FR. ROBERT Reyes leads bikers and runners on the third leg of his One Million Kilometer Run against pork barrel in Lucena City. DELFIN T. MALLARI JR./INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON
LUCENA CITY—Activist priest Robert Reyes on Thursday led an estimated 100 bikers and runners here on the third leg of his One Million Kilometer Run for the abolition of the pork barrel system.
“What is happening in Congress, Senate, Malacañang and the Ombudsman is one fully scripted telenovela to lull the Filipino people into complacency,” said Reyes, referring to separate investigations into the plunder of at least P10 billion of public funds pulled off through a conspiracy allegedly by Janet Lim-Napoles and legislators.
Since early this month, Reyes has been tapping the support of runners and bikers across the country to join the movement to scrap the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel, of senators and congressmen.
“We run and bike every day, during weekends for our physical fitness,” said Reyes.
“The Filipino people is now counting on you to serve as the indefatigable frontliners in our continuous protest against the abominable pork barrel,” Reyes told runners and bikers in an impromptu program held on Thursday at Perez Park here after a five-kilometer run.
Reyes, known as the “running priest” for initiating runs to raise public awareness on social and political issues, started the One Million Kilometer Run in Luneta early this month and followed it with another run in Bicol.
He said he would soon travel to different parts of the country to initiate a similar campaign among local bikers and runners.
The priest was joined by members of Lucena Striders Running Club (LSRC) and United Quezon Bikers (UQB), the umbrella organization of organized bikers’ groups in the province.
The protesters chanted “pork barrel tanggalin!” as they traversed the Maharlika Highway and the city streets.
“We will never stop running until President Aquino finally has the courage to heed the collective voice of his ‘bosses’” to scrap the pork barrel system, said Reyes.
The participants also signed a “contract” written on bond paper where they pledged their commitment to run or bike for a given number of kilometers until December as their own manifestation of protest against the pork barrel.
Runner Noel Suministrado, speaking on behalf of the Lucena campaign, said local runners and bikers have pledged to run a total of 36,895 kilometers in support of the advocacy run against PDAF and Mr. Aquino’s own pork barrel.
The LSRC and UQB officials clarified their organizations have no definite stand on the pork barrel issue. “But most of us are against this. It should be abolished,” said Nafeder Gabito, Strider’s spokesperson.
Carlo Profugo, president of 600 UQB members, said the Reyes campaign against pork barrel is posted on their Facebook page and continued to gain support from members of the group.
Reyes said a participant may complete the pledge in a single day or series of several weekend runs or biking.
“What is important is that for every kilometer that they finish, they offer it as their own contribution to the ongoing struggle not just against pork barrel but also for the return of the dignity of the Filipino people,” said Reyes.