“The widespread opposition of the people should be enough reason for legislators to pull out the Maharlika wealth fund bill now, or they will definitely face public uproar over this brazen attempt to rake out public funds to advance their self-serving interests,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay, as the group joined calls against the Maharlika Investment Fund.
According to Karapatan, the people’s indignation over use of their pension funds and our alarm over fears of corruption should be heeded by Congress more than their colleagues who are Marcos Jr.’s cohorts in the legislative body — including Pampanga 2nd district representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a convicted plunderer, who even issued a statement in support of the bill.
“The widespread opposition of the people should be enough reason for legislators to pull out the Maharlika wealth fund bill now, or they will definitely face public uproar over this brazen attempt to rake out public funds to advance their self-serving interests,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay, as the group joined calls against the Maharlika Investment Fund.
According to Karapatan, the people’s indignation over use of their pension funds and our alarm over fears of corruption should be heeded by Congress more than their colleagues who are Marcos Jr.’s cohorts in the legislative body — including Pampanga 2nd district representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a convicted plunderer, who even issued a statement in support of the bill.
“The tatak-Marcos (Marcos brand) has been notoriously about the big-time heist of public funds from the nation’s coffers in the past – and the grave distrust remains. We call on other legislators not to give in to the caprices of the Marcoses, and turn down this proposal immediately,” Palabay said.
Karapatan also said that as inflation reached eight percent in November, according to the most recent report released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, several other proposed measures need to be prioritized to respond to urgent calls to control prices, increase wages and salaries, and provide aid and assistance to calamity and pandemic-stricken Filipinos.
“Several proposals for increase of legislated wage increase remains pending. People continue to lament and clamor for a control mechanism on prices of services and basic commodities. SSS pensioners, who oppose that contributions be used for these Maharlika funds, continue to call for the halted PhP1,000 increase in the pension of senior citizens. The people have spoken many times that these should be priority,” said Palabay.
The group also echoed the calls of various sectors to demand the Marcoses to pay for their estate tax deficiencies amounting to PhP203 billion.
“If the government is looking for more funds, they need not look far, and demand the president to pay for their family’s estate taxes. Why turn to people’s private funds? How much more will they suffer under the Marcos Jr. administration, now only five months in power?” said Palabay.
The group is set to join planned actions during the week leading to International Human Rights Day to oppose the Maharlika investment funds. Palabay also said they will tackle calls against corruption and stealing from the people’s money in rallies that they will lead on December 10.
“Corruption deprives the Filipino people of their basic rights to social services. Generations of Filipinos have suffered much since the Marcos Sr. dictatorship. Under the presidency of the dictator’s son, we urge the public now that an uproar on this same old scheme of stealing from the people’s money is in place,” said Palabay. #