(Tags PNoy, Arroyo as 'Lovers of CCT') Urban poor group claims PNoy, Arroyo in connivance vs the poor despite bickerings

NEWS RELEASE I July 20, 2011

QUEZON CITY--They are in connivance against the poor.

This is what militant group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) claims as some of its members hold a symbolic protest action today in front of the National Anti-Poverty Commission main office, and throw rotten eggs at the life-size images of Aquino with the ex-president on his arms.

The group tags the two leaders as "Lovers of CCT" for they both consider the Cash Conditional Transfer scheme or the giving of cash dole-outs to the poorest of poor Filipinos as the main pillar of their poverty alleviation programs. They and their parties work 'hand-in-hand' in pursuing anti-poor policies including the decoupling of the National Food Authority that has lost its budget in favor of CCT, and the privatization of the housing services with the planned abolition of the National Housing Authority.

The group further states that "PNoy has done nothing significant in his first year in office in terms of curbing the widespread hunger and poverty among his people due to its perpetuation of anti-poor policies of the past administration. We hold this symbolic action to belie the government's claim that CCT is behind the dubious decline in poverty incidence according to some surveys, which PNoy will surely report on his second State of the Nation Address."

Rotten eggs symbolize for the administrations futility and corruption-prone anti-poverty program such as the CCT according to Kadamay. They also symbolize for his failing mark as a leader to the millions of Filipinos that go hungry everyday.

On CCT
It has been rumored that Arroyo personally thanked the president for adopting its baby--the CCT. While the implementation of CCT has encountered lots of criticisms from the public and the private sectors during Arroyo's term, Aquino has expanded its beneficiary families that reach 2 million by his first year in office. The government has appropriated a big chuck of its 2011 budget of more the 21 billion pesos to the dole-out program.

"While the perpetuation and the further expansion of CCT remain baseless, we fear that these billions of pesos will go to the corrupt hands of its operators. For every 4-peso fund of CCT, one peso is spent on the operation as to how the dole-out will reach its beneficiary. CCT's implementation is highly susceptible to corruption," the group adds.

While investigations continue on the alleged corruption of the past administration, CCT is a big corruption issue that needs to be addressed. The question remains on how long will the millions of hungry Filipino households remain hungry and poor under the Aquino administration.

Reference: Gloria Arellano, Kadamay National Sec-Gen (09213927457)