Press Release
March 7, 2014

MIRIAM TO COLLEGE STUDENTS: "DON'T VOTE FOR PORK BARREL SCAM POLITICIANS IN 2016"

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago today appealed to some 2,000 students of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Batangas City, not to vote in 2016 for senators or congressmen involved in the pork barrel scam.

Santiago made the appeal during the awarding ceremony of the most outstanding students and student organizations of the LPU, where she served as guest speaker.

"We should not reelect any senators or congressmen running for reelection in 2016, if they are among those against whom the Ombudsman will file criminal charges for plunder or malversation of public funds in the Sandiganbayan," the senator told the students.

"Of course, every person enjoys a presumption of innocence," Santiago said. "But when the Ombudsman conducts the preliminary investigation, she goes over voluminous papers and other documents, as well as affidavits executed by eyewitnesses. She has to do this, because under the law, the Ombudsman who is the prosecutor in this case, has to prove what the law calls a prima facie case. The term prima facie is a Latin phrase which means at first sight, or on first appearance, but subject to further evidence or information. Hence, if the Ombudsman files a case against a reelectionist for plunder in the Sandiganbayan, this means that she has in her possession enough evidence to allow the trial court to rule in favor of the government."

According to Santiago, the 2016 presidential elections will be a test of leadership during these dark days when government is investigating the P10 billion pork barrel scandal involving Janet Lim-Napoles, her dubious non-government organizations, and certain politicians.

"The Supreme Court has declared the pork barrel as unconstitutional. But during the time when pork barrel was still a legitimate exercise of the power to reduce poverty, it became a source of widespread corruption from our elected senators and representatives. This sordid case of plunder in our political history is evidence that corruption is caused by a top-down process," Santiago said.

Santiago also called on the audience to reject politicians who are "consistently silent on the pork barrel scandal."

According to the senator, while the pork barrel investigation is going on, particularly on television when the Blue Ribbon Committee conducts hearings and examines alleged witnesses, certain politicians are conspicuous by their silence.

Santiago said silence means that the particular politician is willing to make friends with anybody, right or wrong, corrupt or honest, as long as the politician can gather votes.

"That candidate is an opportunist. He does not act out of conviction, but acts out of what is convenient for himself," she said.

"Politicians who purposely refrain from participating in the national debate on the pork barrel scandal are politicians who are cowards, because they refuse to take a position for fear of incurring the anger of the guilty ones. This kind of cowardice is anathema to leadership," the feisty senator said.

"Leadership is the courage to take risks in defense of a position that is both legal and moral. The politician who tries to become a wise guy by being friends with everybody - corrupt or not - is not a leader," Santiago said. "This is the test I want the people to apply, as the 2016 elections approach. Apply the test of leadership among the candidates."

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