Protest against the use of SSS funds

in high gear in Davao

 

Davao City

 

February 13, 2009

 

 

Members of Gabriela Women's Partylist led by Gabriela Rep. Luz Ilagan are joined by members of other organizations in their picket of the SSS Davao in connection with the use of SSS funds for GMA's so-called stimulus package
   
   
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Photos courtesy of Gabriela Women's Partylist - Southern Mindanao Region
           
           

 

GABRIELA WOMEN'S PARTYLIST
Southern Mindanao Region
#2 Canete Bldg, Jacinto St.
Davao City Tel. 227-3403

Press Release
February 13, 2009

Gabriela orders Arroyo, Neri "Hands Off!" from SSS funds

Davao City – In a women led protest rally here today, Gabriela Women's Party along with other mass organizations and members of the Protect Our Fund (PROFUND) stormed the office of the Social Security System in Bajada to register the people's strong opposition against Arroyo administration's proposal of financing its "economic stimulus package" through SSS and other pension funds.

Should benefit workers

"P 12.5 billion will be taken from SSS funds if in case this proposal will push through and we cannot allow this attempt of the Arroyo administration to further squander the people's hard earned money for its corrupt political agenda," Gabriela Partylist Rep. Luz Ilagan exclaimed.

The Arroyo administration claims its P 330 billion-worth economic stimulus package as a mean to suffice the government's budget for infrastructure projects that it said would pump-prime the economy amidst the threats of global financial crisis.

Ilagan added that the stimulus package does not directly assist members and pensioners threatened by job losses.

"SSS funds should be used to provide for emergency loans and assistance to workers threatened by job losses amid the global financial crisis," she said.

Dubious package

"Neri and Arroyo has no moral authority in deciding for the hard-earned money of the workers," she added.

"Beyond the fact that the act of materializing the proposal is illegal under the company's standing policies, there is more that the people should be wary of knowing the track record of the Arroyo administration in corruption – a record that surpassed previous administrations and is seemingly an insurmountable record in the country's history," Ilagan said.

Gabriela urged the people to be more vigilant and participative in the movements to deny the Arroyo administration of its selfish and corrupt intentions.

"Gloria Arroyo should realize that the Filipino people are not dumb that she can continue mocking their intelligence. This is clear mischief and we all need to immediately act on it before the Arroyo administration can have its hands near the SSS funds," Ilagan warned.

 
Members of Gabriela Wome's Partylist picket SSS Davao
KADAMAY leader at SSS picket
KMU leader explains to the teachers  the issue of using SSS funds
           
           
Teachers and students of Assumption College Davao join picket to protect the people's SSS funds
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NEWS RELEASE
11 February 2009

Reference: Cristina Palabay, Gabriela Women's Party Secretary General
(0917-5003879)

GABRIELA WOMEN'S PARTY STORMED NERI'S HOUSE, CALLED FOR NERI'S
RESIGNATION AS SSS CHIEF

"Amidst the massive lay-offs and depressed wages of workers with the
effects of the global financial crisis, it is highly immoral and
irresponsible for Social Security System Chief Romulo Neri and
Malacanang to gamble with the funds of SSS members, most of them
workers from the private sector.

Mr. Neri should resign from his post as SSS president, having no moral
authority to handle the funds of SSS members, given his notoriety in
engaging in anomalous deals and transactions such as the ZTE-NBN
deal."

Thus said Gabriela Women's Party Secretary General Cristina Palabay as
members of the partylist group stormed Neri's residence in Quezon City
today. GWP members also threw rotten tomatoes at pictures of Neri and
Pres. Arroyo.

"President Neri should take his dirty hands off the funds of workers
at the SSS. Committing the P12.5B SSS funds for precarious
infrastructure investments, without due consultation among members of
SSS and without a board resolution, is an irresponsible act of a
public official," Palabay said.

Palabay said chapters of Gabriela Women's Party nationwide will hold a
nationally coordinated petition signing and pickets at various SSS
offices in major cities and provinces on February 13 against the move
to use SSS funds.

"The funds should instead be given to the SSS members for additional
benefits, especially in this time of job
lay-offs and labor flexibilization," she concluded.
     
           
   
Bayan Leader John calls for participation in the people's movement against corruption Youth against corruption
           
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