PNoy will lead us on the path to greater poverty and underdevelopment

ACT Teachers Party-List Representative Antonio Tinio expressed dismay at pronouncements on economic policy made by President Benigno Cojuangco Aquino III in his State of the Nation Address this afternoon.

“In his SONA, President Aquino packaged himself as a ‘privatization president,’ presenting ‘Public-Private Partnerships’ as the cure-all for the country’s problems, such as infrastructure, delivery of social services, even national defense.

“First of all, where’s the change promised by this new presidency? From the time of Ramos, we’ve had almost two decades of massive privatization in various guises, such as build-operate-transfer schemes, outright sale of government corporations to the private sector, long-term leases of government assets, commercialization of social services, and the like. So-called ‘PPPs’ (public-private partnerships) are nothing new,” said Tinio.

“Privatization of power-generation has led to electricity rates that are among the highest in Asia. Privatization of water has resulted in higher prices and chronic water shortages. Privatization of tollways has led to astronomical increases in user fees. Privatization of education has likewise resulted in higher tuition and other fees. Based on our concrete experiences, privatization enables the big foreign and local corporations to make huge profits at the expense of ordinary taxpayers and consumers,” added Tinio.

Tinio pointed out that the catastrophic flooding of Central Luzon caused by the untimely release of floodwaters from the San Roque Dam during last year’s typhoon Pepeng highlights the dangers of public-private partnerships. “Profit was the main consideration for NAPOCOR and the Japanese firm that runs the San Roque Dam when they opened the floodgates, not the lives and livelihood of millions of people along the path of the Agno River.”

“More privatization is not the solution. Based on his SONA, Pres. Aquino is determined to lead us on the path to more poverty and underdevelopment,” said Tinio.

The ACT Teachers Representative also noted that Aquino was conspicuously silent on the issue of land reform as well as the human rights violations of the previous administration. He also noted that the President failed to address the demands of workers, such as the need to raise wages and salaries and the outcry of public sector employees against the Government Service Insurance System.

Tinio welcomed the revelations made by Pres. Aquino regarding the misuse of public funds by the previous administration, but noted that he fell short of calling for the prosecution of those involved. “His revelations are only useful if coupled with the political will to prosecute and punish the former President Arroyo and her cohorts. How come his exposés aren’t matched by the corresponding charges of plunder against those responsible?” 

Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) deplore the continuing harassment and intimidation of former Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President and General Manager Winston Garcia against ACT National Chairperson and ACT TEACHERS Partylist Representative Antonio L. Tinio.

 “It is obvious that Garcia wants to intimidate and continuously harass our chairperson because of our consistent criticism of the unjust policies introduced by Garcia since 2003. Garcia’s libel suits are made against Rep. Tinio in an attempt to divert the public from the real issues of the GSIS, and to escape accountability.” said ACT Secretary General Ms. France Castro.

 Castro explained that “The unjust policies introduced by Garcia have burdened our public school teachers with unwarranted deductions, onerous interest charges and other penalties.” She also added that Rep. Tinio’s criticism on Garcia’s lack of transparency about the placement of GSIS funds on certain local and foreign investments also drew Garcia’s ire. “Garcia should be the one prosecuted and not our chairperson,” Castro said.

Today, July 21, 2010, will be the arraignment of Rep. Tinio on the four libel charges that Garcia filed against him last year at the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City. The arraignment has been postponed three times due to non-appearance of the complainant. A fifth libel suit against Rep. Tinio that has been previously dismissed by the court, has now been revived by Garcia and a warrant of arrest has been issued by the same court. The embattled representative will appear today at the Pasay RTC and will post bail for his fifth libel suit.

 ACT said that, among the unreasonable and illegal policies which Mr. Garcia introduced since 2003 and continuously imposed by GSIS to its members are the Premium-Based Policy and the Claims and Loans Interdependency Program.  The militant teachers call on President Benigno Aquino III, and the new leadership of GSIS to immediately investigate the said unreasonable and illegal policies, and to make decisive actions by prosecuting Garcia.

 “Rep. Tinio did no wrong. He only asserted, and continues to assert, the right of ordinary citizens to criticize the acts of a public official like Garcia. Rep. Tinio did all these on behalf of the interests of the public school teachers and personnel nationwide,” Castro added.

  “It is very disgusting that, instead of addressing our grievances, Garcia filed libel suits against our chairperson and congressman.  But we will not be cowed into silence.  We will continue to fight for the rights and welfare of our constituents,” Castro concluded.###