GMA NEWS: SEPT. 17, 2013 Over 200,000 scholars may drop out of school due to PDAF suspension – solon The non-release of the second tranche of the 2013 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) will likely force over 200,000 scholars to drop out of school in the second semester, a lawmaker warned on Tuesday. At a press conference, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said this is the reason why the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court on the release of PDAF last week should be lifted. "Kung kailangan lumuhod sa kanila (Supreme Court), luluhod siguro ako," Evardone said, adding that 3,741 of the 248,072 affected scholars were under him. "I found that 248,072 scholars are affected. These are scholars of 73 congressmen na napagtanungan ko pa lang. Ito yung kinolate ko," he said. Evardone, vice chair of the House committee on appropriations, lamented that if the PDAF— more commonly known as pork barrel—won’t be released, students on scholarships might be forced to drop out come second semester. “Dependent sila sa PDAF (so) drop out na, di na makaka-enrol. Paano yung kinabukasan ng mga yan?” he said. Last week, the Supreme Court ordered the executive department to stop the release of the PDAF of lawmakers for 2013 following petitions for its abolition. The petitions were filed amid reports of a P10-billion pork barrel scam where several lawmakers were accused of pocketing portions of their PDAF through bogus non-government organizations. President Benigno Aquino III, faced by an indignant public over the alleged scam, has ordered the suspension of PDAF’s release and even the abolition of the PDAF system. However, some lawmakers, including Evardone, said the high court should consider the direct effect the TRO will have on those dependent on the PDAF, such as scholars and patients in need of hospitalization. "Sana ma-lift yung TRO, payagan ma-acess nung congressmen para sa scholars. Agree naman kami na ili-limit. Pero para matugunan lang yung mga pangangailangan nila sana,” Evardone said, adding that his appeal is not political but rather is a call for charity. "Di na po politics ito. Issue ng kinabulasan ng mga bata ito. On humanitarian consideration, we would like to appeal to the SC, on our constituents’ behalf,” he said. — Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 13:13:01 +0000
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