Former whistle-blower calls on Aquino to resign

Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada   JOSEPH AGCAOILI

MANILA, Philippines – A former whistle-blower called on President Benigno Aquino III to resign during the second Million People March Friday.

“If he has any decency left in him he should resign,” Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada told reporters in an ambush interview.

“He has the courage to dare his critics to impeach him? Pass the Freedom of Information bill then to impeach him will be easy,” he said.

Thousands of people from militant groups and various sectors marched to the Ninoy Aquino statue at the intersection of Ayala avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati to call for the abolition of the pork barrel system and the Development Assistance Program (DAP).

The militant groups blamed Aquino for the scandal involving the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, commonly referred to as the pork barrel scam, that siphoned billions of pesos through bogus non-government organizations created by detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, tagged as the alleged mastermind.

“We are holding Aquino ultimately accountable for the entire pork fund mess. It is his power to push for changes in the system yet he stubbornly refuses to do so and instead promotes the system of pork,” Fr. Joe Dizon, convenor of the Abolish Pork Movement, said in a statement.

Recently, additional fund allocations for lawmakers from the DAP was exposed by Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada which he alleged was used as incentive for senators to convict former Chief Justice Renato Corona during his impeachment trial.

Lozada, who in the past blew the whistle on the NBN-ZTE deal under the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said that the anger of people against the pork barrel system was becoming like a wild fire.

“Forest fires start as small grass fires that could sometimes last for weeks. The fire intensifies when strong winds begin to blow,” he said.

“Just like what is happening in our country today, the feelings of the people are already kindled. Once the winds of truth blow it will ignite the fire,” Lozada said. “Malacanang should not wait anymore, they should speak the truth and not wait for the fire to ignite the feelings of the people.”
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