These were the words (palusot) of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in a recent ABS-CBN interview:
1. "It is not up to the senators to determine whether an NGO is bogus or not."
2. "Alangan naman na kami pa ang magsasabi na, 'Uy, bogus 'yan.' How will we know?"
3. "Gusto ko lang malaman sa mga kinauukulan kung saan talaga napunta 'yong para sa ating magsasaka dahil ang ating mga magsasaka, mga kababayan nating mahirap, sila mismo ang nagre-request sa aking tanggapan na sila ay mabigyan ng ayuda."
4. Napoles was his "acquaintance," and they only met during parents' meetings in school, where his daughter and her nephew were classmates.
5. He claims he never had business dealings with Napoles and did not know if the PDAF endorsements he signed before were actually for her. - "I wouldn't have known," he said.
I ask him now:
1. Are you not doing prior DUE DILIGENCE before approving the application of an NGO to be a recipient of your pork barrel?
2. Are you not doing regular FOLLOW-UP INQUIRIES (thru status reports) among your suppliers/service providers who have been tasked to implement your pork-barrel-funded projects?
3. Are you not doing regular and post-mortem PERFORMANCE EVALUATION of your pork-barrel-funded projects?
4. Are you saying that your role is that simply of a PURELY PASSIVE OBSERVER?
5. Are you saying that your role is that merely of a PURE FINANCIER?
6. Are you not commanded by the accountability provisions of the Constitution to do your tasks as a public official with UTMOST SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, DILIGENCE AND TRUSTWORTHINESS?
7. Is it not a fact that under the Constitution A PUBLIC OFFICE IS A PUBLIC TRUST , and that as a high-ranking steward of public funds and resources you must act with EXTRAORDINARY DILIGENCE?
Mr. Senator, answer the questions of the thinking Filipino people.
