Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – “Politicians will come and go, but the Senate will remain strong.” That was Senate President Franklin Drilon’s statement on Tuesday as more lawmakers were linked to the pork barrel scam.
“Siguro naman the Senate is larger than sum of the 24 senators (Perhaps the Senate is larger than the sum of the 24 senators),” he said in an interview, the transcript of which was made available to media.
He pointed out that the country has a “government of laws, and not of men.”
“Ako po ay naniniwala kapag natapos na ang lahat na ito ay lalo pang lalakas ang Senado bilang isang institusyon sa ating burukrasya,” Drilon said.
(I believe that when this issue is over, the Senate will become stronger as an institution in our bureaucracy.)
The Senate President’s statement came a day after former Senator and now Secretary Panfilo “Ping” Lacson revealed that Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano and Gregorio Honasan were included in the list of lawmakers who received commissions from alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.
During the same interview, Lacson denied that Drilon was included in the list.
Drilon assured the public that the Senate supports President Benigno Aquino III’s policy of letting the evidence point to the direction of the investigation. He said that the lists should be backed up by proof.
“We support the process, and we support the rule of law. We will not cover up for anyone,” he said.
He said people should be careful since the elections [are] near and many “political operators want to earn a living.”
Drilon said he wants to give his colleagues “opportunity to defend themselves.”
“But I assure you as the Senate President, we will follow the rule of law,” he added.
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