Bulacan Gov bats for pork-free gov’t

MALOLOS CITY—Amid the pork barrel scam faced by lawmakers, Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado offered a way out by proposing the shift to a “pork-free” government. In his speech before thousands who attended the commemoration of the 115th anniversary of the opening of the Malolos Congress here on Sunday, Alvarado said it is about time the country considered a shift to a parliamentary form of government. 

He explained that the first Philippine Government created by the Malolos Congress 115 years ago was a unicameral parliamentary government. “For decades we have seen and experienced a presidential form of government with bicameral Congress, and we end up in pork barrel controversy,” he said in an interview.

Alvarado added that controversial pork barrel scam will be totally eliminated noting that budget will be allocated in government institutions that will implement programs and projects.

“It will be a pork-free government because programs and projects will be implemented according to approved plans,” Alvarado said.

He said that cabinet secretaries in a parliamentary form of government will actually come from the parliament.

“We can strengthen our government institutions by changing our form of government from bicameral to unicameral parliamentary,” he said.

As this developed, Senate President Franklin Drilon said that they have not consider possibilities of a charter change. He said that it may not be time for charter change because the government is still facing many problems like the pork barrel scam and Zamboanga crisis.

However, Drilon said that decision for charter change depends on the people. “Let’s have the people to decide on what form of government they want,” he said in Filipino.

Drilon was here as guest speaker in the commemoration of the 115th anniversary of the opening of the Malolos Congress at the historic Barasoain Church. The said congress was convened and opened by the late President Emilio Aguinaldo on September 15, 1898, and gave birth to the first Philippine Republic on January 23,1899.

The said republic is considered as the first democratic republic to be established in Asia.  Dino Balabo