Church stages anti-pork barrel caravan

CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines – The St. Bartholomew Parish in this city, together with other parishes in the city, converged over the weekend and paraded around the city streets to air its official stand opposing the pork barrel system.

More than 200 people from various religious and civic organizations and the academe had joined the caravan expressing their sentiments against the pork barrel with posters and placards attached to their respective vehicles.

Father Caesar Aculan, director of Social Action, said, “This is just for Catbalogan. The same activity will be conducted in other towns and parishes under the Archdiocese of Calbayog, which covers the entire Samar province.”

Aculan told The Freeman that the anti-pork caravan was intended to show the government that the Archdiocese of Calbayog had adopted the decision and stand of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, which earlier declared its rejection of the pork barrel system in the country.

“There might be certain differences in the belief, but we in this part of the country is one with the CBCP in admonishing the pork barrel system, and we will be campaigning with the people for its abolishment,” Aculan added.

The church here was also planning for a bigger convergence in protest of the pork barrel system after all parishes in the province are done with their respective campaign for the pork barrel abolition. ——(FREEMAN)