Pork Barrel

3. “When the righteous are in authority, the people
rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” -
(Proverbs 29:2)
Public office is a public trust. Public officers and
employees must, at all times, be accountable to
the people, serve them with utmost responsibility,
integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with
patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives. –
Sec. 1, Art. XI, ACCOUNTABILITY OF PUBLIC
OFFICERS, 1987 Constitution.

4. What Makes a Pork, Pork
“The use of government funds for
projects designed to please voters or
legislators and win votes” (Oxford
Dictionary)
• “Lump sum amounts, the disposition of which,
including the selection of the project, its amount,
and the beneficiaries, is left solely at the discretion
of the pork holder.” (Bayan Muna)

5. In a simple understanding. . .
Pork Barrel funds :
1) lump sum amounts
o “tinibook”
2) personal discretion
3) patronage politics

6. 5 kinds of pork barrel in the Phils.
1) PDAF
P 70 M/year – per Congress
Representative
P 200M/year – per Senator
- declared as unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court in Nov 2013

8. 2) DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) - Disbursement
Acceleration Fund - P 142.3 B (2012)
Supreme court rules 3 acts and practices under DAP as unconstitutional:
a. doctrine of separation of powers of the executive and legislative branches.
b. the transfer of savings outside the executive branch, the funding of
government projects not covered by the General Appropriations Act and the
renaming of unreleased allotments and appropriations supposedly for agencies
to "savings.“
c. use of "unprogrammed funds despite the absence of a certification by the
National Treasurer that the revenue collections exceeded the revenue targets

9. The Aquino Administration introduced the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as a
reform intervention to speed-up public spending and to boost economic growth.
The scheme was exposed by Sen. Estrada (DAP used to reward pro-Corona impeachment)
“damay-damay na tayo dito”
P352.7 billion was made available at the disposal of the executive for DAP projects.
DBM further notes that the total amount actually used from the fund was P114.58 billion.

10. 3. Off Budget Funds – funds derived from other sources not
specified in the National Budget. Use of these funds are under
the sole discretion of the President without need of
congressional approval.
Malampaya (132 B)
Motor Vehicles Users Fund (12 B)
Presidential Social Fund (2.4 B)
Pagcor Funds

11. 4. Special Purpose Funds - P 449 B (2014)
Funds appropriated to augment the regular
budget of selected agency or department
● Programmed - P 310 B
● Unprogrammed - P 139 B

12. 5. Savings: remaining funds at the end of the year,
with the discretion for use and
disbursement of the President

13. Philippine Pork Barrel System
The pork barrel system is not
limited to the legislators. It
includes the pork barrel of the
President.
Nature:
(1) it is a source of graft and
corruption;
(2) public funds are disbursed to favor
political allies and withheld from the
opposition in a form of political
patronage and “legalized” vote buying;
and
(3) its release (or non-release) is used
by the executive to control both Houses
of Congress violating the constitutional
principles of effective checks and
balance.
THE PORK BARREL SYSTEM IS
INHERENTLY ANOMALOUS BECAUSE
it is used for patronage politics; mere
restrictions will not clean it.

14. Allocation per House Member
AGENCY ALLOCATION
DOH 10.5 M
CHED 14.0 M
TESDA 3.5 M
DSWD 14.0 M
DOLE 3.5 M
DPWH 24.5 M
TOTAL 70.0 M

15. House Pork
Department Program Amount
DOH Assistance to Indigent Patients 3,193,950,000
DOLE Government Internship Program (GIP)
and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating
Disadvantaged Workers “TUPAD”
Project
1,022,000,000
TESDA Special Training for Employment
Program
1,022,000,000
DSWD Crisis Intervention Program 4,090,000,000
DPWH Regional and Local Infrastructure
Program
7,309,494,000
CHED Scholarship Program 4,124,200,000
20,761,644,000

16. WHERE’S THE NEW
HOUSE PORK?
DOLE = P1.022 billion
DOH = P3.194 billion
DSWD = P4.090 billion
CHED = P4.124 billion
TESDA = P1.022 billion
DPWH = P7.309 billion **
(**Under the new “Menu”, each legislator can “propose” up to five infrastructure
projects; the budget ceiling for each legislator is P24.5 million. Each project
should amount to no less than P2 million. Such projects to local roads and bridges,
classrooms or academic buildings, multipurpose buildings and water supply
systems. All but party-list representatives can propose infrastructure projects only
within their respective districts)

17. Increasing poverty

18. The role of the pork barrel system in Philippine politics
Fuel for patronage politics - Projects and programs
funded by the pork barrel are designed to get the loyalty
and support of a politician's constituents and to bolster
his/her political stock.
Discretion over these funds is left solely to the politician so
that he can use it for his self-serving political agenda. Thus
the common practice of placing politicians’ pictures and
names on oversized billboards proclaiming certain
infrastructure projects and the denial of projects to
bailiwicks of political rivals.
The tendency is for the politician to act as if the pork barrel
were his personal funds so that its beneficiaries become
indebted solely to him.

20. Political Dynasty/millionaires club
(2011- 2014)
75% of Senators & Congressmen
belong to Political Dynasties;
80%of Governors & Mayors
belong to Political Dynasties
and
senate, congress, cabinet
threshold of millionaires

21. Wellspring of corruption - The discretionary and amorphous
nature of the pork barrel makes it especially vulnerable to
corruption. The legislator or executive official who decides on his
own how the fund is spent gets to dictate who the beneficiaries
are and which contractor or supplier will bag the project. He also
gets to decide how kickbacks are to be distributed.
Tool for Executive control over Congress - Because the
release of the PDAF requires the approval of the Executive
through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the
President is able to use it as a carrot and stick over senators and
congressmen. With DAP, he can control LGUs and even co-equal
branch and other constitutional commissions.
For measures important to Malacanang, the threat of a delay or
disapproval of one's pork barrel allocation, or prospect of an
early and smooth release, is enough to convince legislators to
vote a certain way. Thus, the pork barrel system distorts,
undermines and contravenes the entire system of checks and
balances between the Executive and the Legislative branches,
leading to even greater connivance among the ruling elites.

22. In a nutshell, the pork barrel system plays a key role in
maintaining the bureaucrat capitalist mode of
government, using government mechanisms and
resources to enrich and entrench themselves in power
at the expense of the ordinary citizen.
people’s taxes went to personal pockets and/or wasted

23. Government has no money for:
1. Genuine Agrarian
Reform/Agricultural support/subsidy
2. Industrialization
3. Health care and other public service
thereby the need for privatization,
PPP and loans
4. Other government functions

24. P E O P L E S I N I T I A T I V E
to
Abolish the Pork Barrel

26. Peoples Initiative
A constitutional mandate that
empowers the people to propose
amendments to the Constitution or
propose, enact, approve or reject a law
passed by the legislature.
- Article VI, Section 32 of the Philippine Constitution
and the Republic Act No. 6735, otherwise known as
the “Initiative and Referendum Act”.

27. The People’s Initiative
AN ACT
ABOLISHING THE PRESIDENTIAL AND
CONGRESSIONAL PORK BARREL SYSTEM,
STRENGTHENING THE SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND
BALANCES OVER PUBLIC FUNDS,
PROHIBITING CERTAIN ACTS, AND PROVIDING
PENALTIES THEREFOR

28. Proposed Bill
“AN ACT ABOLISHING THE PORK
BARREL SYSTEM”
1 Abolishes presidential and congressional PORK
2 Line item budgeting
3 Prohibit and criminalizes allocation and use of
lump sum discretionary funds
4 Violators penalty: 6 years and 1 day to 10 years
5 Disqualification from holding public office

29. R E Q U I R E M E N T S

30. 1) Signatures Required
- At least 10% of total registered voters
based on the last national elections
- But at least 3% of total registered voters
in every Legislative District

31. Procedure of PI
1) Launching of PI Petition / Start of Signature Gathering
2) Every end of the month, submit to Town/City Comelec
all signatures gathered
3) Completion of Signature Gathering
4) Secure Certifications from Local Comelec (Town/City)
. . . how many signatures gathered
5) File in Comelec of PI Petition
. . . supported by all Local Comelec Certifications
6) Comelec to issue Resolution
. . . that PI Petition is sufficient in form & substance
7) Referendum

32. 3. If signatures will be sufficient, COMELEC
will have to call for a Referendum on a date
set by the Commission, to be conducted
under its control and supervision, not
earlier than forty-five (45) days but not later
than ninety (90) days after its Certification
on the sufficiency of the Petition, to allow
the Filipino people to express their
sovereign will on the proposition

33. Total Bohol registered voters 775,785.
Top 10 towns/city
Tagbilaran City - 51,462 voters
Ubay - 40,211
Talibon - 31,928
Carmen - 29,228
Loon - 26,596
Tubigon -26,591
Inabanga - 26,345
Dauis - 24,797
Jagna - 20,643.
Panglao - 20,536

34. 1st district = 254, 246
Albur - 6,574
Antequera - 8,774
Baclayon - 11,728
Balilihan - 10,995
Catigbian - 13,907
Cortes - 10,580
Calape - 19,854
Corella - 4,898
Dauis - 24,797
Loon - 26,596
Maribojoc - 12,194
Panglao - 20,536
Sikatuna - 4,760
Tubigon - 26,591
Tagbilaran City - 51,462

35. Timetable
August 23, 2014 - National Launching of the Signature
Campaign for the Peoples’ Initiative
November 30, 2014 - Completion of the Signature Gathering
December 31, 2014 - Complete collections of COMELEC
Certifications from local COMELEC
January 15, 2015 - Filing to COMELEC of PI Petition,
supported by all COMELEC Certifications
February 15, 2015 - COMELEC Resolution that PI Petition
is sufficient in form and substance
April to June 2015 - Referendum

36. Challenges
1. To educate the Filipino people on the Peoples’ Initiative,
eg. homilies, fora
2. To conduct the signature campaign among the
registered voters
3. To initiate the signature campaigns in your areas of
responsibilities
4. To coordinate with other groups for the signature
campaign.
5. To support the organizations/groups in many ways; like
donations and volunteers

37. Daghang Salamat ! ! !