Signature drive for people’s initiative vs pork kicks off

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - Hundreds of people in this city took part in the signature campaign for a people's initiative to abolish the pork barrel system, yesterday afternoon, in tandem with a similar move nationwide.

Christian Tuayon, secretary-general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Negros, said the sign-up drive was launched at the protest rally at the Fountain of Justice in this city.

He said the campaign for a people's initiative was launched in Cebu City on Saturday, and that 40 delegates from Bacolod attended the People's Congress, which approved the draft bill.

Tuayon said he was optimistic that the initiative will reach 10 percent of the nationwide voting population.

Under Republic Act 6735, or the People's Initiative Law, at least 10 percent of the total number of registered voters and three percent of each legislative district must sign the petition to enact a law without going through Congress.

The people's initiative needs to collect from 5.4 million to six million signatures nationwide, and then it will be filed at the Commission on Elections, which in turn verifies the signatures to determine whether there will be a referendum.

Tuayon said Bayan-Negros opposes the move to extend the term of President Benigno Aquino III and the call for charter change or Cha-Cha. The Aquino administration is now diverting the public from the corruption issue, he added.