Solons asked to give ‘pork’ to Ondoy victims
Solons asked to give ‘pork’ to Ondoy victims
By Delfin Mallari Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines—A militant nationwide alliance of fishermen urged lawmakers on Sunday to donate portions of their pork barrel to victims of typhoon Ondoy.
Salvador France, vice chairman for Luzon of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya, National Forces of the Fishers’ Movement of the Philippines), said an allocation of P2 million each from senators and congressmen would mean relief and rehabilitation worth P46 million from the Senate and P500 million from the House of Representatives.
“We ask our lawmakers from both houses of Congress not to entertain second thoughts of giving up their pork barrel for this purpose. The people are demanding [that] their taxes be spent on proper intention and noble aims,” France said in a statement sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
A Congress representative receives P70 million pork barrel allocation, while senators receive P200 million each.
The Pamalakaya official urged Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles to sponsor a separate or joint resolution calling all members of the House to automatically allocate at least P2 million of their pork barrel to typhoon victims.
“It is very doable proposal, an easy one. All the Senate President and the House Speaker have to do is to put this into writing and pass it this week. We hope Enrile and Nograles will do their assignment and accomplish what is being called by the national situation and collective interest of the people,” France said.
The group said the total amount of P550 million should be spent for immediate relief and rehabilitation efforts.
France also urged the national government to allocate at least P20 billion for the economic rehabilitation and for production subsidies of affected sectors, mostly the urban poor and poor workers in the National Capital Region, and farmers and fisher folk in Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Rizal, Cavite, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte.
According to the latest report, 280,000 people were displaced by typhoon Ondoy, and 51 were killed, while 21 are still missing or unaccounted for by the national and local disaster management teams.
Gerry Albert Corpuz, Pamalakaya information officer, said their group has joined the campaign being launched by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) to generate relief goods for the victims of typhoon Ondoy.
The relief campaign dubbed as Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan (Balsa, Collective Effort for the Nation) will mobilize Metro Manila based activists in gathering relief goods and materials for victims of flood.
