Online petition to Ombudsman: Probe pork barrel scam

The online petition on Change.Org has called on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to probe the alleged grave misuse of the priority development assistance fund or pork barrel of lawmakers and other government officials.

 

The petition was initiated by some former government officials which include Edilberto De Jesus, former Secretary Department of Education; Fulgencio Factoran Jr., former Secretary Department of Environment and Natural Resources;  and ex Senator Vicente Paterno.

 

It also urged the senators and congressmen who have been implicated in the P10 billion pork barrel scam which was allegedly masterminded Jby anet Lim-Napoles to undergo an investigation to clear their names.

 

"We ask the Senators and Representatives implicated in the scam to clear their names by voluntarily subjecting themselves to an impartial official investigation by the Ombudsman to determine the extent of their actual involvement in the P10 billion scam," the petition said.

 

 The petition also asked President Benigno Aquino III to form a special inter-agency committee, composed of the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Justice and private sector, "to review the PDAF process and to recommend safeguards to ensure that the PDAF is not further abused."

 

"Our lawmakers should serve as models for compliance with the law. Only then can they have the moral authority to exercise oversight powers over the two other branches of government.

 

"It is time for the people, with the help of the Ombudsman and the President to prove that election to public office does not give officials a grant of impunity to plunder public funds," the online petition said.