House Minority wants 'honest-to-goodness' probe of P10-B pork barrel scam

A meeting of members of the House Minority on July 31, 2013.

 (Photo: Lira-Dalangin-Fernandez, InterAksyon.com)

MANILA, Philippines - Protecting the integrity of the legislature which is now at the center of controversy over the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel, House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said on Tuesday that only an honest-to-goodness investigation will clean the tainted names of legislators.

Zamora together with his 17 allies signed House Resolution 160 urging the House committees on public accountability and ethics to investigate the pork barrel controversy which they branded as “criminal plunder.”

Even the so-called independent/minority supports the call for a parallel investigation to give those involved a chance to be heard and clear their names.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez claimed that only an honest-to-goodness investigation - regardless of party affiliation - should take place to unmask those mulcting the coffers of the government.


“If there is any investigation going on, whether it is NBI, House of Representatives, Senate, and special task force, it should be a full-dress inquiry. The investigation must cover all lawmakers, regardless of their political affiliations,” said Romualdez as he emphasized that the days of corrupt officials are over under the present administration.

Romualdez said he is also open to a joint probe of the House of Representatives and Senate despite the decision made by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to defer the inquiry at the House while the National Bureau of Investigation is investigating the pork barrel scam.

“Lawmakers are only identifying projects that are funded by pork barrel funds, the House of Representatives and Senate can initiate a joint probe and even the Executive department can join because larger pork barrel funds are under their discretion,” Romualdez pointed out.

As this developed, Romualdez challenged the NBI and other investigating bodies not to pursue a “selective prosecution” of lawmakers who have been accused of misusing their PDAF or pork barrel.

“The selective prosecution should always be discouraged as this gives great injustice. Let the axe fall where it may,” Romualdez said.

“At the end of the day, it is the integrity of the legislature that is at stake and there is a saying you have to police your own ranks and you have to discipline yourselves,” Romualdez stressed.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said the investigation should push through without delay.

“A Congressional probe is needed for the congress to verify whether discretionary funds are indeed effective in addressing the basic social needs of the people or whether these funds are merely effective venues for corruption and political patronage. This should be dealt with as we enter the budget deliberations,” she explained.

The party-list solon stressed that barring any probe on the pork barrel scam is like allowing plunderers to escape accountability it condones corruption and is a go-signal for thieves to rob the nation’s coffers with impunity.