President Aquino; VP Binay; Senate on Abolition of Pork Barrel

What do our elected officials say about pork barrel abolition? I remember well the fight for the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution - the abolition of slavery. The pork barrel enslaves our nation into a sluggish state.

Let's take a look at this:

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III

Vote: No

Party: Liberal

Like anything else, there is a right way of using [the funds] and there is a wrong way. Perhaps what is reasonable is to punish those who misused the funds [and] help those who used the funds properly to directly help communities, especially those outside the capital region.

Vice-President Jejomar Binay

Vote: No

Party: UNA

“The Vice President intends to continue providing the same services to the Filipino people. For 2013, he plans to allocate the first tranche of his PDAF for the following services: P50 million for the construction or repair of senior citizens’ centers; P10 million for the distribution of relief goods, school supplies, other social services; P15 million for the purchase of medicines as well as medical supplies and equipment including wheelchairs, nebulizers, sphygmomanometers and stethoscopes; P25 million for the scholarship grants for college students and for teachers who will be taking up masters and doctoral degrees."

Senate President Franklin Drilon

Vote: Yes

Party: Liberal

"We should seriously think about abolishing the pork barrel."

I have reservations on his vote. His announcements of abolition were prior to the President's position.

Senator Sonny Angara

Vote: No

Party: LDP

He hasn't categorically said no to pork, but hints he will support pork barrel.

Senator Bam Aquino

Vote: No

Party: Liberal

"Kung wala namang pork barrel, I don't think any of us will be lesser legislators ... If tomorrow, the President or the Senate President will call for the abolition of the pork barrel, I won't mind."

The statement is tricky. He has made statements on the need of NGO to be funded by PDAF. And this statement is conditional. The President categorically said NO to pork abolition, so you know Bam's position.

Senator Nancy Binay

Vote: No

Party: UNA

"Yung bulk ng PDAF ko mapupunta dun sa medical assistance. Like me, gusto ko magconcentrate doon sa mga hospital for more funding."

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano

Vote: Yes

Party: Nacionalista

"Whether to abolish it, where it's a line-item budget, whether we have another system, I support it."

Whatever goes with the Senate is Ok with him.

Senator Pia Cayetano

Vote: Yes

Party: Nacionalista

"If [this scam] managed to get through, we owe it to the people to either put more safeguards or to abolish it because that’s really a waste of money."

Senator JV Ejercito

Vote: Yes

Party: UNA

Members of the Senate are policymakers, not administrators.

Senator Francis Escudero

Vote: Yes

Party: Independent

"I’m used to ‘nothing pork’ during the time of GMA (former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo). I can live without it."

Senator Vicente Sotto

Vote: Yes

Party: NPC

"On a personal level, I have no problem with the abolition of the PDAF. It will actually solve my problem on the number of requests from more than 1600 cities and municipalities plus the provinces, wherein I have difficulty in approving most of their projects."

Senator Gringo Honasan

Vote: Yes

Party: UNA

"Yes. Pero dapat klaro sa batas kung saan mapupunta ito at hindi kung kanino o saang discretionary fund ito lalong magpapalala sa sitwasyon."

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago

Vote: Yes

Party: PRP

"We are legislators, not public works contractors. People look up to us to make serious laws that could change the lives of a great number of people or could change the way society is run or managed."

Earlier comments said he oppose non-release of PDAF to NGO.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada

Vote: Yes

Party: UNA

Erap Estrada suppors abolition of pork barrel, even when he was still president.

Senator Teofisto Guingona III

Vote: No

Party: Liberal

"We have seen numerous times wherein the government was duped into bogus deals just because there aren’t enough safeguards to protect us from unscrupulous elements. We are therefore seeking to cover all bases, so to speak, with this bill."

Same stand with the President. Just reforms, not abolition.

Senator Lito Lapid

Vote: Silent

Party: Lakas

Probably, he will abstain or he is just waiting for Lakas' position.

Senator Loren Legarda

Vote: Yes

Party: NPC

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Vote: Yes

Party: Nacionalista

Although, Nacionalista party is split into halves, but with this they may have same position. Marcos is tied with pork anomaly, and a Yes vote would clear his name, publicly.

Senator Sergio Osmeña III

Vote: No

Party: Liberal

"In the past administration, the scams like Napoles, MWSS, DBP loans and Senate budget would never have come to light. The whistle-blowers would have been too scared because they know that a cover-up would [be the end result]. Under P-Noy, people have been emboldened to expose wrongdoings."

(President Aquino's voice would be followed. I believe.)

Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares

Vote: Yes

Party: Independent

"Hindi naman ako magwawala na tanggalin ‘yan. Okay lang din sa akin kasi nasanay naman din ako sa ganito kaliit na budget for P42 million sa MTRCB [Movie and Television Review and Classification Board], wala namang mga discretionary funds, so okay lang din."

Senator Antonio Trillanes

Vote: Yes

Party: NPC

""Either way, okay lang. Kung mayroon, e di gagamitin natin nang maayos. Kung wala, tuloy lang tayo sa trabaho natin. Itong pork barrel, this is a policy tool of the president to get his legislative agenda done."

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III