Why blame President Noynoy Aquino?

After a good turnout during the Million People March protest against the pork barrel last August 26, there are now several groups that are planning to hold another protest rally this coming September 11. According to some messages that I have received, the rally will happen along EDSA and the plan is to form a human chain to once again protest the rampant graft and corruption that happened in the use of the pork barrel. Yet, many of those who went to Luneta are now having second thoughts of going since there are now rumors circulating that the planned rally in EDSA may suddenly be turned into an Anti-President Noynoy Aquino rally.

 

Unfortunately, some groups are trying to muddle up the issue and trying their best to spin the issue so that they can pin the blame on President Aquino. Yet, if one closely looks at the facts and the pronouncements of President Aquino, we can clearly see here that instead of being criticized, we should actually thank and support him.

 

Fact #1: This whole pork barrel Scam and Janet Napoles issue wouldn’t have been uncovered if it were not for the initiative of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Justice (DoJ). These two institutions fall under the Executive branch of our government which is headed and led by President Aquino. Without his full backing and support, the investigation wouldn’t have reached this far and perhaps, Napoles and her cohorts would still be enjoying the billions of pesos that they have allegedly stolen from our public coffers.

 

Fact #2: The people have spoken and our President, who promised to follow his “Boss”, has already made a strong statement that he will push for the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or the pork barrel. This is one very risky political move since it is widely known that many of our Congressmen rely heavily on the PDAF to deliver services to their constituents. Many Congressmen are apparently not very happy with the decision of the President since this will have strong implications on their own political career. Without the support of Congress, the President may have a harder time to pass much needed legislation that can help our country address poverty problems and promoting inclusive growth. Another thing worth watching is that many pundits have said that this move of President Aquino may have also made him more vulnerable to a possible impeachment if the opposition in Congress is able to muster enough numbers. Despite these political implications, we have to commend President Aquino for having the strong political will to abolish the PDAF and create a more transparent and accountable system so that the delivery of basic service to the people especially the poor will not be disrupted.

 

Fact #3: Many of those whom I have talked to regarding this issue have said that even with the abolition of the pork barrel, corruption will still continue in our government unless several “big fish” are punished and put into jail because of this scam. This is the reason why President Aquino and DILG Sec. Mar Roxas made sure that our law enforcement agencies are able to immediately catch Janet Napoles, who is widely believed as the mother of this billion peso pork barrel scam. The worse thing that could happen is for some political leaders who are currently embroiled to move heaven and earth to kill Napoles and permanently silence her. Now that Napoles is in the custody of our government, the investigation can continue and hopefully, she will find it in her best interest to disclose who the other government officials are who have benefitted from this scam. President Aquino has likewise created the Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council composed of DoJ Sec. Leila de Lima, COA Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales that is tasked to make sure that there is an impartial investigation of this issue and that necessary charges are filed against those that are found to have taken part in this scam. These actions clearly show that like every Filipino, President Aquino is committed to pursuing justice and to ensuring that all those who have abused the pork barrel are punished whether these are his allies or not.

 

Clearly, we can see here that the President has not left his promise of following the straight and righteous path towards good governance. Sadly, there are some groups that still continue to try to deceive the public into thinking that President Aquino is also to blame for this pork barrel Scam. The aforementioned facts, his pronouncements and his actions speak for itself, he is one with every Filipino in fighting graft and corruption in our government and the least that we can all do is to support him in this fight and continue to remain vigilant against those who want to bring our nation back to the dark ages.

 

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com  Follow me at Twitter: twitter.com/harveykeh

 

Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo School of Government and is also the Lead Convenor of the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership.