3 September 2014
Contact persons:
Karina Constantino-David
0917.834.3733
Leah L. Navarro
0917.898.1957
KOMPRe supports the Anti-Dynasty Bill
EXPECT KOMPRe (Koalisyon ng Mamamayan Para sa Reporma) to push for key political and fiscal reforms and launch chapters in key cities and provinces in the coming days. In the coalition's successful launch last week at the Loyola campus of Ateneo de Manila University, it affirmed the key reforms already undertaken by the PNoy administration such as the passage of the RH Law, peace with the MILF and the arrest of alleged plunderers of PDAF.
The conference highlighted the need to intensify public vigilance and support for pending reforms in the last two years of this administration, especially given the vicious attacks against the government of counter-reform groups that are already being affected by reforms.
KOMPRe will support the move to legislate the Anti-Dynasty Bill and Budget reform laws, twin reforms that the coalition believes are attainable in the last two years of the Aquino administration.
“An anti-dynasty law is long overdue. Filipinos have been waiting for Congress to legislate this and KOMPRe will push hard for it,” said KOMPRe lead convener Karina Constantino-David.
“The current political climate is conducive to enacting the anti-dynasty law as both President Aquino and Speaker Belmonte support the crafting of a measure to restrict political families from dominating local and national politics,” David, who also heads the People Power Volunteers for Reform (PPVR), added.
David further said that KOMPRe shall continue to support the implementation of the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB) and Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT).
KOMPRe also supports the quick but fair prosecution of all those involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.
In the meantime, KOMPRe co-convener Machris Cabreros said that there is a need to support the budget reform agenda so the country's fiscal policies can move forward.
“We need to define everything in the budget process. We need to do this para malinaw lahat. Right now namamantsahan maging ang motibo ng pangulo,” Cabreros explained. “If we are able to do this, hindi na makukuwestiyon ang ginagawa, gagawain at maging ang motibo ng nakaupong pangulo.”
KOMPRE presented its reform agenda to members of the cabinet who attended the launch to dialogue with reform minded civil society groups. The cabinet members vowed to continue to engage KOMPRe in the course of pursuing Tuwid na Daan in the remaining years of the Aquino Administration.
Meanwhile, David revealed that KOMPRe will launch the Cebu, Davao and Calabarzon chapters of the coalition in the next few weeks because people in these areas are eager to organize for reform.
“We have been receiving numerous inquiries from reform-minded people in the provinces and highly urbanized areas outside of Metro Manila if they can organize KOMPRe chapters,” David said. “We have told them, yes, please go ahead and organize, launch KOMPRe in your areas. We don’t have much time left, we must push hard for reforms in the next two years.” -- END
