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AFTER
chastising the administration for not doing enough to
stem poverty and hunger, the opposition is now faced
with the scenario of the Executive finding an “excuse”
to mobilize a billion pesos in funds for poverty
alleviation on the eve of elections.
Senatorial candidates on Monday questioned the timing of
the releases of funds to fight poverty, saying this
seemed meant more to “address the immediate concern of
voters.”
Leading
the charge was Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel of the Genuine
Opposition (GO), who urged the Commission on Elections
to determine if violations of the election code have
already been committed by the act that it sees to
benefit the administration candidates or the Team Unity.
The
administration’s spokesmen, however, were quick with the
countercharge. Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone described
as “criminal obstructionism” the opposition’s penchant
for slashing budgets for feeding for the poor, saying
such acts of charity for the most desperate sectors
should be beyond politics.
Pimentel, at a media briefing at the new GO Headquarters
at Manila Bank building on Ayala Avenue, said, “All fund
releases are questionable at this time. If it is meant
to address the immediate day-to-day concerns of voters,
then the P1 billion is to be in the form of rice and
grocery items to families and students, isn’t it the
same as the goods prohibited on Election Code? Are we
not now letting the left do what the right hand cannot
do?”
Pimentel
seemed to have caught on to the administration camp’s
brilliant maneuver in turning the tables on critics
accusing it of not doing enough against poverty, by
spending billions for such on the eve of elections.
“… But
it is a circumvention of the Election Code, Malacañang
will go out in the name of the President. Then they will
ask the people, what did the opposition do for you?”
Fellow
opposition bet Nikki Coseteng said the funds would only
go to the wrong hands. “They have not changed their
disaster-relief program—always haphazard, always ad hoc.
They’re taking advantage of the people.”
Spokesman Adel Tamano said the people should not be
thankful for what they have been receiving or will be
getting from the administration, as these things come
from the people themselves and not President Arroyo.
“As you
take this food don’t forget you are poor because of GMA.
Don’t thank her, because this came from E-VAT which you
paid for. You must remember why you are poor,” he said.
Team
Unity media director Gov. Ben Evardone slammed, however,
the “almost criminal obstructionism” of the GO
senatorial candidates who criticized a “well-planned and
well-studied” P1-billion antihunger program of
government.
“The GO
candidates cannot find nobility and goodness
in anything. This will be the dangerous mind-set that
they will bring to the Senate if the Filipino people
make the mistake of electing them. Voters beware,” said
Evardone.
Evardone
said the P1-billion program is so far the biggest and
most ambitious short-term initiative to ease hunger and
is directed at the sector that most needs it— the
children. The fact that it is school-based lends a very
high degree of integrity to the program, he added.
“Instead
of supporting the program, John Osmeña , for example
reacted with his usual unbelievable tantrum and got his
calculator figures all wrong.”
It is
relevant to state that in all his long years in the
Senate, John Osmeña never lifted a finger to ease
poverty and hunger in the country. Of course, Panfilo
Lacson and Francis Escudero had their predictable answer
that it is all politics. A feeding program is beyond
politics,” said Evardone.
Evardone
said that the integrity of the program and its adequate
funding will surely help dent hunger in six months,
after which several medium and long-term initiatives
will be launched by President Arroyo. |
