Bishops call for support for anti-pork barrel signature campaign

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines urged Filipinos Saturday to participate in a national signature campaign against the pork barrel system.

In a post on the website of Church-run Radio Veritas, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, who chairs the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, said the sign-up would be held after the morning masses in various churches nationwide on Sunday.

The signature campaign is part of the effort to institute reforms in the government and against corruption.

Among the churches that will join the national sign-up day led by the group Peoples Initiative Against Pork Barrel include the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran, Sta. Cruz Church in Manila, Quiapo Church or the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, and the church of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

Other churches in the Diocese of Sorsogon, Romblon, Borongan in Eastern Samar, Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, Archdiocese of Cebu, and Diocese of Kidapawan and San Carlos have also expressed their intention to join the activity.

Pabillo said that apart from expressing objection to the pork barrel, it is important for Filipinos to push for a bill that would abolish pork barrel or would prohibit the allocation of lump sum funds that were left to the discretion of members of the Congress, the Department of Budget and Management and the President of the Philippines.

He added that the pork barrel and other lump sum funds would only promote patronage politics and corruption, resulting in the malversation of public funds that should have been allocated for social services.

Pabillo said there should be a law that would prohibit any government official from using government funds for personal as well as his political allies’ interests.

The national movement for the people’s initiative, which was launched in Cebu on August 23, hopes to gather the signatures of at least 6 million registered voters by early next year.

At least 3 percent of voters for each congressional district and at least 10 percent of the total number of voters are needed for a referendum on a new law to be held.

The Commission on Elections will verify the list of signatures submitted to the body.

The Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the pork barrel (Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF), and the Aquino administration’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
The PDAF is allotted to congressmen for their projects, while the DAP has been implemented by the Aquino administration using the savings of agencies to hasten the completion of big-ticket infrastructure projects and urgent antipoverty programs.

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