On Oct. 4, 2013, we go out anew to march. We march again to respond to the urgent need to tell President Aquino and all government officials: The discretionary, lumpsum, wasteful, whimsical and capricious system of spending public funds – pork barrel system – must go.
Perhaps there is no better example of this senseless, irresponsible and corrupt pork barrel system than President Aquino’s own DAP. It did not come with authority of Congress and was concocted by the Office of the President and the Department of Budget and Management. They said it is about pump-priming the economy, but the release was timed during or after political efforts of the Aquino administration to punish one of its enemies. The naked and shameless use of public funds in such a corrupt manner is a slap on the face of every hardworking Filipino citizen who worked so that government would have money to serve the public and not serve narrow political ends.
We must march to demand the abolition of President Aquino’s DAP, urge full disclosure and stop the use of public funds for patronage and corruption between Malacanang and both houses of Congress.