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| Balladares (foreground) says President Duterte should say clearly where the requested funds will go |
Militant Filipino workers in Hong Kong
have assailed President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to Congress for emergency
powers to “reprogram, reallocate, and realign” Php275 billion in funds to deal
with the coronavirus contagion.
United Filipinos in Hong Kong
chair Dolores Balladares said she doesn’t understand why Duterte is seeking
emergency powers when he is doing illegal acts now.
Currently, there is no detailed list of where these funds will
go, aside from Php200 billion to be allotted to an emergency subsidy program,
while the rest will be for purchasing Covid-19 test kits, personnel protective gear,
and equipment for quarantine centers nation-wide.
“He does not respect the Constitution. What are the
emergency powers for? Also, he’s not doing much to respond to the crisis. He
even passed on the responsibility to local government units, without providing
support,” Balladares said.
“He’s incompetent and giving him emergency powers will not
assuage that.”
Balladares said asking for funds without a detailed
breakdown of expenses is dubious.
“As domestic workers, we know how important the breakdown of
expenses is. When we ask our employers for money for buying groceries, or
whatever household expense, they expect a complete audit down to the last cent,”
Balladares said.
“We understand that this is essential to trustworthiness.
Why should we not expect the same from the head of state?” she asked.
She said domestic helpers audit just a few thousand HongKong
dollars, but could lose their jobs if they don’t do it properly.
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| OFW leaders say Duterte should not be given a blank check for funding the country's response to the pandemic |
“Why can’t we hold the President to the same standard, as
he’s asking for a blank check worth billions of pesos and they (congressmen) don’t
even know how many testing kits, PPEs, etc. we need?” the Unifil leader said.
Balladares also hit the special treatment politicians demand
when it comes to getting test for Covid-19. She said while scores of Filipinos are
experiencing symptoms, the politicians are getting tested first even without
symptoms.
“We understand that since Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri tested
positive, the other senators fear being exposed to the virus,” she said.
The Department of Health’s guidelines clearly state that
even with exposure to a positive case, people should first exhibit the symptoms
before being tested. But this is the protocol that they are breaking at the
expense of the country’s poor, she said
“With all these political blunders, it is clear that Duterte
should resign,” Balladares said. “It is clear that he cannot control his allies
in following the DOH protocols on testing. It is clear that he is incapable of
putting the country first before his vested interests.’
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