CBCP supports the
People’s to abolish the pork barrel system
Press Release
July 8, 2014
CEBU CITY – The
people’s initiative to abolish the pork barrel system got a big boost
from the recently concluded plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines.
The Catholic Bishops agreed to support the people’s initiative, which
aims to enact a law that abolishes presidential and congressional pork
barrel, prohibits and criminalizes appropriation and use of lump sum
discretionary funds and mandates line item budgeting.
The CBCP’s decision comes at a time when the Catholics nationwide are
celebrating 2014 as “The Year of the Laity”.
During the discussion of various issues under the CBCP Committee on
the Laity, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma appealed to his colleagues to
give moral blessing and backing to two people’s initiatives – that of
the People’s Initiative to Abolish Pork Barrel and the People’s
Initiative Against Political Dynasties.
“In order to put a final lid on the pork barrel system, specifically
in the legislative and executive branches of government, we support
the proposal from anti-pork barrel groups in the whole country that
the sovereign people use the 1987 Philippine Constitution provision on
the passage of a law through the people’s initiative,” Archbishop
Palma said.
The anti-pork people’s initiative is being spearheaded by the newly
formed coalition, the People’s Initiative to Abolish Pork Barrel (PIAP).
PIAP includes the Abolish Pork Movement, Cebu Coalition Against Pork
Barrel, Church People Against Pork Barrel, E-Pirma, Makabayan, Scrap
Pork Network and Solidarity.
Many organizations also stand behind the people’s initiative in
pushing to define and prohibit political dynasties. The CBCP had
issued a pastoral statement in January 2013, denouncing the worsening
problem of political dynasties nationwide.
After a discussion in the CBCP plenary, a consensus emerged to focus
first and ensure the success of the people’s initiative to abolish the
pork barrel system and next, the people’s initiative against political
dynasty.
The CBCP saw the pork barrel as a burning and pressing issue that has
sparked people’s outrage, providing favorable conditions for the
initiative to end congressional and presidential pork barrel, a big
source of corruption and patronage politics.
The Bishops agreed to back the August 23, 2014 People’s Congress being
called by the coalition PIAP. The People’s Congress will finalize the
people’s initiative proposed law against pork barrel and firm up plans
for nationwide education and signature campaign. A kick-off rally will
be held at Plaza Independencia on the same day to start the nationwide
signature drive.