Miriam to students: Don’t vote for lawmakers tagged in ‘pork’ scam

BATANGAS, Philippines – With the 2016 national elections barely two years away, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is already appealing to students not to vote for senators or congressmen involved in the pork barrel scam.

The senator issued her appeal to students of Lyceum of the Philippines University during the awarding ceremony for the school’s Ten Most Outstanding Students and Organization yesterday.

“We should not re-elect any senators or congressmen in 2016 if they are among those whom the ombudsman will file criminal charges for plunder or malversation of public funds in the Sandiganbayan,” she said in a speech before some 2,000 students and faculty members.

She also called on her audience to reject politicians who are “consistently silent on the pork barrel scandal.”

“While the pork barrel investigation is ongoing in the Blue Ribbon committee, certain politicians are conspicuous by their silence,” she said. “It only means that they just want to make friends with anybody, right or wrong, corrupt of honest, as long as they can gather votes,” Santiago said.

“That candidate is an opportunist. He does not act out of conviction, but acts out of what is convenient for himself,” she said, referring to fence-sitting politicians.

She also took a swipe at Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile – one of the lawmakers linked to the pork barrel scam – whom she only referred to as matanda (old).

In her closing statements, she urged the students to advise everyone in their communities, including neighbors and friends, to reject politicians who are afraid to make a stand.

Welcoming Santiago were Lyceum president Peter Laurel and other university officials.