People’s initiative set vs. pork barrel funds

Saying the abolition of lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund was not enough, a multi-sectoral alliance announced Monday it would launch in August a signature campaign for a people's initiative against pork barrel-like allocations in the national budget.

 

The group said its proposed  piece of legislation was aimed at abolishing all forms of lump sum and discretionary appropriations in the government. 

 

The People’s Initiative Against the Pork Barrel (PIAP) said in a statement that the signature campaign would be launched during a people's congress scheduled on August 23 in Cebu City. The people’s initiative bill being drafted by anti-pork barrel advocates will also be approved at the convention.

 

The draft bill seeks to abolish the presidential and congressional pork barrel; prohibit lump sum, discretionary appropriations; and penalize violators. 

 

PIAP’s convenors include Sister Mary John Mananzan and Dr. Carol Araullo of the Abolish Pork Movement, social activist Mae Paner of the Scrap Pork Movement, lawyer Rex Fernandez and Marc Canton of the Cebu Coalition Against Pork Barrel and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares.

 

In a statement, the group said it was time for the public to initiate action to abolish the pork barrel system completely since President Benigno Aquino III, Congress and the Supreme Court “have failed the people.” 

 

“There is a need for a law that mandates line item budgeting and criminalizes the allocation and use of pork barrel,” PIAP said. 

 

A people's initiative is a constitutional process of amending the Constitution or crafting a law through a signature campaign and a referendum. 

 

Under Republic Act 6735 or the Initiative and Referendum Act of 1989, private citizens can push for the passage or amendment of a law by having a petition signed by at least 10 percent of all registered voters and at least three percent in every legislative district. A referendum must be held within 45 to 90 days once the petition has been filed with the Commission on Elections. 

 

‘Pork’ still alive
 

According to PIAP, lawmakers continue to receive pork barrel allocations through a “discreet referral and recommendation system” despite the Supreme Court’s declaration of the PDAF as unconstitutional in 2013.

 

The Supreme Court has also spared the P132 Billion Malampaya fund, the President’s Social Fund and the P449 billion Special Purpose Fund from scrutiny while deferring the announcement of a decision on the legality of the Aquino administration’s Disbursement Acceleration Program, the group added. 

 

“We maintain that the pork barrel system—whereby the spending of  billions of lump sum, public funds are delegated to the President, individual legislators or any other public officer  is a major source of corruption and political patronage,” PIAP said.

 

“This corrupt system is an undue delegation of Congress’ power to appropriate public funds that undermines the system of checks and balances and is anathema to the principles of transparency and accountability,” it added.

 

The group urged the Aquino administration not to focus the prosecution of the individuals allegedly involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam on opposition members. 

 

“Malacanang must bring everything out into the open, expose all, as it is now being accused of massive cover up of high administration official and allies linked to the scam,” PIAP said.

 

At present, only Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada have been charged with plunder before the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in the illicit scheme allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles. —NB, GMA News