Representatives from various sectors and the church will gather tomorrow at Cebu City in a historic attempt to enact a law through the “people’s initiative,” united in the call to abolish the pork barrel system.

A People’s Congress is set to approve the Pork Barrel Abolition Act, and launch a nationwide signature campaign for its passage.

“We believe that to finally abolish the Legislative and Executive pork barrel, and as a step in reforming our political system, the will of the people must be expressed directly… It is time that we, the people, craft and sign into law a more comprehensive legal solution to abolish the pork barrel system,” said the organizers of the People’s Initiative Against Pork Barrel.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides for the passage of a law through a people’s initiative, or a petition signed by at least 15% of all registered voters in the country and at least 15% of the registered voters in each of the 234 legislative districts.

The proposed act will prohibit all forms of pork barrel, defined as the use of “lump sum public funds” under the “sole discretion of the President, legislator or group of legislators, or any public officer.”

“The pork barrel of the President and the Congress have been exposed and condemned by the Filipino people as major sources of graft and corruption and of patronage politics and detrimental to the poor and the Filipino people…This Act abolishes the presidential and congressional pork barrel, mandates line item budgeting, prohibits and criminalizes appropriation and use of lump sum discretionary funds, and penalizes violators with six years and one day to ten years imprisonment and disqualification from holding public office,” said a summary of the proposed law, a copy of which was obtained by Pinoy Weekly.

The newly formed national coalition “People’s Initiative to Abolish the Pork Barrel” is composed of members such as the Cebu Coalition Against the Pork Barrel System, People’s Initiative Coalition Against Dynasty, Makabayan, Abolish Pork Movement, E-PIRMA, Scrap Pork Network and the Church People’s Alliance Against the Pork Barrel.

To be present at the People’s Congress will be Dr. Amelita Dayrit-Go of the Council of the Laity of the Philippines, Cebu Archbishop Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, Carol Araullo of the Abolish Pork Movement, Sr. Mary John Mananzan, actress Monique Wilson, social activist Mae Paner (Juana Change), Inday Varona of Scrap Pork Network, lawyers, church people, professionals, and representatives from groups of workers, students, the urban poor, and farmers.

After the People’s Congress, which will be held at Mariner’s Court, the nationwide signature campaign will be launched at Plaza Independencia in Cebu City.

Meanwhile, in Metro Manila, the signature campaign will be launched at the protest action set in Luneta on August 25, anniversary of the Million People March.

“Let us unite and ensure that we reach every part of our beloved country. Only by being united, with one voice can we hope to succeed in bringing about the political transformation needed, starting with scrapping of the pork barrel. And the only way is this national collective action,” said the people’s initiative organizers.

Below is the summary of the People’s Initiative Bill, provided by the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao:

AN ACT ABOLISHING THE PORK BARREL SYSTEM

The pork barrel of the President and the Congress have been exposed and condemned by the Filipino people as major sources of graft and corruption and of patronage politics and detrimental to the poor and the Filipino people.

This Act abolishes the presidential and congressional pork barrel, mandates line item budgeting, prohibits and criminalizes appropriation and use of lump sum discretionary funds, and penalizes violators with six years and one day to ten years imprisonment and disqualification from holding public office.

Definition of pork barrel

Pork Barrel is a lump sum public fund with sole discretion given to the President, legislator or group of legislators, or any public officer. The exercise of discretion by public officers relates to the allocation, release or use of these public funds, the identification or selection of projects, implementors or beneficiaries, or any or a combination of or all of these.

Mandatory acts

• All proposed budgets shall contain only itemized or line-item appropriations, except in the case of disaster reponse, the contingency fund of up to 5% and intelligence/confidential funds of the National Security Council, the Department of National Defense and the Department of Interior and Local Governments.
• Special Funds like Malampaya Funds and other off-budget accounts shall be included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to be approved by Congress. The President Social Fund is abolished.
• All unspent, unobligated and unreleased funds by the end of the fiscal year shall revert to or remain in the General Fund and shall be subject to Congress appropriation.

Prohibited acts

The penalty of imprisonment of six years and one day to ten years and perpetual disqualification from public office shall be imposed those who commit any of the following acts:

• Any national official (the President, his subordinate or member of Congress) who authorizes the spending of public money that is not covered by or is in violation of any appropriation law.
• Any national official who includes a lump sum amount in any budget proposal submitted to Congress, or any member of Congress who approves the inclusion of lump sum discretionary fund in the general or supplemental appropriations acts.
• Any member of Congress or his agent who directly or indirectly intervenes or participates in the implementation of any appropriation law through any post-enactment act or practice.
• Any national official who declares and utilize savings in circumvention or violation of Article VI Section 25 (5) of the Constitution and this Act.
• Any national official who withdraws unobligated funds and declares and utilize as savings said unobligated funds before the end of the fiscal year.
• Any national official who impounds any appropriation or portion thereof unless there is an official declaration by the President of an unmanageable National Government budget deficit.
• Any person, including a private individual, who persuades or cooperates with any national official in violating this Act.

Amendment and repealing clause

This Act may only be repealed, modified or amended by a law that has been approved by the people under the system of initiative and referendum enshrined in the Constitution.

Check Pinoy Weekly’s Twitter account for live updates of the People’s Congress in Cebu City.