(After dismissing colonel's video rants as 'motherhood statements') Palace is guilty of inaptitude to curb poverty—Kadamay

NEWS RELEASE I July 19, 2011

QUEZON CITY—It is an expected reaction of guilt.

In a statement released Monday, militant urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) criticized the palace for dismissing Ex-navy official Generoso Mariano's allegation of the president as incapable of helping people escape poverty and death.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte indicated that Malacañang would not investigate the basis of Mariano’s allegations against the Aquino administration.

“It is a shame for the palace to dismiss the colonel's concerns as 'motherhood statements.' When millions of Filipinos go hungry everyday, the palace's response is an expression of guilt for its inapitude to curb poverty,” Kadamay national secretary-general Gloria Arellano said.

Recently, the group held in Quezon City its own version of SONA called 'State of the Urban Poor'. Urban poor leaders described Aquino's first year in office as one of the worst years for the urban poor and the sector as “poorer, hungrier and more exploited” than ever.

“In fact, Aquino does nothing to control price hikes of oil and basic commodities. Aquino gives a measly P22.00 cost of living allowance that could not cover-up for the price hikes. Social services are widely privatized thanks to Aquino's Public-Private Partnership program,” Arellano added.

Preventable Death
The group even praised Mariano for pointing out the government's incapacity to mitigate not only poverty and hunger, but also preventable death among the poorest of its populace.

“Nowadays, funerals are a familiar sight in every urban poor community,” the Arellano remarked.

Looking into the health care system in the country, seven (7) out of 10 Filipinos are dying without being seen by health personnel. Fifty percent (50%) of the population has no access to health care.

SONA Promises
“Where is the a Universal Health Care (UHC) program that Aquino has promised on his first SONA? His Phil-Health cards for the select poor are useless as public hospitals nationwide are now being privatized and start to collect emergency fee before any medication is done.” the leader added.

“Where are the new jobs and the lands he promised the farmers?” Arellano cited a few of Aquino's 'broken promises.'

“Has he really done anything significant for the poor?” she asked about the president's achievement. “On his second SONA, we expect him no less to brag about his poverty-alleviaton programs that are never really effectual.”

Kadamay lambasted the government's expansion of the P21 billion-worth Cash Conditional Transfer (CCT) program saying “it is but a corruption-prone dole-out scheme just to show that Aquino is doing something for the poor.”

Reference: Gloria Arellano, Kadamay National Secretary-General (09213927457)