Debt activists stage protest at railways office
06/16/2008 | 11:07 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Debt activists and urban poor groups stormed the Philippine National Railways (PNR) office in Manila Monday, shortly after President Arroyo visited its offices there.
In a statement, Task Force Diskaril said the protest aimed to attract awareness on the plight of people affected by the controversial North and South Railways Modernization projects.
Task Force Diskaril, which includes the People Against Illegitimate Debt (PAID!) and the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), underscored the Arroyo government's modernization of PNR, claiming that said projects have only resulted in job insecurity of PNR workers, involuntary displacement of many urban poor communities, and further indebtedness of an already debt-burdened populace.
Members of Bagong Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa PNR (BKM), the union of PNR workers, lambasted the government's effort to privatize PNR by pushing Executive Order 366.
EO 366 mandates agencies of the executive branch, as well as government-owned and -controlled corporations, to scale down and phase out agencies that do not deliver "quality public service."
But BKM President Armando Cruz said the order is tantamount to the massive retrenchment of regular government workers, adding that the modernization project coupled with retrenchment are stepping-stones to sell PNR to the private sector.
"Malacanang's storyline is getting clearer. Truly, the bottom line is privatization. Like how our government sold management and regulation of public utilities such as water and power, they are now doing the same thing with our public railways," Cruz said.
Cruz also stressed that railway service is a natural monopoly which must be in the hands of the public.
"The push for privatization will not only displace many regular workers in a time of a grueling economic crisis, it will also result in the absence of any public accountability and regulation of a very strategic transport system important to economic development," Cruz said.
For her part, Clarita Eneria, spokeswoman of Lakas at Ugnayan ng Mamamayan laban sa Kahirapan (Lumaban Ka) said they are not against progress and development.
"In fact, we say that we totally favor a modern and efficient public transport system. What we are against are projects claiming to be in the side of modernity yet, are so detrimental to the poor's interest and welfare," Eneria said.
Eneria said communities affected by the relocation were promised relocation sites and job opportunities in exchange for their displacement but what was given to them was worse.
"If before they were in danger zones — living dangerously near the railway tracks — after the implementation of the Northrail project, our fellow urban poor families are now in death zones," Eneria said.
The groups also said affected families were haphazardly transferred to relocation sites that were lacking in basic electricity and water services such as in Bulacan.
Many of the houses offered to the affected families were badly built and that some families were relocated to areas near landfills and even close to a cemetery, they added.
For its part, FDC demanded the immediate cancellation of the "illegitimate" North Luzon Railways Project and the suspension of the South Railways project pending an impartial and comprehensive investigation of the matter.
It said the Northrail project had already been exposed as having numerous legal infirmities and procurement anomalies, aside from being allegedly overpriced.
On the other hand, the South Luzon Railways project is challenged with serious accusations of anomalies such as the ones lodged by Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr., the group said.
"Truth be said, these are just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more of these illegitimate deals and debts that are being incurred by our government, hidden from public scrutiny, milking cows of unscrupulous public officials and instruments of the people's further indebtedness," said Milo Tanchuling, FDC secretary general.
Tanchuling also said in lieu of the economic crunch, projects and programs of the government should generate more jobs, provide more services, and social opportunities for the people, not the other way around.
FDC is calling for the passage of House Joint Resolution No. 4 calling for the creation of a Congressional Debt Commission that will audit all public debt and contingent liabilities.
It said this will fundamentally determine the illegitimacy of many of our country's debts and loan agreements that must be canceled and/or repudiated. - GMANews.TV
In a statement, Task Force Diskaril said the protest aimed to attract awareness on the plight of people affected by the controversial North and South Railways Modernization projects.
Task Force Diskaril, which includes the People Against Illegitimate Debt (PAID!) and the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), underscored the Arroyo government's modernization of PNR, claiming that said projects have only resulted in job insecurity of PNR workers, involuntary displacement of many urban poor communities, and further indebtedness of an already debt-burdened populace.
Members of Bagong Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa PNR (BKM), the union of PNR workers, lambasted the government's effort to privatize PNR by pushing Executive Order 366.
EO 366 mandates agencies of the executive branch, as well as government-owned and -controlled corporations, to scale down and phase out agencies that do not deliver "quality public service."
But BKM President Armando Cruz said the order is tantamount to the massive retrenchment of regular government workers, adding that the modernization project coupled with retrenchment are stepping-stones to sell PNR to the private sector.
"Malacanang's storyline is getting clearer. Truly, the bottom line is privatization. Like how our government sold management and regulation of public utilities such as water and power, they are now doing the same thing with our public railways," Cruz said.
Cruz also stressed that railway service is a natural monopoly which must be in the hands of the public.
"The push for privatization will not only displace many regular workers in a time of a grueling economic crisis, it will also result in the absence of any public accountability and regulation of a very strategic transport system important to economic development," Cruz said.
For her part, Clarita Eneria, spokeswoman of Lakas at Ugnayan ng Mamamayan laban sa Kahirapan (Lumaban Ka) said they are not against progress and development.
"In fact, we say that we totally favor a modern and efficient public transport system. What we are against are projects claiming to be in the side of modernity yet, are so detrimental to the poor's interest and welfare," Eneria said.
Eneria said communities affected by the relocation were promised relocation sites and job opportunities in exchange for their displacement but what was given to them was worse.
"If before they were in danger zones — living dangerously near the railway tracks — after the implementation of the Northrail project, our fellow urban poor families are now in death zones," Eneria said.
The groups also said affected families were haphazardly transferred to relocation sites that were lacking in basic electricity and water services such as in Bulacan.
Many of the houses offered to the affected families were badly built and that some families were relocated to areas near landfills and even close to a cemetery, they added.
For its part, FDC demanded the immediate cancellation of the "illegitimate" North Luzon Railways Project and the suspension of the South Railways project pending an impartial and comprehensive investigation of the matter.
It said the Northrail project had already been exposed as having numerous legal infirmities and procurement anomalies, aside from being allegedly overpriced.
On the other hand, the South Luzon Railways project is challenged with serious accusations of anomalies such as the ones lodged by Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr., the group said.
"Truth be said, these are just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more of these illegitimate deals and debts that are being incurred by our government, hidden from public scrutiny, milking cows of unscrupulous public officials and instruments of the people's further indebtedness," said Milo Tanchuling, FDC secretary general.
Tanchuling also said in lieu of the economic crunch, projects and programs of the government should generate more jobs, provide more services, and social opportunities for the people, not the other way around.
FDC is calling for the passage of House Joint Resolution No. 4 calling for the creation of a Congressional Debt Commission that will audit all public debt and contingent liabilities.
It said this will fundamentally determine the illegitimacy of many of our country's debts and loan agreements that must be canceled and/or repudiated. - GMANews.TV
