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“They could only claim that it is an ‘executive’ session if they admit to an illegal act. But even then, the said session would not be considered by the court as an executive session because the privilege cannot be used to commit or cover up a crime or an illegal act.” – Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares
"These afterthought nuisance charges are plain baloney. Police are either exceptionally ignorant of the law, routinely cannot understand it, or are covering up for their violations, or all of the above."—Edre Olalia, secretary general of the National Union of People's Lawyers
SPECIAL REPORT: “To claim so much savings while borrowing hundreds of billions is terribly wrong.” Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares
CenPEG noted that President Aquino’s biggest backers saw their wealth increase three to four times as large as when his presidency started.
“Aquino needs only to look at his own backyard, at the farmers of Hacienda Luisita, to know that things have not changed.” – Renato Reyes, Bayan
Related story | ‘Aquino poised to institutionalize DAP’ -- groups
“The president is overtly asking Congress to legislate his version of the DAP story, in effect urging the Legislature to join forces with the Executive Branch in defying the third branch of government.” – Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon
Sona ng Bayan participants marched carrying colorful protest emblems: headgears with calls to jail corrupt politicians, including President Aquino, T-shirts with angry and witty messages against corruption, streamers and banners of various sizes and colors and materials, and partial and full effigies mostly of President Benigno Aquino III.
President Aquino’ seven deadly sins, according to the Promotion of Church People’s Response, are widespread poverty, rising unemployment, sham land reform, increase in prices of staple goods and services, unabated killings and human rights violations, corruption and the government's continued subservience to US interests through the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement
Related stories | Indigenous peoples join call for Aquino ouster at the People’s SONA | SONAng Bayan: coloful and festive, critical and fiery
“In qualitative terms, the DAP as a whole did not meet stimulus standards of immediately and significantly creating jobs, raising incomes, and stimulating local economic activity.”
“We charge Aquino with culpable violation of the constitution, betrayal of public trust, and graft & corruption. DAP was used by Aquino to pursue his personal interest, and the best example would be the bribery of senators and congressmen, and compensation of his clan in Hacienda Luisita.” – Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan
“This is highly vulnerable to corruption and it also contains a mechanism similar to a provision of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) that has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.” – Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon
'Aquino wants to be the judiciary, the legislative and the executive. He wants that he decides the budget, and implement the budget. He wants to castrate the (Congress’) power of the purse.' - Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate
“The Supreme Court said that the DAP was not savings therefore Section 39 does not apply. Also a mere administration code cannot trump the Constitution.” – Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares
RELATED STORY | Aquino wasted opportunity to come clean on DAP – progressive lawmakers
“Aquino is acting in the fashion of his kind: an arrogant, despotic, aristocratic landlord whose orders can never be deemed wrong or unfair.” Pia Malayao, Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas
“Four years under the Aquino administration saw skyrocketing prices of basic goods, utilities and services. We remain homeless, jobless or low-wage contractual workers. Our fellow country men and women victimized by supertyphoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) are not receiving aid -- what ‘reform’ is Aquino talking about?” – Kadamay
“Not only did President Aquino violate the constitution in having implemented DAP, he is now betraying public trust in loudly and publicly rejecting the ruling on DAP.” – ACT Teachers’ Party Rep. Antonio Tinio
Calls to hold Aquino, gov’t officials accountable for unconstitutional acts mounting
“In order to put a final lid on the pork barrel system, specifically in the legislative and executive branches of government, we support the proposal from anti-pork barrel groups in the whole country that the sovereign people use the 1987 Philippine Constitution provision on the passage of a law through the people’s initiative.” – Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma
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