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Sabado, Agosto 2, 2014
HACENDERO AT SWAPANG
OUST THE OLIGARCHS AND HACENDEROS
Almonte: Oust oligarchs in govt
By | Aug. 02, 2014 at 12:01amMANILA STANDARD
THE former
national security adviser of the late President Cory Aquino called for
the removal of oligarchs in government Thursday night, saying only this
would improve the lives of the majority of poor Filipinos.
Speaking at an assembly calling for the establishment of a “National Transformation Council,”Jose Almonte said oligarchs were the main reason the poor continue to be deprived and the political system remains unstable.
An oligarchy describes a government by a few, especially by a small faction of persons or families.
Almonte said most of the oligarchs were in Malacañang and should be removed, so that the government could serve the common good rather than the interests of a few.
He said because the oligarchs controlled national policies in both their formation and implementation stages, it is their interests that are served.
Asked how the oligarchs could be removed, Almonte said this could be done by election reform, where the process is not defined by those who control the resources.
Almonte said he supported the establishment of a “National Transformation Council,” being pushed by church leaders, academicians, politicians, and professionals aimed at overhauling the country’s political system.
The council has been linked to the “Bayan Ko” group, which supports immediate and drastic reform in the wake of the corruption surrounding the pork barrel scam and the Disbursement Acceleration Program.
“In order to overcome our problems, let us end our internal war,” Almonte said. “The power to formulate policies that are in the hands of the few must be transferred to the people.”
On the other hand, Bishop Ramon Arguelles said corrupt officials, particularly those involved in PDAF and DAP and other anomalies, should repent as he urged Filipinos to unite for the transformation.
“The 2016 election does not give any promise of a better future for our country. We have to move for total change of our systems,” Arguelles said.
“We should change the mentally of people and little people must have a greater voice in national issues,” he added.
In the assembly, Carmen Pedrosa, a former director of the Ninoy Aquino Movement, blasted President Benigno Aquino III for the massive corruption taking place under his administration.
“How can we not be angry? They have stolen our money without doing their jobs. When will things change?” she said.
Among the council’s priorities is the drafting of a new constitution.
Also present during the launching of the NTC were former Arned Forces chief of staff, Hermogenes Esperon, former Defense chief Norberto Gonzalez, former senator Francisco Tatad, Bishop Fernando Capalla, President Aquino’s aunt, Margarita Cojuangco,Pastor Art Corpuz of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman Dante Jeminez, Rep. Glenn Chong, and Carmen Kilayco, chairperson of Tanggulan ng Demokrasya.
Speaking at an assembly calling for the establishment of a “National Transformation Council,”Jose Almonte said oligarchs were the main reason the poor continue to be deprived and the political system remains unstable.
An oligarchy describes a government by a few, especially by a small faction of persons or families.
Almonte said most of the oligarchs were in Malacañang and should be removed, so that the government could serve the common good rather than the interests of a few.
He said because the oligarchs controlled national policies in both their formation and implementation stages, it is their interests that are served.
Asked how the oligarchs could be removed, Almonte said this could be done by election reform, where the process is not defined by those who control the resources.
Almonte said he supported the establishment of a “National Transformation Council,” being pushed by church leaders, academicians, politicians, and professionals aimed at overhauling the country’s political system.
The council has been linked to the “Bayan Ko” group, which supports immediate and drastic reform in the wake of the corruption surrounding the pork barrel scam and the Disbursement Acceleration Program.
“In order to overcome our problems, let us end our internal war,” Almonte said. “The power to formulate policies that are in the hands of the few must be transferred to the people.”
On the other hand, Bishop Ramon Arguelles said corrupt officials, particularly those involved in PDAF and DAP and other anomalies, should repent as he urged Filipinos to unite for the transformation.
“The 2016 election does not give any promise of a better future for our country. We have to move for total change of our systems,” Arguelles said.
“We should change the mentally of people and little people must have a greater voice in national issues,” he added.
In the assembly, Carmen Pedrosa, a former director of the Ninoy Aquino Movement, blasted President Benigno Aquino III for the massive corruption taking place under his administration.
“How can we not be angry? They have stolen our money without doing their jobs. When will things change?” she said.
Among the council’s priorities is the drafting of a new constitution.
Also present during the launching of the NTC were former Arned Forces chief of staff, Hermogenes Esperon, former Defense chief Norberto Gonzalez, former senator Francisco Tatad, Bishop Fernando Capalla, President Aquino’s aunt, Margarita Cojuangco,Pastor Art Corpuz of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman Dante Jeminez, Rep. Glenn Chong, and Carmen Kilayco, chairperson of Tanggulan ng Demokrasya.
speaker of the MIKE!!!
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Huwebes, Marso 27, 2014
MGA ANTIPATIKO SA MALACANANG
By Manny Valdehuesa on March 24 2014 12:13 am
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/23
March) — There will be “synchronized” Barangay Assembly meetings nationwide on
Saturday, March 29.
It’s unclear how synchronized
assemblies promote autonomy or local governance, but it is routine practice now
although it has no palpable effect on governing efficiency or proficiency.
In any case, consider these thoughts
as you prepare for this week’s assembly.
If
you limit the way people exercise discretion, a right, or an entitlement, you
dampen creativity
or initiative, encourage laziness or dependency, and discourage autonomy or resourcefulness.
or initiative, encourage laziness or dependency, and discourage autonomy or resourcefulness.
This is what the President
unwittingly did when he issued Proclamation No. 260 in September 2011. Through
it he decreed that barangays assemble only twice yearly — once on the last
Saturday of March and again on the second Sunday of October.
The proclamation attracted little or
no attention; not even from Congress. No pork or perks or DAP, I guess. But it
was a radical move. It ran counter to Sec. 397 of Republic Act 7160 (the Local
Government Code) which states: “The Barangay Assembly shall meet at least twice
a year….” which certainly means it may meet more than two times or as often as
it wishes.
P-Noy amended the law and no one in
Congress gave a hoot!
In his proclamation the phrase “AT
LEAST” somehow transmogrified to mean “AT MOST”—which of course was wrong.
Compounding the wrong, the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG) directed all the 42,000+ barangays of the nation to comply with it year
after year. So it subsists to this day and no one seems concerned.
Limiting People Power
What happens now to the right of
citizens to convene their Barangay Assembly—which, although admittedly still
dysfunctional, is their parliament and legislative governing body?
Composed as it is of all voting
residents, this Assembly has superior authority over all officials and units of
the barangay government. After all, it’s literally a CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY! And
it has right to convene at any time, as many times as it wishes. But the
President says otherwise.
Through Proclamation No. 260 he
drastically limits the community’s capability to meet and address local
governance issues. Too bad for autonomy and the principle of subsidiarity.
Perhaps it doesn’t occur to the
President, or no one tells him, that this Assembly is our local parliament,
that it has power to straighten out policy or programs through initiative, as
well as power to discipline any official through recall. Powerful!
It also doesn’t seem to strike the
President that delimiting or reducing the frequency of barangay deliberations
violates the need for free and open exchange of ideas at the grassroots. Does
he know that this also constricts the democratic space and strengthens the hand
of trapo oligarchs who seek to monopolize or manipulate local governance.
Awaken, Not Deaden, Citizen
Initiative!
Someone should tell him that in
issuing the Proclamation, he was in violation thrice over: 1) he unilaterally
changed the law (Sec. 397 of R.A. 71600) without benefit of congressional
action or concurrence; 2) he curtailed the right of citizens to exercise their
sovereign right to assemble and engage in deliberative conversations as often
as they wish; and 3) he hinders the formation of the popular will on how the
local government should proceed with its business (usually expressed in
resolutions or declarations after copious debate, discussion, or exchange).
All this was brought home to me
during the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro over three years ago.
Because more than one-third of the
city’s barangays were badly punished by Sendong, I thought that it would help
the victims greatly if the survivors throughout the city could assemble and
regroup. They could then take stock of the damage, the dead, and the missing.
But as it happened, they were loath to assemble because they were told that
they had already done so two months earlier (in October).
When the DILG Secretary visited the
city, our movement suggested that he authorize the Barangay Assemblies to
convene so the affected ones could do stock-taking and plan their recovery
while the less affected ones could discuss how to marshal their resources to
help victims.
To my consternation, the request was
denied on the spot. They had already convened twice before Sendong, he said. I
explained in vain that that was before and we were now in an emergency, that in
any case the law does not limit the number of times a Barangay Assembly can
meet, and that the bottom line should be to let the barangaynons decide because
it’s their Assembly after all.
All I got for an answer was a look
that said, “Mas marunong ka pa sa akin!” as he turned to leave. Beside
him at the time was DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman who could only shrug and flash
her signature smile.
In any case, it struck me that the
very agency charged with empowering people by promoting the spirit of autonomy
or self-governance was preventing the exercise of initiative in victimized
communities. I was clearly one of the affected people, and so was the Gising
Barangay Movement, but we were ignored! It made me wonder if the attitude
reflected the President’s, because it certainly didn’t lift my enthusiasm or
that of the people around me.
(MindaViews is the opinion section
of MindaViews. Manny Valdehuesa is former UNESCO regional director for
Asia-Pacific, secretary-general of Southeast Asian Publishers Association,
director at Development Academy of the Philippines, member of Philippine
Mission to the United Nations, vice chair of Local Government Academy, member
of the Cory Government’s Peace Panel, and PPI-UNICEF awardee for outstanding
columnist. You may email him at valdehuesa@gmail.com)
Biyernes, Marso 14, 2014
MANHANDLING NBI AND IMMIGRATION EMPLOYEES BY USING MEDIA TO TARNISH THEIR REPUTATIONS
TARANTADO LANG TALAGA ITONG SI DELIMA!
Linggo, Marso 9, 2014
RECOMMENDATIONS
What the new President
of the Philippines must do:
1.
Cheapen the electricity – Open the
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Prohibit “Oligarchs and Big Corporate People” from
owning/operating the Plant. Instead, create a law that would make the BNPP a
public company, then put EVERY FILIPINO CITIZEN as STOCKHOLDER of the BNPP
Corporation. All Citizens must be given an account number and passbook at a government
bank and all profits being incurred by the BNPP from servicing CORPORATIONS,
MALLS AND INDUSTRIAL CENTERS, owned by OLIGARCHS shall inure to the benefit of
all the common man. Wala pong BLUE-CHIP-BLUE CHIP dito. Make the profits
available for everybody. Why not? Sila na lang ba ang pwede kumita???
2.
ABOLISH Contractualization of Labor,
especially- ng SM- Sobrang abuso na ang
SM Corporation. Obligate them to regularize at least 75% of all their contractuals
after 6 months. What the SM is doing right now is abuse of human dignity and
labor. STOP CONTRACTUALIZATION.
3.
ASSIST people, farmers, laborers,
fishermen, planters, skilled personnel or even professional groups establish
profit-based cooperatives like agri-business cooperatives, rural banking or
even mining cooperatives. Instead of just waiting for the submission of
complete paperwork from the common tao, the GOVERNMENT must PRO ACTIVELY ASSIST
the people earn money!!! Huwag itago sa common TAO ang mga paraan kung papaano
kumita ng pera. Kulang ang ginagawa ng TRC at TESDA. Dapat hanggang grassroots
ang efforts nila. With all the MONEY IN THE GOVERNMENT, it is too impossible
for the government not to generate employment and economic opportunities.
4.
PROMOTE ALL FILIPINO PRODUCTS. Huwag
patayin ang sariling atin. Mandate TV and Radio Advertising to at least 60% of
the products advertised are purely FILIPINO-made. Nagiging dumping ground na
tayo ng mga foreign products kaya ang dami na sa atin ang nagkakasakit ng
cancer, skin diseases, viruses or even high blood. We should help local and
small time capitalists.
5.
Reforestation - the government should embark on massive
reforestation, PRONTO!!! Nauubos na mga puno natin sa logging. Sa Quezon
nalang, halos ubos na mga century trees. Inubos na ng mga Angara.
6.
Promote Food Security – assist and help
the farmers, fishermen, fruit growers, livestock keepers and contract farming
industry. STOP BUILDING MALLS AND GROCERIES!!! Let us patronize our public
markets and our agricultural industry.
7.
Promote the HERBAL medicine industry.
This is cheap, healthy and readily available. Because if people are encouraged
to be proactive in the health keeping, they will spend less and less on modern
medicine. They will become more dependent on themselves and less dependent on
Doctors. Health is a personal responsibility.
8.
Open
the communications industry to foreign investors. Sobra na ang SMART at GLOBE.
Imagine, 1 Peso per text??? Grabe, greedy talaga! And not to mention, they’re
intrusion into your private number by way of ADS and announcements. They are
using your number to promote their businesses. They’re killing the hen that
lays the golden egg. Or increase the police powers of the NTC to regulate the
cost of calls and texts.
9.
COMPEL THE BIR to collect IMMEDIATELY
from TAX EVADERS like LUCIO TAN etc!!! We need the MONEY TO JUMPSTART THE
ECONOMY. And we need it NOW!!!
10.
Deregulate the price of Oil. Bring back
the OPSF.
11.
Reduce the prices of basic commodities.
Ano pa nga ba?
12.
Reduce TAXES. You are reducing the Filipino
people and especially the middle class to SLAVERY. Abolish unnecessary taxes or
fees like the Homeowner tax. We are virtually left with NOTHING!!! Wala na
kaming pera ibabayad!!!
13.
Build more public hospitals. This country
needs it. Maraming mahirap at maraming naghihirap. We should not deny our impoverished
brothers the needed healthcare. GAGO na ang susunod na PRESIDENTE kung mga
CASIQUE pa rin ang tutulungan niya!
14.
Reform the SSS, Philhealth and GSIS. Reduce
contributions, reduce overexposure of investments and increase benefits of the
common tao!!!
15.
Remove the name NINOY AQUINO
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (NAIA), revert back to MIAA. Noynoy’s family don’t own
our airports.
16.
Penalize the Filipino movie industry.
PURO RACKET, LOVE TEAM AT DRAMA ang ipinapakita, WALANG VALUES NA ITINUTURO SA
MGA BATA! Si Cesar Montano, Peque Gallaga at Raymond Red lang ang MAGALING. karamihan,
GAGO!
17.
Once and for all, this government should
make an ALL OUT WAR SA NEW PEOPLE’S ARMY! ORAS NA PARA LIPULIN ANG MGA
BANDIDONG ITO. Hirap na ang mga tao sa pakikisama sa mga punyetang ito!
18.
DISTRIBUTE HACIENDA LUISITA PRONTO!
19.
EXPEL THE ELITE AND GREEDY JESUITS OR
THE SOCIETY OF JESUS. THEY USE THE ATENEO SYSTEM TO INTERVENE IN GOVERNMENT
POLICIES, BENEFITTING JESUITIC INTERESTS. EXPEL THEM.
20.
CREATE MORE PARKS AND ZOOS FOR PEOPLE.
Encourage sustainable development.
21.
INCREASE THE SALARIES OF LABORERS AND
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
22.
PROVIDE SMALL CAPITAL FOR SMALL
ENTREPRENEURS. .
23.
Reform our Educational processes.
Masyadong foreign ang approach. Besides, we buy too many books na di naman
kailangan ng bata.
24.
Encourage the values of RESPECT and
RESPONSIBILITY in our Communities.
25.
Cultivate the Deuterium and Natural Gas
for the benefit of the common tao. They should be the stockholders and not the
Ayalas, Cojuangcos, Sys, Yuchengcos, Del Rosarios etc.
26.
Reduce TV commercials during certain
periods at evenings.
Miyerkules, Pebrero 26, 2014
CORRUPT IMMIGRATION COMMISSIONER
Philippines Immigration continues its incompetence
The Bureau of Immigration cannot seem to get a simple count of 16 Taiwanese detainees Right. On February 04 2014, 16 Taiwanese detainees held at Bicutan detention center in Taguig city were to be transported to Subic Bay Regional Trial court for arraignment for alleged cyber crime charges. They started their long 4 hour journey from Bicutan at 5am and arrived at Subic RTC at 9am, when the arraignment started, the judge counted only 15 Taiwanese, where 16 should have been present. BI transport guards looked bewildered, where did they lose 1 Taiwanese? After a call back to Bicutan Detention center, they found out he was still in bed! The judge scolded the Immigration and postponed arraignment for the following month.
This in the midst of Immigration commissioner Siegfred Mison crying that there is no budget to transport foreign detainees to their hearings. Bureau of Immigration in 2013 overran their budget by October 2013 and was unable to take detainees to their hearings for 3 months.The commission on Human Rights constantly is reprimanding and checking on the Bureau of Immigration about their constant human rights violations against foreigners for illegal arrest, due process violations, arbitrary detention, and numerous health violations such as not providing immediate medical attention in a reasonable amount of time.
The Bicutan detention center has been over crowded for years and the almost stand still process of deporting or releasing Foreigners is a trickle. Bail for administrative cases is nonexistent in the Bureau of Immigration. It seems evident that Bureau of Immigration official loves to collect foreigners and not process them in a timely manner! This due to complete corruption in the Philippines Immigration, prosecutors looking for payoffs in order to process detainees deportation or releases.
Immigration ex-chief of legal Arvin Santos tells all, "Siegfred Mison knew everything that was going on, he was neck deep”
Ex-chief of legal division, Arvin Santos, who had been arrested and brought up on Anti-Graft and corruption charges by the Manila prosecutors office has revealed that current Immigration Chief Siegfred Mison knew that the Bureau of Immigration had become a money making machine by denying foreigners their due process of law. "How else could we extort money from them if we let them go or if we gave them due process of law?"
Arvin Santos disclosed that a cartel of corrupt immigration prosecutors, legal staff and commissioners had been formed, everyone was making money. We would have ex-commissioner Ricardo David Jr. issue mission orders to arrest the foreigner, whether he was in violation or not, lock him up in Bicutan detention center and keep him there until he paid. Foreigners became a commodity, most were businessmen that could afford to pay millions of php to be released. Their lawyers would fix the deal, and the signatures were placed on release or deportation orders. We specifically targeted Indians, Chinese and Koreans, they were the payers, we stayed away from Americans, most are broke pensioners that could not pay, we would leave them to the arresting team to get the measly 10-30k php.
Arvin Santos stated that deals were made for anyone, fugitives, pedophiles, criminals and the innocent foreigner that just happen to have a minor visa violation. If they paid, they were released, if they did not pay, they served as examples of this is what happens when you don't pay, you rot away in Bicutan.
Arvin Santos also disclosed that absolutely no due process was followed, the immigration rules and regulations were thrown away. Any motion to dismiss, motion to consider, or motion for bail were simply thrown in the trash, not to be answered. Summary Deportation Orders were issued and the foreigners were stuck in the system of corruption. The foreigner had 2 choices, pay the corruption money or fight it and wait years for your case to be resolved. Arvin Santos stated that most would pay and get back to their lives, the ones that did not pay, served as the best examples and put the fear of God into new foreigners arrested, stories of detainees being locked up for 3, 5, 7, 9 even 12 years were right there inside Bicutan.
Bicutan became the golden goose for the legal department and commissioners in Immigration. Villas, luxury cars, expensive watches, and vacations, were all derived from the illegal detention of foreigners! Some could afford mistresses with all the illegal payoffs.
CORRUPT IMMIGRATION JAIL WARDEN
Why is Immigration Executive Director Eric Dimaculangan still holding a position in the legal department of BI?
Executive director Eric Dimaculangan has been brought before the Manila prosecutors office for violations of:
Republic Act No. 7438
An Act defining certain rights of person arrested, detained or under custodial investigation as well as the duties of the arresting, detaining, and investigating officers and providing penalties for violations thereof.
Section 2. Rights of a Persons arrested, detained, or under custodial investigation. f) Any persons arrested or detained or under custodial investigation shall be allowed visits by or conference with any member of his immediate family......
Section 4. Penal clause.These "fantasy" rules and regulation deny visitation rights by the detainees immediate family members and spiritual councilers on every Monday of every week. This is in direct violation of Republic Act No. 7438.
b) Any person who obstructs, prevents or prohibits any lawyer, any member of immediate family of a person arrested, detained or custodial investigation ..... from visiting...... at any hour of the day or in urgent cases of the night shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of not less than four (4) years nor more than six (6) years....
Eric Dimaculangan, despite being brought before the Manila prosecutors office for violations listed, still continues to violate the law and prohibit visitations as allowed by the Republic Act No. 7438.
Eric Dimaculangan is also being charged for:
Book Two, Title Seven- Crimes committed by Public OfficersWhy do these BI officials still hold their positions? For instance, OIC Executive Director Eric Dimaculangan, he holds one of the most important and critical positions in the BI and yet, the Ombudsman has found enough evidence in criminal complaints to forward it to the Manila city Prosecutors office for investigation.
Chapter 6, Section 3, Usurpation of powers and unlawful appointments.
Article 239. Usurpation of legislative powers.
The penalties of prison correctional in its minimum period.....shall be imposed upon any public officer who shall encroach upon the powers of the legislative branch of the Government, either by making general rules or regulations beyond the scope of his authority, or by attempting to repeal a law or suspending the execution thereof.
Why is this incompetent man allowed to continue to hold his position? By continuing to allow him to hold OIC Executive Director is highly negligent. The Bureau of Immigration is continuing to allow him to violate rights of due process and also commit more criminal acts against detainees.
What are this mans qualifications to hold such a position? Does he posess a Law or Political Science degree?
Why is Eric Dimaculangan allowed to violate the laws of the Philippines, he continues to operate Bicutan Immigration detention center as a jail.
Is this Commissioner Siegfried Misons idea of "Good guys in, bad guys out"? It did not take long for the Immigration crime syndicate to get back in business! This is Commissioner Siegfried Misons way of revamping Immigration personnel.
Sabado, Pebrero 1, 2014
PEOPLE WILL OVERTHROW THIS FUCKING PRESIDENT!!!
Yolanda victims set deadline for Aquino to heed their plea
Manila Standard
By | Feb. 02, 2014 at 12:01am
The Alliance of Typhoon Yolanda Victims
(ABBAT) set a deadline on the Aquino administration to grant their
petition for 40,000 cash relief and abolition of the ‘no-build zone’
policy on or before February 14.
ABBAT community leader Patrick Escalona rejected rehab czar Panfilo Lacson’s option to provide construction materials instead in lieu of the 40,000 cash relief originally meant for daily subsistence of every family. He said the amount is too small to replace the rehabilitation program of the government.
Sister Edita Eslopor vowed that they will stage a series of protest rallies until the government heeds their call.
“The massive number of people is proof of their intense discontent over Mr. Aquino’s criminal negligence and utter incompetence in looking after the welfare of the people. This is just the first of a series of protests that will fill the streets of major cities across the country to express our indignation at the Aquino administration,” Eslopor said.
Exactly a week ago when more than 10 thousand Yolanda survivors from Leyte and Samar staged a protest march in the streets of this city to express their indignation against the inaction of the national government on the plight of the victims of the super typhoon, Malacanang has yet to act on their demands.
Yolanda survivors under the banner of People Surge laid out specific demands such as provision and sustenance of food aid, until necessary, to aid full recovery while source of livelihood does not stabilize and an immediate provision of P40,000 cash relief for every family devastated by Yolanda, during the rally considered as one of the biggest protest action in the country directed against the Aquino administration.
According to Dr. Efleda Bautista, a storm survivor herself and current executive vice chairperson of People Surge, instead of directly addressing the problems presented by the Yolanda victims, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda belittled the series of protests as mere “concerted effort of a few to convince the public that most of our countrymen are dissatisfied with the way the national government respond to the catastrophe.”
“He (Lacierda) believes in the very good rating of the president. He is convinced that Yolanda survivors are happy towards P-Noy’s rehab efforts.” Bautista said.
Bautista lambasted Lacierda’s statement saying, “The Aquino administration is pathetic for being a die-hard defender of a bogus survey even after survivors from Eastern Visayas—the worst hit region by the typhoon—have spoken of their real condition.”
“With no sense of urgency to respond to ‘Yolanda’ survivors’ demands, this government is victimizing us [‘Yolanda’ victims] all over again,” Bautista lamented.
Eslopor, a Benedictine nun and Chairperson of People Surge, insisted that the Aquino government must have consulted the victims at the onset of any rehab effort.
She said that at the rate by which government implements policies like the ‘no-build zone’, not going through any real consultation among major stakeholders who are the victims, Aquino’s rehab plan is going somewhere else, certainly not towards genuine recovery of typhoon victims.
In another development, two opposition lawmakers on Saturday renewed their appeal for action from the Aquino administration on the plight of the survivors of typhoon Yolanda, saying that the urging from the Catholic Church would also be a ‘voice from Heaven’ that must be heeded.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Luz Ilagan of the Makabayan Bloc and Abakada party-list Jonathan dela Cruz, member of the Independent Minority Bloc in the House of Representatives headed by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, said that the administration has all the resources needed by the victims, and that every needed assistance for them is possible if only it has the political will to do such .
“Definitely, it’s the Voice of God urging those in power to heed the crisis of a people who suffered from such devastation who continue to suffer from the vagaries of politics,” Dela Cruz told the Manila Standard.
His statement came after Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas appealed to the government as well as donor-groups to listen to the Yolanda victims and not just provide them with relief or shelter without considering their needs.
Ilagan lamented that the victims are still waiting for government action on them.
Ilagan said that the urging of Villegas is “not only the ‘voice of God’ but also the voice of common sense and good governance.”
She criticized the Aquino government for lacking a comprehensive plan for the victims and survivors of natural calamities.
“Victims cannot rely on relief forever. After relief is the rehabilitation phase to allow the people to return to normalcy as early as possible. Government’s action or the lack of it gauged by the speed and effectiveness of transition from relief to rehabilitation to rebuild—Obviously, the Aquino administration is short on this,” Ilagan said as she recalled the government’s inaction on the victims of super typhoon Pablo in December 2012 as well as of Zamboanga siege in September 2013. With Maricel Cruz
ABBAT community leader Patrick Escalona rejected rehab czar Panfilo Lacson’s option to provide construction materials instead in lieu of the 40,000 cash relief originally meant for daily subsistence of every family. He said the amount is too small to replace the rehabilitation program of the government.
Sister Edita Eslopor vowed that they will stage a series of protest rallies until the government heeds their call.
“The massive number of people is proof of their intense discontent over Mr. Aquino’s criminal negligence and utter incompetence in looking after the welfare of the people. This is just the first of a series of protests that will fill the streets of major cities across the country to express our indignation at the Aquino administration,” Eslopor said.
Exactly a week ago when more than 10 thousand Yolanda survivors from Leyte and Samar staged a protest march in the streets of this city to express their indignation against the inaction of the national government on the plight of the victims of the super typhoon, Malacanang has yet to act on their demands.
Yolanda survivors under the banner of People Surge laid out specific demands such as provision and sustenance of food aid, until necessary, to aid full recovery while source of livelihood does not stabilize and an immediate provision of P40,000 cash relief for every family devastated by Yolanda, during the rally considered as one of the biggest protest action in the country directed against the Aquino administration.
According to Dr. Efleda Bautista, a storm survivor herself and current executive vice chairperson of People Surge, instead of directly addressing the problems presented by the Yolanda victims, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda belittled the series of protests as mere “concerted effort of a few to convince the public that most of our countrymen are dissatisfied with the way the national government respond to the catastrophe.”
“He (Lacierda) believes in the very good rating of the president. He is convinced that Yolanda survivors are happy towards P-Noy’s rehab efforts.” Bautista said.
Bautista lambasted Lacierda’s statement saying, “The Aquino administration is pathetic for being a die-hard defender of a bogus survey even after survivors from Eastern Visayas—the worst hit region by the typhoon—have spoken of their real condition.”
“With no sense of urgency to respond to ‘Yolanda’ survivors’ demands, this government is victimizing us [‘Yolanda’ victims] all over again,” Bautista lamented.
Eslopor, a Benedictine nun and Chairperson of People Surge, insisted that the Aquino government must have consulted the victims at the onset of any rehab effort.
She said that at the rate by which government implements policies like the ‘no-build zone’, not going through any real consultation among major stakeholders who are the victims, Aquino’s rehab plan is going somewhere else, certainly not towards genuine recovery of typhoon victims.
In another development, two opposition lawmakers on Saturday renewed their appeal for action from the Aquino administration on the plight of the survivors of typhoon Yolanda, saying that the urging from the Catholic Church would also be a ‘voice from Heaven’ that must be heeded.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Luz Ilagan of the Makabayan Bloc and Abakada party-list Jonathan dela Cruz, member of the Independent Minority Bloc in the House of Representatives headed by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, said that the administration has all the resources needed by the victims, and that every needed assistance for them is possible if only it has the political will to do such .
“Definitely, it’s the Voice of God urging those in power to heed the crisis of a people who suffered from such devastation who continue to suffer from the vagaries of politics,” Dela Cruz told the Manila Standard.
His statement came after Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas appealed to the government as well as donor-groups to listen to the Yolanda victims and not just provide them with relief or shelter without considering their needs.
Ilagan lamented that the victims are still waiting for government action on them.
Ilagan said that the urging of Villegas is “not only the ‘voice of God’ but also the voice of common sense and good governance.”
She criticized the Aquino government for lacking a comprehensive plan for the victims and survivors of natural calamities.
“Victims cannot rely on relief forever. After relief is the rehabilitation phase to allow the people to return to normalcy as early as possible. Government’s action or the lack of it gauged by the speed and effectiveness of transition from relief to rehabilitation to rebuild—Obviously, the Aquino administration is short on this,” Ilagan said as she recalled the government’s inaction on the victims of super typhoon Pablo in December 2012 as well as of Zamboanga siege in September 2013. With Maricel Cruz
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