Aquino hit for ‘pork bribe’ to convict Corona

MANILA, Philippines—The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Thursday lambasted the Aquino administration for allegedly using the pork barrel fund to entice Senate members to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“Pork barrel is a detestable political tool that should have no place in the impeachment process,” IBP spokesman Dennis Habawel said.

“While we put much faith in our senators, any monitoring should expose any moves to corrupt the process with pork barrel,” said Habawel, adding the IBP has formed a special team to monitor the impeachment proceedings at the Senate, which will start on Monday.

President Benigno Aquino III and his allies were allegedly using the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel to solicit the support of the Senate, which unlike the House of Representatives is not controlled by the administration.

Aquino purportedly promised to increase their PDAF from P200 million to P500 million if they will vote to convict Corona. Aside from the PDAF, the senators were allegedly promised additional funding that would be sourced from the various discretionary funds of the President and from the Department of Agriculture’s fund allocations for Irrigation, Farm-to-Market Roads.

According to the IBP, while the impeachment is considered a political exercise because of the role of the House of Representatives and the Senate, its proceedings are still covered by rules of law.

“Impeachment may be a political exercises in the sense that it if the political organs of government like the House and the Senate who impeach and try, respectively. But the essence of the proceedings still embrace fair play and due process to the end that senators decide on the basis of the merits of the case,” the lawyers group said.

Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas, Corona’s lead counsel, expressed alarm over the supposed bribe.

“Malaki ang pangamba namin dyan dahil ang mga senador ay tao rin lamang. Maaari pong sa mga pag-approach ni Presidente, kung anuman ang nasa isip nila, hindi maging tunay na damdamin nila at pasiya depende na rin sa ebidensiya. Hindi lang maari — malaking bagay na kausapin sila ng Presidente,” Cuevas told reporters.