‘A disgusting crime’

I am very much heartened by the Inquirer’s courageous exposé of the P10-billion pork barrel scam. I myself started last Aug. 1 a change.org campaign—a petition to Congress for it to abolish its pork barrel! I realize that this petition may be a foolhardy tilting against the windmill, but Congress, I believe, cannot ignore the public outcry, loud and clear, without losing all credibility with the taxpaying citizenry. My own petition at change.org has already garnered over 400 signatories from ordinary citizens.

Its text is as follows:

“Abolish the pork barrel! It’s a wide opening to corruption and political patronage. It’s a great injustice to faithful taxpayers and a disgusting crime against the poor who would have improved their lot if our Congress and government were less corrupt. It makes our politics an industry, a business enterprise, where unqualified  trapos  run for elective posts in order to enrich themselves rather than serve our people. Many of us have grown skeptical, cynical, indifferent. A pity that those among our senators and congressmen who are upright and efficient are besmirched by the unworthy among them! Our Congress must have the will and courage to investigate its members, or lose its credibility despite its ethics committees in the Senate and the House.”

I thank the Inquirer for its courage and objectivity!

—GEMINO H. ABAD, university professor emeritus, Department of English and Comparative Literature, UP Diliman, Quezon City