EMPLOYEES FROWN ON RETIREMENT PACKAGE

The All U.P. Workers Union Manila fully supports the following statement by Mr. Ferdinand Gaite, President of COURAGE. Indeed, almost every word now that comes from Malacañang is a doublespeak. The sad truth is that this government is out to save its own neck now, their brethren and their cronies; never for the people, neither for the welfare of the country and for posterity.

“IT’S A CUP OF HEMLOCK, NOT A SILVER PARACHUTE." An early retrenchment not retirement plan”. This was how Ferdinand Gaite, COURAGE National President,described the PhP1 million per taker early retirement package being proposed by Malacañang. Gaite added that the figures being dangled may look enticing at first but once an employee availed of it, only then that the truth will be known - the early retirement plan of the administration is a bait, a sugarcoated bitter pill meant to retrench the personnel of the bureaucracy and abandon basic social services.

Based on Malacañang proposal, those who wish to avail of the package shallreceive a corresponding amount depending on their years of service-50percent of salary for each year of service for those with less than 20years, 75% for those with less than 40 years, and 100% for those with 40 ormore years. These allegedly are on top of the regular retirement benefitfrom the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). But the catch, according to Gaite is that the employees of the former MWSS, National PowerCorporation and Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau who availed of the early retirement plan offered by these offices, have yet to receive in full or worst even a fraction of the supposed retirement pay.

“It is also ominous that they will once again tap the GSIS to bankroll theP15 billion allocation for the program. The mismanagement and fund abuse issues raised against GSIS with Winston Garcia at the helm have yet to be settled, now the government will once again dip their hands into our funds. Imagine, money from the employees’ sweat and blood to finance the employees’ early retrenchment.” Gaite also scored Rep. Joey Salceda’s statement that Arroyo’s early retirement program for the government employees “is a solid step of thePresident towards fiscal health and is likely to excite investors”. “A heartless Congressman who would rather please the investors at the expense of the thousands of employees who will lose their jobs. We wonder, how much is he being paid for being the spokesperson of the government’s streamlining program. Salceda being a member of the Economic Manager’s Group of the President should instead subject the President to audit, ask for the liquidations of the expenditures that went beyond the income and receivables of the government especially during the elections.”

COURAGE warns that it will not just the government employees who will be affected by the streamlining program of the government but also the delivery of basic public services. And as such, the government can expect that it will not just face the restiveness of the employees but the general public as well. #

POETRY: Balangiga

The Philippine Financial Crisis and the Neo-Colonial State

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Statement on Magdalo Group's Apology

Press Statement
Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR)
September 25, 2004

Reference: Rev. Fr. Allan Jose Arcebuche, OFM
National Co-Chairperson, PCPR Contact: 4107623

Challenge to Magdalo leaders: Continue the fight against corruption

We in the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) believe that whatever is the reason behind the Magdalo leaders’ apology, investigation on the rampant corruption in the military and involvement of the AFP in the series of bombings in Mindanao must be pursued.

It’s apparent that they apologized due to extreme pressure in detention including financial difficulties to support their families.

The Magdalo group accused former DND Secretary Angelo Reyes and former ISAFP chief Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus as the planners of the March 4, 2003 Davao International Airport and April 2, 2003 Sasa wharf bombings. The motives, they claimed, were to affect the listing of the MILF as a terrorist group and to pave the way for increasing US military financial and logistical aid. Through the Mindanao Truth Commission, an independent investigation on the Davao bombings initiated by Christian and Muslim leaders, the sworn affidavits of Capt. Milo Maestrecampo, Lt. Kristopher Yasay and Lt. Jose Dingle lent credence to the existence of a special order within the AFP to lob grenades at civilian targets. Again consistent with the Magdalo group’s exposé, the MILF was repeatedly blamed by the AFP for the Mindanao bombings, and US military presence in various parts of Mindanao through so-called anti-terror war games is ever increasing. In fact, Davao City is being targeted as venue of the next US-RP Balikatan exercises.

GMA, Gen. Reyes, Corpuz and all the guilty officers and leaders of the corrupt government have all the means to force the rebel soldiers to apologize and retract their statements. But our nation cannot truly heal as long as the issues exposed by the Magdalo group remain unresolved.

We challenge the Magdalo leaders and all the decent men and women in the AFP to continue the fight against corruption within the AFP and the government. Though their means in July 2003 were faulty and unacceptable, the message of the Oakwood mutineers against corruption was morally right and must not be simply buried in the nation’s collective memory. We continue to demand justice for the victims of bombings in Mindanao and for all Moro civilians who have become victims of profiling, forced disappearances, illegal searches and arrests. Police and military agents grossly violated due process in resorting to illegal arrest and detention in order to produce suspects, most of whom were Moro civilians.

According to the Mindanao Truth Commission, a total of 9 Moro civilians were abducted including Datu Sabdurah Ala of Ma-a Riverside, Davao City, on April 3, 2003; Ustadz Alimudin Zulkifle, 28, of Sirawan, Toril, Davao City, on April 6, 2003; Lajmar Jumdail, on April 10, 2003; Muslimen Maro, 38, a Maranao and a resident of Mini-Forest, Boulevard, Davao City on April 15, 2003, and a Juanita Ybanez. Four of them continue to be missing. Illegal searches were also conducted in the aftermath of the Davao bombings, such as the raids in Muslim Village and Open Space in Bangkal, Davao City on April 14, 2003. The abusive elements of the Davao Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Task Force Davao (TFD), and other state agents involved in these human rights violations must be punished along with the real culprits behind the series of Mindanao bombings.

N.B. The All UP Workers Union Manila supports the call that investigation on the rampant corruption in the military and involvement of the AFP in the series of bombings in Mindanao must be pursued even if the Magdalo group's leaders had already seeks an apology for their July 2003 caper. We are also in unison with PCPR in the challenge to the Magdalo leaders and all the decent men and women in the AFP to continue the fight against corruption within the AFP and the government. Indeed our nation can not truly heal and leap forward as long as the issues exposed by the Magdalo group remain unresolved.

FUND OWNERS SCORE MALACANANG'S SILENCE ON GARCIA'S FUND ABUSE

"News about Garcia's wanton use of our funds is no longer a surprise to us. But Malacanang's silence in this obvious display of profligacy amidst its tough talk on sacrifice and belt tightening is appalling".This was the statement of Ferdinand R. Gaite, COURAGE National President on GSIS President and General Manager Winston Garcia's over P5 million cash advances.

In an interview, the leader said the 1.4 million government employees have long called for an investigation and prosecution of Garcia's excessive salaries and perks, and his abuse of the pension fund but these has fallen on deaf ears. The fund members' protests even went as far as calling for Garcia's ouster in 2002 but instead, President Arroyo retained Garcia further bolstering their claim of a possible collusion between Garcia and Gloria. "For why would President Arroyo retain Garcia other than the fact that both are benefiting from each other. And we're not just talking of the Cebu votes here but the siphoning of our funds to bankroll Gloria's Presidential bid. It's about time that Congress investigates not just the salaries and perks of Garcia and other GSIS officials but also order the auditing of the funds of the GSIS and all the questionable investments and policies of the GSIS".

Gaite also criticized the other officials of the GSIS who defended Garcia. "What do you expect from these officials but to save their own kind. They are not just toying with our funds but are splurging it as if these were their own money. They have completely betrayed the trust of the GSIS members". He went further and stressed, "What competence or integrity they are talking about? The purchase of Juan Luna's painting "Parisian Life" which took Php50.6 million from our fund and was eventually disallowed by the Commission on Audit, or the Php1 billion used to finance the Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard? No amount of reason can justify their windfalls amidst the pitiful benefits and services the fund members are receiving. It is simply criminal to bleed dry the fund which came from our blood and sweat!"

COURAGE also laugh at Garcia's statement of voluntarily giving up Php160,000 of his monthly take home pay of Php200,000. The group claimed, "It wont hurt him a bit because mas malaki ang sinasahod nya kaysa sa sweldo" in obvious reference to Garcia's discretionary fund, cash advances and other perks which amounts to millions. COURAGE launched a nationwide rally of employees today, September 23 where thousands of government employees shall take part. They however assured the public that services will not be affected because they also considered it and ensured that there will be employees left at the frontline of services. #

Note: The All UP Workers Union Manila is one with COURAGE in condemning Malacañang's silence to the mess that was happening in the GSIS. The gall of these people to mess with "our fund." Mga tinamaan sila ng lintik!!! Pera natin yun na inilalaan para sa matinding pangangailangan at pagreretiro - tagapangalaga lamang sila at wala silang karapatang lustayin ang ating mga pinaghirapan!!!

"A Solution Must First-of-All Socially Just"