Solons hit ayuda distribution
HOUSE Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares have criticized President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the alleged dismal distribution of “ayuda” or cash assistance.
“With the admission by DSWD that only 8% of the 22.9 million beneficiaries have received the already very low ayuda, many of the poor will go hungry in the midst of lockdowns and restrictions. This will force many in the NCR Plus bubble to go out to look for means to provide food for their family thereby endangering their lives,” said Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares.
“DSWD had a dismal record in distribution of aid last year, but after one year, the military generals in the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) still commit the same inefficient and incompetent handling of aid distribution. What is worse is that the aid itself is a measly P1,000 up to P4,000 for a family no matter the size, when government could afford to give more to the people,” Colmenares lamented.
For his part, Zarate demanded an accounting of the trillion peso loans of President Rodrigo Duterte as he challenged the Chief Executive to call for a special session of Congress.
“The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported that in 2020 the Philippines got the largest assistance of $ 3.6 billion second only to India which got $4 billion. This includes the $ 1.5 billion loan and $800 million for Pantawid Program and cash transfers to poor household from ADB and World Bank (WB),” Zarate stressed.
“According to the Bureau of Treasury, the Total Outstanding Debt of the National Government as of end January 2021, rose from P 7.763 Trillion in January 2020 to P 10.327 Trillion in January 2021. Ibig sabihin nangutang si President Duterte ng nakakalulang P 2.564 Trillion sa gitna ng pandemya. Hindi pa kasama dito ang mga ilang billion na grants at donasyon na binibigay ng ibang bansa sa atin. Ang tanong, saan na ang perang ito at bakit kakarampot lang ang dumarating na ayuda sa mga mahihirap? Where did these loans go and where is the government accounting for these loans? Government can afford to give more aid and we demand a P 10,000 cash aid for poor affected by these lockdowns, that is why we are also calling for a special session of Congress to expedite bills and measures that can give the P10,000 ayuda to our suffering people,” he added.
“If government is going to spend the P 29.6 billion in intelligence and confidential fund for the ayuda to the 22.9 million beneficiaries as proposed by senators and congressmen, this will translate into an additional P1,300.00 to the P4,000 maximum aid or at least P 5,300.00 per family. Sa ngayon, may mga nagrereklamo na hindi nga umabot sa P4,000 ang natanggap nila at P3,000 lang ang nabibigay sa kanila o mas mababa pa,” said Zarate, a Davao-based lawmaker.
“We demand that Pres. Duterte account where the Php 2.564 Trillion of the loans he incurred since only last year,” Zarate said. “We also urge that cash aid should be given to the poor and not in kin. The cash aid should be raised to P 10,000.00 per beneficiary. We demand that military generals who know nothing about public health emergencies, who are ignorant of social service work and distribution of aid be replaced by competent public health experts and efficient personnel capable to an effective COVID response,” he said.
