“In a country where millions of people continue to suffer from hunger and poverty, the P700 per guest on Aquino’s SONA is beyond modest. That is lavish in every sense” said Anakpawis party list Rep. Fernando Hicap.
Hicap said the P2.5 million cost of merienda is too lavish compared to the P56 or more than a dollar per day per Filipino which, he noted, the government has insisted as within acceptable living standard for the people.
“The P2.5 million will come a long way forthe poor and neglected who everyday struggle to make ends meet,” he said.
Hicap said that “those diplomats, VIP’s and tagalongs are about to be fed by the people’s taxes.
What is more insulting is that people who have been squeezed dry of their taxes to fund Aquino’s merienda package are being barred to express their grievances near where Pres. Aquino will give his last SONA speech at the Batasan compound” He said “spending such big amount of money for that kind of activity is highly inappropriate and callous. It is of the same callous vein as the party held by the LRTA management while tens of thousands of train commuters languish daily in their commute.”
At the same time, Hicap also blasted the “security overkill prepared by the Aquino administration in Batasan Compound and in Commonwealth were progressive groups under BAYAN will have their own version of SONA.”
“The deployment of 5,000 security personnel at the House of Representatives on July 27 is just too exaggerated. Martial law type of security inside the premise for his last SONA is too much and it seems he doesn’t trust Congress security at all” said Hicap He noted reports that another 10,000 more police personnel will be deployed in Commonwealth area to block groups that will conduct protest rallies. “A kilometer of fence equipped with concertina wires and concrete barriers were reportedly in place along Commonwealth area near the Batasan compound,” he added.
“This is how Aquino will bid adieu to his bosses, an image of a big time money spender using tax payers’ money for his guests and a draconian security measure to prevent the people tocontest his supposed accomplishments. They are those who constantly bear the brunt of his government’s different anti-people policies who are fed up and calling for genuine change in the government” Hicap said.
