Anti-pork rallyists to Noy: Hold allies accountable

MANILA, Philippines - Multi-sectoral groups celebrated the country’s 116th Independence Day yesterday by calling on the Aquino administration to prosecute all those involved in the pork barrel fund scam regardless of political affiliation.

The Scrap Pork movement, in a protest rally at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila, urged President Aquino to hold accountable his political allies involved in the scam.

They said the prosecution of thieves in government has been limited to the opposition.

“Why is it they focus on the three senators in the opposition though we all know there are also those in the administration who should be held accountable too,” Manila auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo told the gathering, referring to Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada.

Pabillo said the impending prosecution of the three senators is turning into political persecution.

Pabillo was among the speakers who addressed about 500 people who joined the protest amid intermittent rains.

Most of those who attended the rally were in white shirts bearing the anti-pork slogans and photos of pigs.

Some protesters showed up with makeshift jail bars and wearing masks of several administration allies, most prominently Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

Protesters were also entertained by musicians calling for the total abolition of pork, which the group also believes is one way to end pork thievery in the government.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the pork barrel fund system does not end there.

“In the 2014 national budget, there are items there we call presidential pork,” Colmenares revealed, referring to the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) of Malacañang.

Unless the lump sum funds are itemized, the corruption of pork will never stop, he said.

Former budget secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Aquino administration should not use non- government organizations (NGOs) as instruments for the release of funding for projects.

He said the temptation for corruption is high in such instances.

“That is why we say people in government, and then we have non-government organizations. These are two different things. Those in government agencies will have more control of the situation if they will not involve NGOs,” Diokno told a news forum.

“During our time, not a single centavo for projects has been channeled to NGOs. If they want, the NGOs themselves would have to raise their own money,” he added.

Even though the government cannot undo what has happened in the pork barrel fund of lawmakers, Diokno said President Aquino can still focus and work on important matters like addressing the country’s lack of infrastructure, investments and human capital.

On the other hand, a group of overseas Filipino workers yesterday pushed for an independent investigation into the pork barrel controversy.

Migrante International chairman Garry Martinez said Filipinos overseas are seeking an urgent and independent probe to ensure that there will be no whitewash.

“To ensure that there will be no cover-up, an independent investigating body should not be dominated by government appointees, especially since big administration (officials) have also been included in the list of those who are allegedly involved in the scam,” Martinez said.

Martinez said it has been a year since the pork barrel controversy broke out, but the government has yet to abolish the system.

“We still have the pork, only this time it is concentrated within and controlled by the executive branch,” he said.

Martinez said Aquino refused to abolish pork because his allies are benefiting from it.

The Aquino administration is employing all schemes to cover up the involvement of the President’s allies, he said.

A group of health workers and professionals also joined the call to abolish the pork barrel system and increase the allocation of funds for health care and other basic social services.

Rx: Abolish Pork Barrel System Movement co-convenor Robert Mendoza said those involved in the pork barrel fund scam should be prosecuted and be made accountable.

“The people and the health sector have had enough of the massive thievery through the pork barrel system that President Aquino and his cronies have done to the Filipino people,” Mendoza said.

A student, however, apparently went too far in in protesting the pork barrel fund issue. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Evelyn Macairan, Mayen Jaymalin, Rhodina Villanueva