At least 300T more signatures vs ‘pork’ needed by March

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Coalition Against Pork Barrel System has to work double time to meet the March deadline for the required number of signatures in the campaign to erase the discretionary lump sum funding for government permanently.

As of January 26, only 24,162 signatures were generated from Cebu province, short of the 365,439 short from the 389,601 target signatures of registered voters.

Most of these signatures are from the Fourth District with 5,044. Lapu-Lapu City contributed 4,950 signatures while the Fifth District contributed 4,438.

At least 2,000 signatures were generated each from the First District or Metro Cebu North (2,269), Cebu City South (2,314) and Cebu City North (2,623).

Meanwhile, 1,000 signatures were gathered from the Sixth District; 640 signatures were gathered from the Second District; and 884 were gathered from the Third District.

Vote-rich Cebu province has 2.596 million registered voters spread in nine legislative districts.

Gathering the signatures has been “so much behind schedule,” said Monsignor Rommel Kintanar of the coalition during a press briefing yesterday.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma himself admitted not expecting for the turnout to be low.

“I’m a little bit surprised. There is no work done as much as we expected,” Palma told reporters.

Palma designated all parish offices as signing stations of the People’s Initiative Against Pork (PIAP) to help give the campaign some traction. He also released a circular to all parishes to fast track the signature campaign.

“Pork Barrel is viewed by many as one major source of corruption in political governance directly and in the whole political order indirectly. Moral imperative to offer effective solution upon much discernment and prayer, this one available solution now is abolish it through the People’s Initiative. THE CHURCH ACCEPTS THIS OPTION,” the circular reads.

Parish representatives will undergo training in manning the signing stations on February 7, 2015 at the Aula Magna at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.

Additional signatures furnished before the PIAP must be submitted to Caritas not later than March 16.  (FREEMAN)