Abalos wants judge to inhibit after alleged extortion try abs-cbnNEWS.com Posted at 12/16/2011 10:08 AM (MANILA, Philippines 2nd UPDATED)- Former Commission on Election (Comelec)  chairman Benjamin Abalos on Friday asked Pasay City regional trial court Judge Jesus Mupas to inhibit from his electoral sabotage case due to extortion allegations. According to Comelec lawyer Maria Juana Valesa, Abalos alleged that a female  lawyer connected to Mupas asked P100 million from the ex-poll chief in  exchange for fixing his case in the RTC. Abalos even presented witnesses to prove the extortion claim.

The debt cap of 60% is stipulated in the budget that becomes a law when it is passed by Congress and signed by the President. But the President cannot amend what has been provided for by Congress. An amendment is needed. To increase the debt cap to 73% is highly suspicious because it means stretching the allowance for expenditures and or savings that can be plowed back to the general fund that can be used for unprogrammed expenses.  The net effect is  the Administration will have a bigger opportunity to spend. This also means bigger allowance for possible graft.

Over  DxIF-Bombo radyo, Cong Jose Benaldo said, he and other congressmen were forced to sign the impeachment complaint for fear that the Aquino administration would not release their pork barrel funds. Benaldo said, he signed the impeachment complaint so as not to  deprive his district of public funds needed for projects. " I was afraid of losing the pork barrel. I'm a new congressman. News spread so quickly that congressmen who refused to sign the impeachment complaint would not receive their pork barrel. Personally, if I'm not representing people, I would not sign the impeachment complaint," he said, "The impeachment proceeding is a political exercise. We didn't look at the substance. We didn't look at the form.