Bayan holds GFC and CHA-CHA forum for SP employees

PRESS RELEASE

April 15, 2009

Davao City – Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in coordination with the office of vice mayor Sara Duterte will hold a forum on Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and Charter Change today (April 15) dubbed “The Philippines’ Worsening Economic and Political State and the People’s Alternatives”.

“Our efforts to raise the consciousness of the people regarding global financial crisis and charter change are all geared towards forging unities among the various sectors of our society that will stand in oppose to all forms and attempts of economic and political manipulations of the Arroyo government,” Bayan-SMR spokesperson John Birondo said.

“Government employees are not exempted from the crisis that has so far caused massive retrenchments in the private business sector. Basing on the resolutions undertaken by the Arroyo government like the Executive Order 366 (E.O. 366)or the rationalization in government agencies, it is not far that more government employees will lose their jobs as the crisis heightens,” Birondo stressed.

Bayan noted that since the implementation of EO 366, thousands of regular and contractual government employees nationwide have already lost their jobs. As targeted by the Civil Service Commission, about 420,000 or 30% of the 1.4 million workforce of the government nationwide will be affected by the rationalization.

“The Arroyo government has never paid attention to the welfare of the government employees. When it knew for a fact that the crisis is severely causing hunger and job instabilities, it speciously pushed for the immediate approval of the P330 billion stimulus package which will come from the funds of GSIS, SSS, and the private business sector,” Birondo lamented.

“These funds are supposed to provide financial assistance to private and government workers in these most crucial times of economic crisis. It is the people’s money to begin with and they alone have the right to decide for whatever is due to them,” Birondo added.

Bayan also hit the continuous effort of the Arroyo government to pursue charter change as headed by house speaker Cong. Prospero Nograles.

“Like a pimp, Cong. Nograles is all out in giving away the remaining wealth of our country for foreign exploitation. Just the same, he can never hide the fact that this is a conspiracy he and Gloria Arroyo would want to realize for their filthy political ends,” Birondo said.

Bayan noted the ongoing forums on GFC and Cha Cha happening in the various barangays of the city which is in close coordination with the office of ABC Davao City chapter president Paolo Duterte.

“We need to inform and equip the people with the kind of knowledge that will agitate their assertions for their legitimate rights and for the protection of the country from plunder and foreign exploitation. There is no way we can allow the Arroyo government to once again take advantage of the situation to fulfill its political agenda and greed for money and power,” Birondo said.