Miriam: Only taxpayers should be allowed to vote

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said only the taxpayers should be allowed to participate in the elections to prevent patronage politics in the country.

Santiago said those who don't pay taxes are among the poorest of the poor and are vulnerable to receiving money from politicians, which she said is a form of patronage politics.

"Change the Charter so that only taxpayers will be allowed to vote. Kasi kung hindi siya nagbabayad ng tax, mahirap na mahirap siya. Maski sino na lang, basta bigyan siya ng pera, kahit bigyan mo ng konti, that is patronage politics," Santiago said.

"The taxpayers are being ruled by the choice of the nontaxpayers," she added.

The feisty senator made the suggestion as she returned to the senate this week after being on extended sick leave for acute chronic fatigue.

But on Wednesday, she was able to preside over a hearing of the foreign affairs committee of the Commission on Appointments.

"The whole system is just so bad. That’s why people get sick. I think this is the country with the most sick population in the whole world," Santiago said.

"We continue to go to work as if nothing happens. We are really really sick. We are morally sick. We are mentally sick. The higher the position, the higher the mental sickness.

In a press briefing yesterday, Santiago also made a suggestion to her fellow lawmakers tagged in the alleged pork barrel scam.

"Eat blank and die," Santiago said, adding that those who are spared from the controversy should commit “hara-kiri.”

The veteran lawmaker also said she is raring to attend the Senate investigation into the pork barrel scam to grill the whistleblowers and Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged scam mastermind.

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