Major protest vs pork barrel set for August 25

MANILA, Philippines—Several groups and individuals will hold another major anti-pork barrel rally on August 25 on Roxas Boulevard in Luneta, a year after the Million People March.

“A year ago, we set out on a crusade against corruption in the pork barrel system. It has been a year and we were able to raise public consciousness about congressional and presidential pork, patronage politics and the national budget. We won against the [Priority Development Assistance Fund] and the [Disbursement Acceleration Program] before the Supreme Court. However, the Aquino government has found ways to maintain the corrupt pork barrel system,” said musician and #abolishpork spokesman Monet Silvestre in a statement released by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

“We now see Aquino’s moves that aim to institutionalize the Disbursement Acceleration Program as well as recent moves to maintain congressional pork through informal arrangements between departments and lawmakers. The system is truly rotten. Aquino continues to protect this system. The battle has not been won. We need to go out again, to stand up and sign up against pork,” Silvestre added.

#Abolishpork, one of this year’s organizers, said it will be joined by other anti-pork groups and supported by at least 73 Catholic bishops. A sign-up drive will also be held in support to People’s Initiative to abolish the pork barrel. The campaign aims to gather signatures nationwide to pass a law that would ban pork barrel.

The groups that will join #Abolishpork include Scrap Pork Network, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, the Concerned Citizens Movement, Babae Laban sa Katiwalian, Youth ACT Now, Whistleblowers Association, BAYAN, Artista Kontra Korapsyon, and various sectoral groups, unions and associations.

On Aug. 15, students will hold a noise barrage dubbed as “DAPat Mag-ingay” in front of their schools along Taft Avenue, Mehan Garden, Morayta and Katipunan starting 4p.m.

On August 23, the anti-pork groups will be converging in Cebu to attend the People’s Congress which will approve the draft bill that will be the subject of the People’s Initiative.

“Instead of discussing a second term for Aquino, or the political tie-ups and alliances among the politicians, we should be discussing issues such as the hidden congressional pork exposed by Rep. Tinio. We should be discussing how to make Aquino accountable for DAP and how to thwart his plan to make the illegal DAP schemes part of the 2015 budget,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

Last year, the Million People March calling for the complete junking of the pork barrel system was held on August 26 at Luneta Park.

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