FDC urges Senate to scrap TRAPO Funds in 2007 Budget; : QC IMC

LOBBY group Freedom from Debt Coalition, together with youth leaders from various universities and colleges in Metro Manila who are members of Youth Against Debt (YAD), today called upon the Senate to demand the scrapping of TRAPO (traditional politics) funds in the proposed 2007 National Government Budget.

“There are billions of pesos inserted in the budget of various departments of the government that are obviously ‘election funds’ of the administration,” said Elizabeth Lacson-Paguio, coordinator of FDC Debt and Budget campaign.

The FDC cited as example the P3.5 billion PhilHealth allocation for Local Government Units under the Department of Health, stressing that based on the government’s own projection for 2007, it should have been only P750 million.

“The excess P2.75 billion will surely be used as ‘campaign funds’ for the issuance of PhilHealth cards in time for next year’s elections,” explained Lacson-Paguio, adding that a repeat of another “fertilizer scam” or “Hello, Garci” in 2007 is not a far-fetched possibility.

“The budget is taxpayers’ money. It should be utilized for the general welfare of the people and not for the interest of traditional politicians especially those who will be joining the electoral race in 2007,” emphasized Lacson-Paguio.

It in this light that FDC and YAD demanded that the Senate should seriously entertain the “Alternative Budget,” a modest proposal for additional P22 billion allocations in four sectors - education, health, environment and agriculture. Said alternative budget was prepared and forwarded to the Senate by several civil society organizations including Social Watch Philippines, E-NET, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, among others.

“We know this is a modest demand and far from reflecting the entirety of what a real people’s budget should be. Pero ang sinasabi nila dati pag nanawagan kami ng dagdag na alokasyon para sa social services, tinatanong kami kung magkano. Heto meron kaming konkretong proposal. Di na namin tatanggapin ang paikot-ikot na sagot na tila kasalanan pa ng mamamayan na di sapat ang alokasyon sa mga batayang serbisyo dahil di kami marunong manghingi,” added YAD spokesperson James Miraflor.

The groups also declared that government has long been paying lip service to poverty alleviation as its central goal, and education as its priority. The fact is education has long ceased to be priority even if the Philippine Constitution mandates that it should be given highest allocation, as debt service has been getting the lion’s share in the budget. And what little is left even goes to corrupt officials and for patronage politics.

“We vow that from hereon, the youth will let its voice be heard. YAD particularly will actively look into the country’s problems especially on issues of debt, budget and governance. The national morass is already at unspeakable proportions, and we will rally the youth towards correcting this situation,” concluded Miraflor.

November 21, 2006

The Youth Against the Debt (YAD) is composed of the following Youth & Student organizations:

       Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Lakas ng Kabataan (ALYANSA)
Akbayan Youth
       Sanlakas Youth
       Piglas Kabataan
       Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP)
       Filipino Democratic Student Union (FDSU)
Kalayaan youth
       Movement for the Advancement of Student Power (MASP)
       University of the Philippines Kaisa-Diliman
       University of the Philippines Iskolar-Manila
       Padayon Youth
       Youth for Nationalism and Democracy (YND)
       Samahang Demokratiko ng Kabataan (SDK)

http://www.freedomfromdebtcoalition.org/