The charges hurled by party-list Rep. Lito Atienza against Budget Secretary Butch Abad and his family (“Abad, family blamed for pork barrel crisis,” News, 10/18/13) constitute political vendetta, in a desperate attempt to muddle the issue of corruption on the use of the Priority Development Assistance Fund.
Atienza has a longstanding axe to grind against Secretary Abad, a former president of the Liberal Party (LP). Abad was one of the petitioners in a case filed in the Comelec, who successfully stopped Atienza (who usurped the LP presidency) and his pro-Gloria Arroyo allies from taking over the LP. Atienza and his cohorts lost the case when the Supreme Court ruled with finality that Sen. Franklin Drilon was the legitimate president of the LP.
Atienza, who was a most vocal apologist of Gloria Arroyo when she was still president, has neither the factual basis nor the moral ascendancy to blame the Abads for the pork barrel controversy, when he himself enthusiastically supported the Arroyo administration after the LP opposed her when the very principles of transparency and accountability were blatantly desecrated by serious evidence of electoral fraud and massive corruption.
The Abads got their positions in government through merit and because of the trust reposed in them by the appointing authority.
Atienza should also be reminded that the pork barrel scam involves politicians with whom he was closely associated during the past administration. The allies he chose to side with should define his motives and credibility in this issue.
—BONG MALONZO,
vice president for labor sector,
Mamamayang Liberal,
bong.malonzo@yahoo.com