EDITORIAL - United front needed to fight pork

 The Cebu Archdiocese is spearheading a people's initiative for the abolition of all forms of pork barrel. The activity is set for tomorrow, August 23, at the Plaza Independencia. Aside from prayers and speeches, the activity also seeks to gather signatures from qualified voters in a bid to tap the constitutional provision allowing legislation to be enacted directly by the people if enough signatures are gathered.

But the activity to be led by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma is not the only initiative intended to do away with the pork barrel. There are also other initiatives led by other groups, all with the same objective against the pork. Indeed, one is also scheduled to be held nationwide on August 25. Last Thursday, militant groups held a lightning rally, still against the pork barrel.

It is not clear if these diverse groups have spoken, or at least are willing to speak, to one another for the purpose of unifying their campaign. A people's initiative may require only a small fraction of the voting population. But even that small fraction can be whittled down to an even smaller number if those opposed to the pork barrel cannot unite and consolidate their numbers.

One of the surest ways for any campaign to fail is if those involved are fragmented and in disarray. It is not enough that many may be opposed to the pork barrel. If they cannot get their acts together, then they are doomed to fail. All those involved in the fight must therefore start considering dropping whatever it is that makes them different from the other players.

They must focus on the common objective. The problem is, while all these diverse groups have a common objective, which is to scrap the pork, they all may have different interests for doing so. It is not enough that these interests may not be selfish. But for as long as these interests, however well-intentioned they may be, come into play, their tendency is to pull apart the different forces that have come together and make all of them ineffective.

We do not know who is going to initiate what. But somebody has to initiate something that will draw all these forces together and pay more attention to the objective and not on the many causes whose espousal made them want to fight the pork barrel. In rallies, for instance, it might be good to do away with all the other causes and limit the language to simply hitting pork.

That way, a unified front can be achieved. And that can be a good beginning. If, for example, leftists hold a rally against pork, it might be good to see placards and language that hit only pork, instead of mixing in other messages such as imperialism or whatever. For church-led groups, it might do well to do the same instead of belly-aching against the RH Law or whatever.

In other words, in this fight, let the common enemy be clearly defined. Any fight against any other enemy can wait to be waged some other time. In this fight, it is important that other targets do not distract the main one. Five men attacking a fortress can win if they know how to get to the king. But a dozen men charging a bicycle will not be able to subdue the driver if they go every which way after chickens and rabbits and rats.