SC urged: Stop EO on use of Malampaya funds

MANILA - Lawyer Harry Roque has filed a petition calling on the Supreme Court to declare Executive Order 683 unconstitutional. EO 683 issued by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo authorizes the use of the Malampaya funds as a special fund for development projects. Roque said the Malampaya gas project is not under a special pact and its proceeds should not be used as a special fund. He also wants 40 percent of the fund to go to Palawan since the Malampaya offshore gas project is within the jurisdiction of Palawan. Currently, the province only gets 20 percent. Roque said any use of the fund should pass through Congress. In 2009, Roque's group also filed a petition questioning government's use of the Malampaya funds. Until now, the Supreme Court has yet to resolve the matter. Roque said had the court acted on their petition, the funds would have been spared from corruption. "Had the Court decided the case immediately after oral arguments almost 4 years ago, we would not have just prevented Napoles from squandering 900 million of government money. We would probably have been able to prevent PGMA's plunder of 26.3 Billion of taxpayers money to benefit her lying, cheating, and stealing regime," the petition read. In recent weeks, the misuse of the Malampaya funds by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles hit headines. ANC Dateline Philippines, August 22, 2013