Who's more believable when they call for the people to sacrifice?

Did you know Erap also raised our taxes? He did in 1998 But the good thing was, he also wanted to abolish the pork barrel para mabawasan ang corruption at gastusin ng bayan.

Arroyo also talked about "sacrifice", but it's mostly directed at us poor taxpayers though.

So when these two people talk about "making sacrifices" to help the country, who do you think has more credibility to ask that from our people? It seems to me na Erap strikes the right balance with his spending cuts and a slight tax increase to help improve our finances while not overtaxing our poor kababayans.

Arroyo, OTOH, seems to only want to add more taxes so that she and her cohorts can spend more, and they will never give up their pork.

Arroyo said she was willing to veto the entire budget (which means re-enacted na naman ang budget nating) kung hindi na restore ang pork niya, like "kilos asenso" and "kalayaan barangay":

Gloria to veto budget if her pork is not restored

PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday said if the cuts made by the Senate on the proposed 2006 budget, particularly the P5 billion Kilos Asenso Fund and the P3.69-billion Kalayaan Barangay Fund, are not restored, she would veto the measure.

"Kung yung budget ay talagang masyadong masisira, bagama’t ako ay naniniwala na magiging responsible ang mga mambabatas…wala akong magagawa. Baka kailangan nga na i-veto dahil masusing pinag-aralan ang panukalang budget at walang bisa ang budget na tatanggalin ang mga makahulugang programa para sa tao," Arroyo said in an interview over dzMM.

Budget talks reached an impasse Monday after the Senate contingent in the bicameral conference committee stood firm on its decision to retain the cuts – P26.3 billion coming from programmed appropriations and P37.7 billion from unprogrammed funds.

Senate move gains support from NGOs:

Senate President Franklin Drilon said 45 non-governmental organizations rallied behind the Senate and urged senators not to succumb to pressures from Arroyo and her cronies at the House to restore the cuts deemed to be "GMA’s pork barrel funds."

Drilon said the NGO leaders said they were not buying Malacañang’s public pronouncements that the "President’s pork barrel funds" would be used to finance pro-poor livelihood programs. They expressed fears the funds would eventually be diverted to finance the campaign of the administration’s allies in the 2007 election and moves to amend the Constitution.

In a petition letter submitted to Drilon, the 45 civil society groups organized under the Global Call to Action Against Poverty-Philippines (GCAP), the Education Network Philippines (ENP), the Social Watch Philippines (SWP) and the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), asked the Senate "to stand firm" on slashing Arroyo’s "pork funds."

The letter was signed by Ma. Victoria Raquiza, national coordinator of GCAP-Philippines, Leonor Briones, convenor of SWP, and Leonora Protacio of ENP.

The NGO leaders said the Kalayaan Barangay Program and the Kilos Asenso Program funds "are nothing but pork barrel funds for local government units to reward their loyalty and guarantee their support for smooth operation of GMA’s charter change initiative."

Pork Barrel Politics will be a major factor again in the 2007 elections.

"Pork barrel politics" is all about the culture of corruption. At para sa akin, hindi lang pork barrel money ang involved dito, kundi pati na rin yung misuse ng taxpayer's money (fertilizer funds, road user's tax, PHILHEALTH cards) para pamatay ng impeachment, CHA CHA at 2007 elections. Isama na rin natin ang PAGCOR, PCSO at jueteng money to bribe officials and bishops to look the other way. Babaha ang pondo para sa 2007 elections (at alam natin na ang significant majority na magbe-benefit dito ay ang mga kaalyado ni Arroyo).

Related Articles: Buying’ starts to kill impeach bid

P7M in goodies for every ‘No,’ says Suplico

AN opposition congressman yesterday said Malacañang has already released P7 million worth of dole-outs for majority congressmen in exchange for their votes against the second impeachment complaint against President Arroyo, which the House minority bloc would file next month.

Rep. Rolex Suplico (LDP, Iloilo) said the administration has dangled P5 million worth of "soft" projects which is part of their pork barrel funds, P1 million in scholarships from the Commission on Higher Education, and another P1 million each as their share in the road users’ tax.

"This early, the administration has started buying support of majority congressmen. We condemn the use of pork to kill the impeach complaint," he said.

Suplico said that in Region 6, he was the only congressman who was not allocated the same releases for being a member of the opposition.

Suplico has said that congressmen who voted against the impeachment last year were allocated P35 million more worth of pork barrel funds.

From P70 million per congressman in 2004, the congressional pork barrel went down to P40 million in 2005 because of the fiscal crisis and yet, Suplico said, "those who voted to kill the impeachment, including the famous `Palakpak Boys,’ got additional releases."

These releases are composed of P20 million from the DPWH, P10 million from the road user’s tax and another P5 million from the DPWH as "Christmas bonus."

So those Administration Congressman who did not support the impeachment complaint last year (2005) got P75 million in pork. And those who voted for impeachment OTOH got P40 million. No wonder Imee Marcos and a few "opposition" congressmen failed to show up and vote for the impeachment complaint. Remember Oplan: Absent of last year?

Arroyo's palakpak boys of SONA 2006 I bet will get even more funding (whether pork, philhealth cards, or fertiliroadusersPCSOPAGCOR funds) para sa 2007 elections at para sa suporta nila sa CHA CHA.

Malaya: 'Why let enemies enjoy pork?’

PRESIDENTIAL chief of staff Michael Defensor yesterday admitted that Malacañang is holding back the pork barrel of minority congressmen because of their efforts to bring down President Arroyo.

Defensor said the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) is released directly to the opposition congressmen’s districts instead of being coursed through their offices.

He said the practice is natural, considering the country’s political crisis.

"Iyong pinapabagsak ang ating Pangulo hindi lamang simpleng pagiging oposisyon. Siyempre ang tanong naman ng Pangulo, sandali lang, ako naman ay ginagawa ko itong mga programa ko tapos ang pondong ito ay dumadaan sa akin para i-release sa mga distrito n’yo," he said.

Of course, impeaching Arroyo is considered a "destabilization plot" by this illegitimate admin.

But you know what, I support the admin for not releasing the pork money to the opposition. Pero sana gawin rin nila ito sa lahat ng Congressman, para patas. Pero we all know that's unlikely to happen, dahil palapit na ang halalan, at gusto ni Arroyo tulungang manalo ang mga admin either by funding them or by "Garci-ing" the elections in some districts (or both).

More here.

Manila Standard Today lays down the choices for the opposition: Pork Barrel or Impeachment?