SC asked to declare pork barrel illegal

The Supreme Court building in Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The controversy over the misuse of pork barrel funds rocking the executive and legislative branches has finally reached the Supreme Court.

A political party led by a losing senatorial candidate filed on Wednesday a case seeking the abolition of the pork barrel system.

In a nine-page petition for prohibition, Samson Alcantara and the Social Justice Society party took to court Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to stop them from enacting a law appropriating funds to cover the pork barrel, officially called the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

The petitioners cited four grounds for seeking a prohibition from the court, saying that the pork barrel system:

Allows the perversion by Congress of the constitutional power of taxation by providing opportunities for its members to gorge themselves in funds collected pursuant to tax legislation they have enacted purportedly for the public good.

Makes a mockery of the constitutional mandate on accountability, honesty and integrity of public officers.

Renders useless the constitutional principle of separation of powers as it enables the executive to allow or withhold the releases of pork to the lawmakers and control the latter.

Abets and perpetuates political dynasties.

Can’t settle with finality

The petitioners noted that recent reports on the alleged misuse of the PDAF of lawmakers through fake nongovernment organizations by Janet Lim-Napoles had prompted protests such as Monday’s big rally against the pork barrel.

“But all these marches, demonstrations and rhetoric, no matter how righteous, can [not] settle with finality the constitutionality and legality of the pernicious legislative practice called pork barrel except through the exercise by this Honorable Court of the judicial power,” the petitioners said.

In their prayer, the petitioners asked the high court to declare the pork barrel system unconstitutional and to issue permanently a writ of prohibition “restraining respondents from further taking any steps to enact legislation appropriating funds for the pork barrel system, in whatever form and by whatever name it may be called, and from approving further releases pursuant thereto.”