["The world vs Noynoy on OPH"] Urban poor group welcomes bishop's concern for the poor amidst OPH

RELEASE I March 20, 2012

A militant urban poor group welcomes a Catholic bishop call on President Aquino to show great sensitivity to the poor in the light of the unhampered oil price hikes (OPH) rather than to the interest of fuel companies.

In a statement to media, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said that the poor is the ultimate victim in the face of the oil crisis.

“It is immoral and unjust that ordinary citizens are made to suffer the consequences of excessive price demands of downstream oil industry operators,” said Pabillo.

Gloria Arellano, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) secretary-general said "it has been the 'world against Noynoy', as the Aquino administration remains defiant against the call of the people for the government to tact on the issue."

"Needless to say, the poor are really the sacrificial lamb in this collusion between the Aquino regime and oil cartel," Arellano added.

The group also reiterated their take on the issue. "More than the rest of the Filipino people, the poor are the ones that should be the most vocal and demanding of the Aquino regime for an urgent action on the issue of OPH," Arellano said.

"The voices of the thirty million urban poor in the country are more than enough to deafen the ears of the Aquino regime," Arellano added.

Other than barricading major thoroughfare such as EDSA as done in March 15, Kadamay is gearing for a giant urban poor march to Mendiola on March 23 as peak of its weeklong protest against OPH.

Among the the group's call to Aquino on the 23rd will be the scrapping of the 12% Expanded Value Added Tax on petroleum products, which could lessen the price of diesel by P6 per litre and P7 per litre on the price of gasoline, a big relief for the urban poor who are battered by widespread joblessness, and attack on their basic rights such as demolition of homes. ###