Pork Barrel? Einstein has spoken!

The wise man has spoken, it's time to listen folks!

Congress leaders defy Aquino order

Comment:

While PNOY is trying to control the whole government - either by issuing policies or appointing his people to key positions - expect the other branches of the government to fight back. This is especially true when the issue is money. Or pork barrel. Or PDAF. Or JDF. 

News Story:

ADMINISTRATION allies in the House and Senate said Sunday they would defy President Benigno Aquino III’s bid to seize control of co-equal branches of government by stripping the Judiciary of its fiscal autonomy and by taking away Congress’ power of the purse in the 2014 budget.

Senator Francis Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, and his counterpart in the House, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, said they would study the Palace-proposed special provisions carefully to see if there was a legal basis for stripping the Supreme Court of its control over the P7 billion Judiciary Development Fund and P2.5 billion in allocations for unfilled positions.

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Aquino declares August 9 a holiday

Commentary:

August 9 is Regular Holiday. Lucky day for all permanent employees and students - no work and no classes. Unlucky day for non-permanent employees - no salary. It's a long weekend again, more time for you to get a  life (no, chatting with your FB friends and updating your status every 30 minutes don't count as "real" life).

News Story:

It will be a long weekend and families and friends will have extra time for bonding as President Benigno Aquino III signed Proclamation No. 629-2013 declaring August 9, Friday, a regular holiday.

The declaration came as the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan ends with the
Eid’l Fitr or the celebration of the Feast of Ramadhan. The holiday in this Catholic-dominated country aims to “promote cultural understanding and integration,” Malacañang said.

Lanao Muslim Traders Association president Mac Bitiarra told Sun.Star Pampanga that in the City of San Fernando, hundreds of Muslims from different communities will troop to their mosque in Barangay San Pedro Cutud for the feast as they do annually.

Other holidays this month, per Proclamation No. 459-2012 are Ninoy Aquino Day on August 21 (Wednesday), which is a special non-working holiday and August 26 (Monday), National Heroes Day, another regular holiday.

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President Aquino wants PDAF to stay - Valte

Comment:

This isn't surprising news at all. PNoy needs PDAF to keep congressmen and senators inline. Without the multi-million pork barrel, the president won't have anything to entice our lawmakers into supporting his agenda.

The only surprising thing is why we, the people, even entertained the notion that the pork barrel will be scrapped. Are we that gullible?

News Story

President Aquino wants PDAF to stay - Valte

As lawmakers debate over the proposed abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), President Benigno Aquino III has made his stand on the matter clear: He wants pork to stay.

"Parang ganoon po yung nakuha ko rin sa conversation namin ng pangulo [It's also the idea I got in our conversation with the president]," Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, said.

President Aquino was a lawmaker for 18 years. It was likely that it was during that period when he realized that projects at the local level were better left under the auspices of lawmakers who were more familiar with the needs of their constituents.

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