Anti-pork signature drive kicks off in Cebu

CEBU CITY—Walking for Bernard Villalon, 75, wasn’t as easy as two decades ago.
Accompanied by a friend, Villalon flew all the way from Marikina to Cebu City to take part in the sign-up drive for the People’s Initiative against the pork barrel system.

Carrying a black bag and wearing a pair of slippers, long pants and old long sleeves, Villalon was among the 1,000 people who showed up at the Mariner’s Court in Pier 1 here on Saturday morning to discuss the proposed Pork  Barrel Abolition Act.
About 4:30 p.m., he was at the Plaza Independencia to join the launching of the signature drive to collect 5.4 million to start the people’s initiave.

Villalon said he decided to come because he didn’t want to let an opportunity to change the country slip away.

“In the years I have been in this world, the condition of the country has gone from worse to worst because of how the government is run. Our taxes have been milked by those used by those in power. We should change this kind of system,” said Villalon who directs stage plays for out-of-school youth.

Among those attended the congress were members of the youth, church and religious sectors as well as progressive groups.

They included Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, whistle-blower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, Bishops Antonio Rañola, Bishop Ireneo Amantillo, Dante Jimenez of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), political activist and entertainer Mae Paner, also known as Juana Change and actress Monique Wilson.
Not a single Cebuano legislator was seen during the day-long activity Saturday.

The campaign received support from the entire Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), other Christian denominations, Muslim communities, non-governmental organizations, laborers, youth sector, and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The participants of the congress also read the “Declaration of Unity of the People’s Congress” that called for the abolition of the pork barrel funds system, which remained intact in the national budget and entrenched in the political system.

“It is time for us, the people, to take matters into our hands and abolish the pork barrel system ourselves. We know we are up against entrenced and well-organized forces currently holding the reins of political power. We are also faced with the lack of resources. But we will persevere and inevitably triumph against all adversity for we know this is the people’s fight,” it added.

In his message, Archbishop Palma thanked the participants for coming to Cebu City to take part in the People’s Congress and join the sign-up drive to abolish the pork barrel system.

“It’s not a joy ride to come over. Seeing the number of people who gathered here fills me with joy for it is a sign that our people has become more and more mature or at least trying to be mature,” the 63-year-old prelate said.

“We just started the ball rolling in Cebu. But I know there will be many more activities like this nationwide. We do all this for the love of our country. Tama na ang pork barrel system na yan. Sobra na. (Let us put an end to that pork barrel system. It’s too much already),” he added.

Although the Supreme Court had already declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional, anti-pork barrel advocates believe legislators still have access to discretionary lump sum funds through many disguised forms.

“We want to put the final nail on the coffin on this pork barrel system. Before the people’s response to irregularities was ‘ganun na talaga yun (it had always been that way),’ ‘ ano pa magagawa natin (there is nothing we can do).’ But now we have seen what is good,” Palma said.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle sent a message of support, which was read by Fr. Carmelo Diola.

“Thank you for making democracy alive and active. Thank you for advancing decency in public life. Thank you for giving voice to the countless victims of corruption, especially the poor and the marginalized,” said Tagle in a message.

The Cardinal said he was parrying that the People’s Initiative would construct a culture of integrity and loving service to the Filipinos.
Diola also read the statement of Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo who encouraged all Filipinos to support the People’s Iniatiative by signing the petition to totally scrap the pork barrel system.

“The pork barrel system has been a bottomless pit of corruption, a terrible instrument of patronage politics, awar chest to perpetuate patronage politics,” Quevedo said.

Ustad Najeeb Razul of the Muslim Community in Central Visayas said yesterday’s People’s Congress is “not a simple gathering but a gathering for change.”
“Filipinos want a change. We want to eradicate corruption in our country. Let us not allow a corrupt system to continue. Our campaign doesn’t end in this congress. There’s much work  to be done. But we know that God will not change the condition of the people unless the people change themselves,” Razul said.

In the afternoon, the anti-pork advocates went to the Plaza Independencia where tents were put up where they could sign the petition for a people’s initiative to enact the proposed  Pork  Barrel Abolition Act.

Mark Canton of the of the Cebu Coalition Against the Pork Barrel System said they expected to gather at least 4,000 signatures during the lauching.

But as of 5:20 p.m., about 640 people had signed.

Another signature campaign for the People’s Initiative against the pork barrel system is scheduled at the Rizal Park in Manila on Monday.

The People’s Initiative aims to collect about 5.4 million up to six million signatures nationwide for people to pass or enact a law without going through Congress.

For the initiative to achieve, a petition must be signed by at least 10 percent of all registered voters in the country and at least three percent in each of the 234 legislative districts as mandated under Republic Act 6735 or the Initiative and Referendum Act of 1989.

Once anti-pork barrel advocates can gather the required number of signatures, the petition will be filed before the Commission on Elections which shall verify the signatures to determine whether or not to conduct a referendum within 45 to 90 days.

If the initiative gets the approval of the majority of the voters, it will become a law.
Under the proposed , all proposed budgets submitted to any legislative body shall contain only itemized or line-item appropriations, except for the purpose of relief and rescue operations during calamities, and for the intelligence fund.

Releases from lump sum funds allowed under the act shall be supported with schedules indicating the specific government agency that received them and the specific purposes for the same.
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The proposed legislation also calls for the abolition of the Presidential Social Fund. It would also penalize any public officer who authorizes spending public money which is not covered by or is in violation of any appropriation ordinance law.

Violators would face one to 10 years imprisonment and perpetual disqualification from public office. With a report from Carmel Loise Matus, Inquirer Visayas

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TAGS: Cebu, Politics, Pork barrel