By Michael Vincent D. Cajulao
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Zamboanga City Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (ZCCI) President Pocholo Soliven is calling for the
abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) after a massive
corruption on the use of the said fund was discovered.
“The findings in the COA report for 2007 and 2009 reinforce our
suspicions that these funds have been used as a milking cow for personal
political gains to institutionalize patronage politics in aid of perpetuating
themselves in power with a few
exceptions,” Soliven stressed in a press release.
Soliven said the COA findings showed that there is an admission of the
flawed system in the procurement, fiscal management as well as audit
procedures.
Soliven also supports all calls for the abolition of PDAF, specifically,
the “One Million March” held yesterday.
“It is a personal stand for the present and future generation that they
will inherit a better political system. It’s also a protest not directed to any
personality, but to the entire rotten system,” he continued.
As president of the biggest business group in the city, Soliven is also
calling on the entire business sector to make a stand and be heard on the
issue.
The business sector has supported the One Million March as a show of
their disgust over the massive corruption of the public funds that could have
been used to fund the deteriorating status of education, health and other basic
services in the country.
Soliven also hopes that President Aquino will be very serious in his
quest for the “Matuwid na Daan.”
“We want the guilty to be prosecuted and convicted with the full force of
the law,” Soliven said in his press statement. (PIA9)