Bulatlat
Secondary Menu
  • LATEST STORIES
    • Top Stories
    • Breaking News
    • News Analysis
    • Other Stories
  • Commentary
    1. Bulatlat Perspective
    2. Opinion
    3. Streetwise
    4. Gunita ng Salita
    5. Salungguhit

    Preparing for 2022

    January 11, 2021
    Unauthorized vaccination probe must be completed

    Unauthorized vaccination probe must be completed

    January 11, 2021

    Duterte as whistle-blower: How will vaccine probe end?

    January 3, 2021
  • Special Reports
    1. In-Depth Stories
    IN-DEPTH: Public education sector, neglected even more in the time of pandemic

    IN-DEPTH: Public education sector, neglected even more in the time of pandemic

    September 17, 2020
    Students with special needs being left behind in distance learning

    Students with special needs being left behind in distance learning

    September 17, 2020
    Not enough protection and care for teachers amid the pandemic

    Not enough protection and care for teachers amid the pandemic

    September 15, 2020
  • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Slideshow
    • Audio / Podcasts
    • News in Pictures
    • Photo of the Week
    • Street Shooter
    • Live Coverage
    • Webcast
    • Downloads
  • Special Sections
    • On the Fringes
    • Regions
    • International
    • Archived Stories
    • State of the Nation Address
    • Alternative Reader
    • Democratic Space
    • Poetry
    • Must-Reads
    • Back Story
    • Press Releases and Statements
  • About Bulatlat
    • A Product of Its Time
    • Masthead
    • Citations
    • In the News
    • Support Alternative Journalism
    • Contact Us
    • Get Updates
    • Get Bulatlat’s latest news and updates via email
    • Syndication Policy
You Are Here: Home → 2013 → November → 1 → Aquino’s address in defense of pork generates anger, more protests

Aquino’s address in defense of pork generates anger, more protests

Anne Marxze Umil November 1, 2013 DAP, PDAF, President Benigno S. Aquino III, Presidential Social Funds

Slye Joy Serrano @Slye2812h said: The President thinks the Filipino people can be fooled. Hindi ho kami tanga. #noynoyspeech

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Sirang plaka (broken record). This is how progressive youth group Anakbayan described the speech of President Benigno S. Aquino III over national television October 30. Sirang plaka or a broken record is an old metaphor describing statements that are repeated over and over again much like a broken record.

Aquino delivered his speech at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday broadcasted live on primetime television. In his speech Aquino defended the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and asserted its constitutionality. He said that the DAP stimulated economic growth. He also said that there had been no irregularities in the implementation of DAP projects. He also stressed that he is not a thief.

But for progressive groups, last night’s presidential address is no different from his previous statements.

“To paraphrase William Shakespeare in his play Macbeth, Aquino’s speech is essentially full of sound and fury signifying nothing. What he said didn’t differ much from the alibis given earlier by his proxies Abigail Valte and Edwin Lacierda to the media,” said Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Emmi De Jesus.

ACT Teachers’ Party Rep. Antonio Tinio also said the same. “His main message, asking everyone to focus on the prosecution of those who stole from PDAF, is gratuitous, at best. The public has no intention whatsoever of letting the PDAF plunderers off the hook. This in no way precludes anyone from questioning the DAP. Contrary to what the President would have us believe, these are not mutually exclusive.”

“Aquino’s 10-minute primetime speech on Wednesday is nothing but a waste of time to all Filipinos who waited and hoped for positive developments on the issue of the abolition of the pork barrel system, DAP and other corruption-ridden issues hounding his administration,” Mark Louie Aquino, spokesman of #ScrapThePork Alliance and secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-NCR said.

‘Defending the corrupt system’

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said Aquino speech is nothing but a desperate defense of DAP and presidential lump sum discretionary spending or pork. Bayan called it as “Gloria-esque.”

“It desperately sought to justify presidential lump-sum discretionary spending amid growing public disgust over corruption. Aquino defended the corrupt system.”

“He says the issue is corruption yet he conveniently omits the fact that DAP funds also went to Napoles’ NGOs and corrupt politicians. He draws distinction between PDAF and DAP but omits the fact that both were abused and ended in corruption. Both were used as leverage to dictate on Congress,” Bayan said in a statement.

Bayan reiterated that the DAP is unconstitutional because the funds were not actual savings and the realignment done violated the General Appropriations Act.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon called Aquino’s speech as obstinate defense on the benefits of DAP. “The unconstitutional use of funds through the DAP proves that Aquino’s presidency, although seemingly ‘nonstick as Teflon’, is as unclean as the entire PDAF scam.”

Rison said in both cases, Aquino defended both programs, but remained silent on its misuse. He said the DAP is a usurpation of the constitutional prerogative of Congress to determine specific appropriations of government. “Portions of it do not even constitute savings of government, as funds were impounded without the fiscal year having ended.”

Ridon said the President could not now unflinchingly defend the DAP in view of the involvement of high executive officials in allegedly anomalous transactions, such as the alleged misuse of the Department of Agriculture Organic Agriculture Fund.

“We should not forget that even during the Aquino administration, Napoles’s NGOs operated in major executive agencies such as the DA and the DAR.”

For the #ScrapThePork Alliance the President’s defense of DAP and the Presidential Social Funds (PSF) only justifies the tag “Pork Barrel King.”

“No other words can best describe him than the Pork Barrel King, as he remains firm in backing up DAP and his own presidential pork,” said Aquino.

Netizens’ rage

Netizens also expressed rage over Aquino’s speech. Blogger Noemi Lardizabal-Dado @momblogger said: Please listen to your people Mr President because we deserve your loyalty more than your KKK. Sa Tuwid Na Daan, Tuwid Ang Paraan #ScrapPork

Public service has to be improved . We want public funds to go straight to depts w/o being a tool for Patronage Politics #scrapPork

Tonyo Cruz @tonyocruz said: The title “Pork Barrel King” clarifies the issue since PNoy arrogantly refuses to abolish the pork barrel system and defends his own pork.

Slye Joy Serrano @Slye2812h said: The President thinks the Filipino people can be fooled. Hindi ho kami tanga. #noynoyspeech

Marc Lino Abila @iMacoy12h: An attempt to pacify the people w/c will surely fail. Very Marcos-like with the captive audience and using the media.

Jian Carlo Gomez @JCTheGoodBoy12h: mukha lang syang tanga. Di na nya kayang kuhanin simpatya ng mamamayan.

Hannah Vina Traviña @kitsay12h: Ang puno’t dulo ng kanyang speech, hindi tatanggalin ang Pork Barrel.

Evil Mitch @michsilog12h: No one believes him, hindi na ganun ka-tanga ang mga Pinoy para di makitang naghuhugas-kamay lang siya.

Tonyo Cruz also said: Tonight’s speech confirms that PNoy has been put on the defensive for his refusal to abolish the corrupt pork barrel system. Deal with it

More protests

The groups said that Aquino’s speech would generate more protests against the government.

“It is clear that Aquino made the speech in response to his dwindling popularity. Despite the feel-good rhetoric and cover-up attempts, it is clear that the Aquino regime remains in panic mode and that Aquino is losing sleep, if not hair, over the people’s mounting anger and protests over the pork barrel system,” the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno said.

Bayan said, “It is clear we cannot expect change from Malacañang.” The group said that Aquino is driving people to work harder for the abolition of all pork, through the SC petitions, sustained protests and through the People’s Initiative against pork.

“We will be going back to the streets on November 7 for the Napoles Senate testimony, November 11 for the Supreme Court Oral Arguments against DAP and on November 13 for the Kalampagan Kontra Korapsyon.” (https://www.bulatlat.com)

Share This Post

You might also like:

  • Activists light candles for Tumandok 9 massacre victims

    Activists light candles for Tumandok 9 massacre victims

  • Police destroys Cordillera heroes monument

    Police destroys Cordillera heroes monument

  • Red-tagged Cordillera leader faces murder raps

    Red-tagged Cordillera leader faces murder raps

  • 30 families lose homes, livelihood amid Navotas reclamation

    30 families lose homes, livelihood amid Navotas reclamation

  • 14200Followers
  • 28000Fans

Martin's PurrspectiveMore

  • 2021, we’re coming in

    2021, we’re coming in

    January 4, 2021 0 Comment
    By DEE AYROSO
    Read the rest of this entry

Photo of the WeekMore

  • The aftermath

    The aftermath

    November 20, 2020
    A farmer, Nida Davao in barangay San Jose, Montalban, Rizal checking her crops after the…
    Read the rest of this entry

SUBSCRIBE

Bulatlat tweets

My Tweets
Follow @bulatlat
© 2016 Bulatlat.com ·