 (o).” It also specifies periodic review of material for public dissemination.

Cayetano also changed the title of Section 6, from Provision of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care to Health Care Facilities, and ensured healthcare service to isolated and depressed areas with the addition of the phrase “through house-to-house visits or mobile health care clinics as needed.”

To reflect that Filipinos are kind and empathetic, and that Filipino tradition tend to “reach out and extend genuine care and concern for our countrymen in need, (and) more so for women who are pregnant and in need of special care,” Cayetano re-introduced subsection (l) in Section 3: “All complications arising from pregnancy, labor, and delivery shall be treated in a humane and compassionate manner.”

Cayetano also deleted the entire subsection (i) of Section 4 (The definition of terms) defining an “indigent.”

The other amendments concerned minor changes like the year, NGOs instead of non-government organizations, and punctuation marks.

source: interaksyon.com

Defense: Corona's fate in hands of God, Senate

MANILA, Philippines -- Lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona said their client’s condition was in God’s hands and they would accept the decision if the Senate makes good on its threat to strike the impeached magistrate’s testimony and rule on his case should he fail to appear at Wednesday’s hearing.

Nevertheless, lawyer Rico Quicho, a spokesman for the defense, said they continued to hope that Corona would pull through and be cleared of the charges against him.

Corona, a diabetic who also has a history of heart bypasses, is confined at the intensive care unit of the Medical City hospital in Pasig City after he suffered hypoglycemia during his testimony on Tuesday.

His abrupt exit from the Senate session hall angered Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who issued the ultimatum for him to show up on Wednesday or have his testimony stricken and the case decided on.

However, Corona’s doctors would not allow him to go to the Senate, saying he needed to be monitored over the next 48 hours because he faced the risk of heart attack.

“Kung matutuloy ang desisyon ni Senate President na kapag hindi makaharap si Chief Justice Corona mamaya ay i-strike out ‘yung kaniyang testimonya at magdedesisyon na sila, marangal po naming tatanggapin iyan (If the Senate President’s decision to strike out his testimony and decide on the case should Chief Justice Corona fail to appear, we will accept it honorably),” Quicho told Radyo Singko’s Punto Asintado.

“‘Yung kalagayan ni Chief Justice ngayon ay nasa kamay na ng Panginoon sapagkat ang sakit naman ho ay talagang di naman inaasahang pangyayari ‘yan, kung talagang ganoon po, ay maluwag nating tatanggapin iyan (The condition of the Chief Justice is now in the hands of God because no one really expected him to fall ill, and if that is the case, we will openly accept that),” he added.

But he said: “Kung ebidensya lang ang pagbabasehan, matindi ang aking paniniwala na wala talagang ebidensya. Pangalawa, kung mayroon man silang sinasabing ginawa ni Chief Justice, ito po ay di impeachable offense, iyon po ang aking paniniwala (If evidence is the only basis, I firmly believe that there really is none. Second, if there is any truth to what they say the Chief Justice did, this is not an impeachable offense, this is what I believe).” (Romsanne Ortiguero, InterAksyon.com)

source: interaksyon.com

Corona in "high spirits" as he leaves to testify for trial

Chief Justice Renato Corona remained positive before testifying in his impeachment trial Tuesday, his son said.

Francis Corona said his father was in "high spirits" hours before he is set to testify in the proceedings. Before heading for the Senate to testify at his impeachment trial, a calm Corona faced nearly 700 court employees who prayed and wished the magistrate well.

Corona, who is set to take the stand on Day 40 of his impeachment trial, arrived at around 10:10 am for the inter-faith rally and send off ceremony organized by Supreme Court employees. Corona didn't give any interviews and left shortly at around 11:15 am on board his black SUV. He is expected to drop by his office and leave for the Senate at around 1 p.m.

Security personnel at the SC estimated the number of the predominantly red-clad employees, who attended the send-off, between 600 and 700.

"They've been here since early morning and people keep trickling in," a security personnel told InterAksyon in Filipino.

During the send-off, Corona's wife, Cristina, and children, Francis and Carla, were given a standing ovation during the brief ceremony. Also in attendance were Corona's Ateneo law school fratmates from the Fraternal Order of Utopia.

Shortly after the ceremony, Corona waved goodbye to his supporters and boarded his car to the Senate.

source: interaksyon.com