Anti-pork group calls for abolition of Presidential funds after PDAF

CEBU, Philippines - Anti-pork barrel Cebuanos have renewed their commitment to continue the battle against the discretionary government funds while pushing for reforms in national policy and eradication of corruption.

The Cebu Coalition Against the Pork Barrel System has reiterated its stand against discretionary government funds in any form.

The unity statement formulated after the February 1 general assembly of the local anti-pork network at the Archbishop’s Residence which raised four basic points.

These are the unconstitutionality of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), now they want the same ruling on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), punishing the personalities involved and pushing for the earlier launched of People’s Initiative.

The group’s series of protest marches and related activities preceded the Supreme Court ruling on the unconstitutionality of the pork barrel.

“We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision declaring unconstitutional the Congressional Pork Barrel, the Presidential use of the Malampaya Funds and the President’s Social Fund. However, we oppose mechanisms that continuously capacitate legislators to have sole discretion in realigning their pork funds into other items under various agencies of the executive department,” the unity statement read.

The group further called for the abolition of DAP, believed to be part of the president’s discretionary fund calling it a tool that the executive could use in influencing the legislature and state agencies.

“We support the Supreme Court petitions calling to strike down these acts violating our constitution. We ask the Supreme Court to make a ruling against the DAP and not to treat it merely as moot and academic,” the statement continued.

The group also carried its call to prosecute the government and business personalities involved in several scams on the pork barrel and its alleged corruption and misuse of government funds.

“We demand that the respective judicial bodies be duty-bound to give justice to the people by immediately prosecuting those who are charged of using the people’s money for personal gain. We demand the immediate resignation of public servants who are formally charged by the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman. We demand the punishment of convicted pork barrel scammers and the return of their loot to the coffers of the people,” added the unity statement signed by convenor Monsignor Romualdo Kintanar along with 30 other representatives of sectoral organizations.

The People’s Initiative, launched late last year was also reiterated by the coalition naming it the “most effective systemic alternative” to erase the currently known pork barrel system.— (FREEMAN)