GMA's SONA, A Legacy of Poverty- Liza Maza

“We will neither participate in weaving Con-Ass nor listen to her windbags of deception. The real state of the nation, with most Filipinos suffering from poverty, will never be discussed within the red carpet hallways of Batasan nor will it be exemplified by Mrs. Arroyo’s own list of so called achievements and legacy.”

Thus said Assistant Minority leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Liza Maza today as she joined progressive partylist Reps. Luz Ilagan of Gabriela, Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, and Neri Javier Colmenares, Anakpawis Reps. Rafael Mariano and Joel Maglunsod, and Kabataan partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino in boycotting GMA’s ninth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA) and instead rallied against Arroyo’s plot for term extension in a nationwide protest.

“Things are just getting bad to worse under Arroyo’s rule. For the past nine years, the Filipino people have severely suffered. And while conditions worsen, ordinary people are made to carry the burden of Arroyo’s so called economic fundamentals in the form of more taxes and fees,” Maza said.

Citing reports from the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Gabriela solon said that since 2001, the jobs crisis has been unabated from 8.34 million to more than 15.6 million Filipinos currently suffering from unemployment and underemployment contrary to Gloria’s claim that she has generated 1.5 million jobs.

“There are at least 269 workers losing their jobs per day and this condition explains the exodus of OFWs forced to work in those foreign lands,” Maza stressed.

According to Maza, the rising unemployment has been intensified by skyrocketing prices of commodities and utilities. For instance, the price of LPG has increased from P192 in January 2001 to P472 in June 2009, price of rice has doubled from P17.51 per kilo in 2001 to at least P30 per kilo at present, and the price of diesel has tripled from P12.62 per liter to at least P33 per liter now.

Maza also emphasized the widening gap between the minimum wage and the daily cost of living. While the minimum waged is nailed down to P382 per day, the daily cost of living has increased from P509 in 2001 to P917 at present, leaving the workers with at least P535 deficit in their daily budget.

“Mrs. Arroyo will surely be leaving a legacy of a swelling foreign debt that will be passed on to every Filipino, while she has enriched herself abundantly, with a declared wealth in 2008 of P144 Million from P67 Million in 2001,” Maza said.

While Arroyo prides herself on her so called economic resiliency amidst the global financial crisis, Maza refuted this by exposing PGMA’s accumulated foreign debt that has reached more than $26 Billion at present from $20.3 Billion in 2001.

“If PGMA would want to salvage at least an ounce of dignity, she better decide to terminate plans for charter change through Con-Ass and all other aggressive measures to further hold on power. Impudently pushing for these self-serving measures will only lead to more ruin and would fan the flames of her own legacy of poverty, not to mention her being the most isolated and unpopular leader of our land,” Maza concluded.###