MANILA, Philippines – An overwhelming number of INQUIRER.net readers favor the abolition of the graft-tainted pork barrel.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 27,871 readers or 96.2 percent of the poll participants voted “Yes” in response to the INQUIRER.net survey that asked, “Do you agree with the proposal to abolish the pork barrel?”
Only 2.77 percent or 802 votes said, “No” while 1% or 300 said, “I don’t care.”
The number of participants tripled five days after President Benigno Aquino III announced the supposed abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). His statement, however, was met with criticism since it was revealed that lawmakers will still be allowed to propose itemized projects under the General Appropriations Bill.
A series of exposé by the Philippine Daily Inquirer revealed a tangled web of corruption, with Janet Lim-Napoles as the alleged brains behind a P10-billion scheme that channeled funds over the past 10 years from the PDAF and other state agencies into kickbacks of up to 60 percent using bogus nongovernment organizations.
Related Stories:
Over 10,000 INQUIRER.net readers favor ‘pork’ abolition
Lagman: Only Congress can abolish ‘pork’
Lozada: I don’t believe Aquino will abolish ‘pork’
Anti-pork protest still on despite Aquino’s abolition move
Aquino urged to abolish all lump sum funds, not just pork
Palace: P25-B pork stays in 2014 budget