P330B Stimulus Fund unsafe with Malacanang – Migrante

3 February 2009
PRESS RELEASE:

P330B Stimulus Fund unsafe with Malacanang – Migrante

Migrante International, a global alliance of Filipino migrant organizations, rebuked the economic stimulus fund of the present administration saying this would be another source of corruption to finance alleged plan of President Arroyo to perpetuate itself into power beyond 2010.

"How can we trust a corrupt ridden administration which has installed itself into power due to electoral fraud? P330 billion is more than enough to railroad President Arroyo's charter change, to finance a possible coup-de-etat or another electoral fraud," explains Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.

According to Migrante the economic stimulus package become more suspicious especially when one of the biggest contributions will come from the private sector workers' pension funds being allocated by SSS President Romulo Neri.

"Neri is a self-confessed witness who refuses to divulge the most hideous corruption case in the country's history in order to protect President Arroyo. For him to apportion 12.5 billion of the workers' money to Malacanang is already anomalous," adds Martinez.

Martinez also pointed out that the allocation from the stimulus fund will only create double budgeting for programs which already exists. He presented the case of the P250 million allocated from the fund of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

"President Arroyo signed Administrative Order 248 last December 4 for OWWA to contribute 250 million to the stimulus package. The said amount was supposed to finance the program of OWWA which has been a part of the agency's annual budget since 1986. As such, Malacanang can easily pocket the said 250 million while OWWA will just continue to utilize the original allotted budget for the said program. The President had already raided the OFW fund during her campaign in the last 2004 election, and she will probably do it again on this coming 2010 election!" exclaims Martinez.

The group was pertaining to the 540 million OWWA funds that were transferred to PhilHealth during the 2004 presidential election. PhilHealth insurance cards were distributed for free during President Arroyo's campaign sorties.

"Enough is enough! We will not let the hard earned contributions of innocent OFWs be utilized again to finance the diabolical plans of the Arroyo administration. We will mobilize our chapters abroad to protest against this corruption stimulus fund of President Arroyo," Martinez ended.

Migrante announced that they will hold a picket in front of the SSS building tomorrow as the kick-off activity of the Protect Our Fund Coalition (PROFUND). The said coalition is also composed of Kilusang Mayo Uno, KADAMAY and Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE).## #