While reiterating his belief in a people's initiative to abolish the pork barrel system, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno said the initiative started in Cebu was being done the wrong way.
The collection of signatures should not be the first step in the initiative, Puno said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart.
The Cebu group should first draft the rationale of the people's initiative in a form of a proposition.
“Gusto ko sanang manawagan dito sa grupo sa Cebu kasi hindi ko alam itong grupo na ito, pero mukhang nagpapapirma na sila. Eh hindi po tama iyon. Kailangan meron munang proposiyon, yung binalangkas ng batas, yun ang eendorso nila eh,” Puno said.
He called on the group to consolidate their efforts come up with a proposition to be submitted to the people.
“Ang panawagan ko nga, magpulong tayo. Magkaisa tayo kung ano yung proposisyon na gagawin natin, ano yung babalangkasin nating batas at yan ang papipirmahan mo sa taumbayan...Yan ang pipirmahan ng COMELEC at yan ang magiging subject ng referendum,” he added.
He also called for a "People's Congress" and invite legal and academic experts with no political agenda to draft a law that will abolish the pork barrel before presenting it to the public.
Puno meanwhile remains confident that a people's initiative against the pork barrel will succeed despite criticisms that it is premature and difficult to achieve.
“Merong lang konting kahirapan ngunit ang aking panawagan ay dapat hindi negative ang attitude natin. Dapat positive yung attitude natin. Kung makikita natin, itong people’s initiative ay maaring source ng solution dito sa problemang hinanharap natin,” he said.
Puno added instead of expressing their pessimism over a people’s initiative, legal experts should support the effort.
He also said, the people’s initiative can proceed even if oral arguments at the Supreme Court are ongoing over the constitutionality of the PDAF.
"Pag sinuri natin yun batas, walang na ganyang sinasabi na pag may petition sa Korte Suprema ay yang people’s initiative ay dapat maghintay.”
source: Puno: Cebu people's initiative done the wrong way