HANGGANG ngayon mainit na mainit pa rin ang isyu hinggil sa bilyun-bilyong pisong pork barrel scam ng mga mambabatas, kasabwat ang negosyanteng si Janet Lim Napoles gamit ang mga fake NGOs nito.
Ito rin ang nagpainit sa dugo ng mga OFW nating araw-araw ding sumusubaybay at hindi bumitiw sa isyu ng pork barrel.
Noong isang linggo, sa gitna ng mga balitang ito, atake sa puso naman ang ikinamatay ng kauna-unahang nakasama namin sa Bantay OCW noong 1997, si Congressman Romeo “Ome” Candazo, at siya ring tinaguriang orihinal na whistle blower ng pork barrel scam.
Kaya naman inalam din namin ang posisyon ng tatlong kinatawan ng mga OFW sa Kongreso. Noong wala pang binitiwang salita si Pangulong Aquino na dapat nang tanggalin ang pork barrel. Pare-parehong sagot ang nakuha namin sa dalawang kinatawan ng OFW Family partylist at Angkla partylist. Kakailanganin at gagamitin anila ang nasabing pondo para sa mga pangangailangan ng ating mga OFW.
Ngunit ganyan din ba ang sentimiyento ng ating mga OFW? Maligaya ba silang marinig mula sa kanilang mga kinatawan na para din pala sa kanila ang pork barrel na inaasam nilang gagamitin para sa mga proyekto ng OFW.
Taliwas ito sa ipinakitang pakikiisa ng ating mga OFW sa Million March Protest na ginawa sa Luneta, kahit milya-milya pa ang layo nila.
Sabi ni Stan Yumang, Host at Program Director ng Good Evening Kabayan radio show sa Hongkong: “Filipinos in HK are for the abolition of pork barrel (PDAF). Corrupt people in government will always find a way to fill their pockets. We are not asking for a name change for PDAF or for the same system to be molded into something new, what the OFWs want is for it to END. If proven guilty, they must receive punishment equivalent to committing treason. To gain back our trust, the government must be transparent and accountable how they spend taxpayer’s money. We also believed that when the pork is abolished, only those with a true heart for public service would find their place in our government”.
Ayon naman kay Arlene Andes, Bantay OCW European correspondent mula sa Belgium, minabuti naman ng mga OFW doon na isulat na lamang at ang kanilang mga sentimiyento sa social media lalo na Facebook.
Sabi naman ni Mylene Romero Mc-Kaig ng Florida, USA nagpalit ng mga puting profile pictures sa FB ang mga kababayan natin doon.
Pakiusap naman ni Jelord Vergara ng Tokyo, Japan sa Bantay OCW: “Please fight for it in behalf of the Filipinos working in Japan. You have our all out support. As Filipinos, we deserve to know, in the spirit of transparency. We’re updated here, watching news & current events, and listening to your radio program daily. Please keep up the good work. Thanks”.
Ayon kay Sarah Andes-Imbat, Bantay OCW correspondent sa New York: Filipinos in NY are fully aware of what’s happening in the Philippines. Nalulungkot sila dahil katulad pa rin ng dati ang mga balitang nakarara-ting dito sa Amerika. Walang patumanggang corruption, kasakiman at kaliwa’t-kanang pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Sambit pa nila: Walang pagbabago”.
May mensahe din si Engr. Jegs Certeza ng Seoul, South Korea says: “We are one with the Filipinos in abhorring the deliberate immoral stealing of public funds and the nation’s meager hope for salvation. We support such public display of dismay and the changes being suggested by government and People are a good start to this dialogue. This is history and democracy at work. I just pray everything will be peaceful, as we have done in previous honest public outcries for changes”.
Sabi naman ni Ria Malapitan ng GEK sa Hongkong: “As OFWs, we are disgusted at how easily this unscrupulous individuals in government and their cronies take advantage of the loopholes on the system and funnel taxpayer’s money into their pockets. We are not only for the ABOLITION OF PDAF but we equally demand for accountability and prosecution of the people behind the misuse of public funds.