Palma: Scrap pork

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma has called on the public to make a stand against the pork barrel system through a People’s Initiative.

Cebu will host the so-called National People’s Congress on August 23, 2014 at the Mariner’s Court and Palma urged episcopal vicars and clergy representatives from each district and vicariate, as well as lay representatives from each district and vicariate, to attend the gathering.

The People’s Congress, which will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. is intended to approve a draft law that aims to scrap the pork barrel system. At 2:30 p.m. on the same day, the draft law will be presented to the public at the Plaza Independencia for a signature campaign leading to a referendum.

Article XVII of the 1987 Constitution states, “amendments to this Constitution may likewise be directly proposed by the people through initiative upon a petition of at least twelve per centum of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least three per centum of the registered voters therein. No amendment under this section shall be authorized within five years following the ratification of this Constitution nor oftener than once every five years thereafter.”

Once the required number of votes is gathered, the Commission on Elections will validate the same signatures to ensure they are of registered voters. If this is achieved, the People’s Initiative becomes a law, not subject to veto by the President.

“This is a historic project… My strong desire is that the whole Archdiocese of Cebu becomes one in supporting this advocacy, which is also my own personal advocacy. Therefore, I invite the following to attend the above activity, so that our lay people, in this Year of the Laity, will see us in solidarity with them. The laity are the primary agents of political change,” Palma said in a pastoral letter.

“The pork barrel is a lump sum amount given to any branch or office of government, the SPECIFIC USE of which is left to the discretion of only one person and his/her minions. This is known as the pork barrel system. As a system, it is open to corruption, and misuse for political patronage. The issue is against the pork barrel as a system, wherever and in whatever form it might exist,” the letter reads.

The Supreme Court earlier declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the acts and practices in the Disbursement Acceleration Program as “unconstitutional.”

“Yet, on closer examination, the proposed 2015 General Appropriations Act reveals PORK BARREL insertions. This makes it clear that those who benefit from the present Pork Barrel System will not let it go IN PRACTICE,” Palma said.

“It is in this context that I support the move of the People’s Initiative to Abolish Pork Barrel. Since most legislators are not willing to legislate to abolish ALL PORK BARREL as a SYSTEM, then, the time has come to use the remedy enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. The sovereign people themselves have the legal and CONSTITUTIONAL power to craft a law that will truly express the will of the people,” the letter reads further.

The archbishop asked his Episcopal Vicars to facilitate the participation of the Archdiocesan representatives.

He is also asking for the participation of parishes since the advocacy if for “good governance and political reforms.”  — /JMO (FREEMAN)