LUCENA City — Binatikos ni Lucena Bishop Emilio Marquez si Pangulong Aquino kahapon dahil sa patuloy na pagtatanggol at suporta nito sa pork barrel.
“He announced its (pork barrel) abolition and yet one of his officials tells us that there is still pork barrel. That’s the reason why the people are angry,” ani Marquez sa kanyang sermon sa Misa sa Saint Ferdinand Cathedral dito.
Noong Biyernos, inihayag ni Aquino ang pagbasura sa Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Pero, nilinaw ni Budget Secretary Florencio Abad na mananatili ang P25.2 bilyon alokasyon sa PDAF wsa panukalang P2.268 trilyon national budget para sa 2014.
Ani Abad: “Line-item budgeting begins in 2014, not 2015.” “They announced the abolition of PDAF but [Aquino] still has P1-trillion pork barrel. Do you understand that?” tanong ni Marquez, na tinawag ang pork barrel na ugat ng katiwalian.
“What the Filipino people have been demanding is the abolition not only of PDAF but the entire pork barrel system,” ani Marquez.
Hiniling ni Marquez sa mga deboto na sumama sa people’s protest assembly ngayon sa Perez Park.