We are now at a time when truth, justice, and basic rights call for public clamor instead of being directly provided by a government mandated to serve its people.
We, the UP Journalism Club, call for the abolition of the pork barrel system, for it institutionalizes corruption instead of eradicating it.
Accountability is the single greatest element in good governance and public administration. However, this crucial value is often overlooked for many reasons, leading to different forms of abuse.
The pork barrel system cultivates the culture of clientelism in the country. Congressmen, senators and representatives use public funds, not for the public good, but for personal gain. Instead of implementing high-quality projects to help uplift the nation, we hear about mass thefts in what should have been the most stringently-guarded coffers: The people’s.
We believe that scrapping the pork barrel is one step closer to achieving accountability in the Philippine government.
We challenge President Aquino to stay true to his call of being pro-poor through his anti-corruption platform. We strongly advocate the re-channeling of public funds to social services. We want proof of his promise in 2010 of a clean government, and we want it fulfilled.
We call on President Aquino to show his political will instead of using a smokescreen statement to appease the public. Reform is proving insufficient: we want genuine change in the way the country is governed.
To give us false promises makes a mockery not just of the administration’s ideals, but of the people.
Abolish the pork barrel system now.
