Palace: Resignation calls for 'pork' senators must be taken seriously

MANILA, Philippines - The mounting calls for the resignation of the senators implicated in the pork barrel scam have reached the streets and Malacañang said these demands should be taken seriously.

While he did not directly say if the Palace is supporting these resignation calls, Presidential Communications Sec. Sonny Coloma said the street demonstrations of the Scrap Pork Network are legitimate expressions of opinion and grievances that should be heard.

"Yung mga pagpapahiwatig ng saloobin ay kinakailangang seryosohin kung tayo man ay sumasang-ayon man o hindi," Coloma said at a televised press briefing on Thursday.

Coloma said the resignation calls and the subsequent street demonstrations are the public's way to provide feedback to the government officials.

The ScrapPork Network, the organizers of last year's "Million People March" protest against the pork barrel system, has initiated an online petition calling for the resignation of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr.

The online petition was made after the Office of Ombudsman said it found probable cause to file graft and plunder charges against the three senators for allegedly diverting their pork barrel funds to bogus non-government organizations in exchange of kickbacks.

As of Thursday, the online petition has 11,638 signatures.

Television reports said the ScrapPork Network held series of protests around the metro on Wednesday.

The three senators have repeatedly denied the allegations hurled against them. According to previous reports, Estrada and Revilla said they will not step down.

But Coloma said the response of the senators to these resignation calls should be based on the interest of the people whom they have sworn to serve.

"Ang kanilang aksyon diyan ay dapat na ibatay nila sa kanilang pagkakaunawa kung ano ang nasa interes ng mga mamamayan na kanilang pinaglilingkuran," Coloma said.

He added that according to the 1987 Constitution, public office is a public trust.