Degamo backs people’s initiative vs pork barrel

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines –  Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo announced his 100 percent support for the People’s Initiative for the abolition of the country’s pork barrel system.

Degamo, in his regular yearend press conference and media fellowship, told reporters of the gains of his administration this year, as well as his plans and programs for 2015.

The governor said he has been against the development funds for the president and legislators in Congress, and he would rather see the money downloaded directly to either the local government units, which have their own development plans, or government agencies that will implement specific projects.

Since he became the governor, Degamo said his administration only received once a funding from the national government, which he lamented was even “politically tainted.”

He was referring to the P961-million disaster relief fund—pledged by President Benigno Aquino III a few years back after the province was devastated by typhoon Sendong—which for unknown reasons was however recalled, even if the provincial government already spent half of it for development projects.

Degamo said he was still seeking for the release of the second tranche of the fund, hoping that the national government would see thee wisdom behind the fund’s intended purpose.

Despite what he described as a move by his political detractors to slow him down, Degamo told the media his administration was still able to put in place several programs and projects using local funds.

Degamo said he will sign the petition of the People’s Initiative seeking for the abolition of the pork barrel, and will help organizers in the province in encouraging his constituents to support its signature campaign.

Meanwhile, Dumaguete Bishop Julito Cortes reiterated the need for a continuing education on the pork barrel system for people to understand it before signing the petition. The people must understand what cause they are supporting, and he believed this can be achieved by a united effort of the different churches, organizations and other stakeholders in the province.

Cortes signed the petition Tuesday morning, immediately after the first Misa de Aguinaldo (Dawn Mass) at the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral in Dumaguete. He said the signature campaign will continue during the Aguinaldo masses through Christmas and thereafter, with desks or tents put up at the different churches and parishes.

Other churches, such as the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and the Independiente Filipiniana Inc, are also spearheading similar activities to be able to gather the required number of registered voters for the People’s Initiative, as required by the law through the Comelec.

The People’s Initiative needs at least three percent of the total registered voters per district or ten percent of the total number of registered voters in the country.