PULSE | Is the pork worth it all, Mr. President?

The president is staking his presidency in defense of the pork. The pork stays in the 2014 budget albeit subject to new guidelines while saying he is abolishing it. He may be guilty of double-talk and letting his credibility slip away. Here's a letter addressed to him from one who voted for him in the 2010 election.

Mr. President,

Is "matuwid na daan" mere campaign mantra? Are you really sincere about fighting corruption or was it just a slogan to win an election? Did you merely stumble on the anti-corruption sound clip and found it effective instead of really meaning it?

Throughout your presidency, you have spearheaded the fight against corruption but now that the people themselves have manifested their desire for genuine change, you are on the wrong side of the debate. From a credible reformist, you now pathetically project yourself as conservative leader bent on preserving the status quo riddled with inequality, corruption and poverty.

You had a chance to do the difficult but correct thing to do after your election to the presidency in 2010. Instead of harnessing people power which your parents helped inspire, you took the more familiar ground of traditional patronage politics.

The  disillusionment with you however, doesn't translate to support for your enemies eager to ride on the people's disgust with corruption. The saying- the enemy of my enemy is my friend doesn't apply in this situation.You still are not the enemy. Opportunists risk public scorn if they try to railroad the people's genuine sentiment for change for their self-serving ends.

Mr. President, people want their lawmakers to just legislate laws not concern themselves with pocketing taxpayers' money through various commission schemes taken from how their pork is spent.

Should you continue with your double talk, let me just ask, is the pork worth it all, Mr. President? You risk losing the goodwill of the people who believed in you and entrusted you with their future, and for what, Mr. President?