BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA and MAE SINGUAY
ILOILO City – Multi-sectoral rallies launched the People’s Initiative signature campaign against the pork barrel system here and Bacolod City yesterday.
Mainly led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and Bayan Muna, the rallies were part of a nationwide launch that aims to gather six million signatures or 10 percent of the total registered voters in the country.
In every legislative district, the campaign targets to gather at least three percent of signatures by November this year. There are a total of 234 districts in the country.
In Iloilo province, there are a total of 1,022,536 registered voters from five legislative districts.
On the other hand, there are 1,574,784 registered voters in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City.
Bayan Muna’s Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate led the launching in Iloilo.
While Malacañang claims the pork barrel system has been abolished last year yet, critics insist it remains in the 2015 proposed P2.606-trillion national budget.
Among others, they point out President Benigno Aquino III’s discretionary funds, including the P500-billion Special Purpose Fund.
The People’s Initiative Bill, “An Act Abolishing the Pork Barrel System” was first launched in Cebu on Aug. 23.
By using the mode (people’s initiative) under Republic Act 6735 or The Initiative and Referendum Act, the sovereign people can directly exercise the power to legislate, said Zarate.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines backs the initiative, said Monsignor Meliton Oso of the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center.
“Ang kwarta nga gin pabalhasan naton indi pwede tukluon lang sang mga kawkawan sa gobyerno (Let us not allow thieves in government to pocket public funds that we, the people, worked so hard for),” said Oso.
After the required number of signatures have been gathered and validated by the local Commission on Elections office, these will be submitted to the poll body’s central office in Manila, said Oso.
In Bacolod City, Christian Tuayon, secretary general of Bayan, said urged Negrenses to join in the signature campaign.
Yesterday’s rally was participated by various sectors – religious, media, urban poor, farmers and peasants, youth and students, among others./PN
