Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago called on the public anew to reject in 2016 not only politicians who will be charged in court in connection with the P10 billion “pork” barrel scam, but also those “consistently silent” on the issue.
“We should not reelect any senators or congressmen running for reelection in 2016, if they are among those against whom the Ombudsman will file criminal charges for plunder or malversation of public funds in the Sandiganbayan,” Santiago said when she spoke before the students of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Batangas City on Friday.
“Of course, every person enjoys a presumption of innocence. But when the Ombudsman conducts the preliminary investigation, she goes over voluminous papers and other documents, as well as affidavits executed by eyewitnesses. She has to do this, because under the law, the Ombudsman who is the prosecutor in this case, has to prove what the law calls a prima facie case,” she said.
The term prima facie, Santiago said, is a Latin phrase, which means at first sight, or on first appearance, but subject to further evidence or information.
“Hence, if the Ombudsman files a case against a reelectionist for plunder in the Sandiganbayan, this means that she has in her possession enough evidence to allow the trial court to rule in favor of the government,” she explained.
Santiago said the 2016 presidential elections “will be a test of leadership during these dark days when government is investigating the P10 billion pork barrel scandal involving Janet Lim-Napoles, her dubious non-government organizations, and certain politicians.”
“The Supreme Court has declared the pork barrel as unconstitutional. But during the time when pork barrel was still a legitimate exercise of the power to reduce poverty, it became a source of widespread corruption from our elected senators and representatives,” she said.
“This sordid case of plunder in our political history is evidence that corruption is caused by a top-down process,” she further said.
The senator also called on the students to reject politicians who were “consistently silent on the pork barrel scandal.”
She noted that while the Senate blue ribbon committee is conducting a televised investigation, certain politicians were conspicuous by their silence.
Silence, she said, means that the particular politician was willing to make friends with anybody, right or wrong, corrupt or honest, as long as the politician can gather votes.
“That candidate is an opportunist. He does not act out of conviction, but acts out of what is convenient for himself,” Santiago said.
She branded as “cowards” politicians, who purposely refrain from participating in the national debate on the pork barrel scandal “for fear of incurring the anger of the guilty ones.”
“This kind of cowardice is anathema to leadership,” said the senator.
“Leadership is the courage to take risks in defense of a position that is both legal and moral. The politician who tries to become a wise guy by being friends with everybody – corrupt or not – is not a leader,” Santiago added.
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