PCF.- Denounce brutal, criminal treatment of calamity victims -- CPP

CPP Information Bureau

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) denounced the Aquino regime, its Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) "for the brutal and criminal treatment of the thousands of calamity victims who have become increasingly impatient with government's failure to address their immediate need for food and rehabilitation."

Several thousand calamity victims from Compostela Valley province the other day broke into the office of the DSWD in Davao City and claimed for themselves thousands of food packs and hundreds of boxes of noodles and coffee intended for distribution to calamity victims. They were brutally dispersed by the police and are now being charged by the government of illegal assembly and robbery.

The calamity victims have been camping out at the DSWD office for the past several days. They were holding the DSWD responsible for its failure to keep its promise to distribute 10,000 sacks of rice to tens of thousands of victims of tropical storm Pablo in early December last year. The pledge was made by Sec. Dinky Soliman herself before a demonstration of calamity victims in January.

"Breaking into the DSWD bodegas (warehouses), while illegal in the eyes of the Aquino government, is morally justifiable after the DSWD reneged on its promise," pointed out the CPP.

"The victims' actions are further justified by persistent reports of corruption and anomalies involving the DSWD in the construction of temporary shelters and distribution of goods and its failure to account for the millions of dollars of foreign aid that was intended for the relief and rehabilitation of calamity victims."

"Malacañang should be denounced for casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Pablo victims and for filing criminal charges against them and their organizations," said the CPP. "This is a vain attempt to cover up the DSWD and Aquino regime's failure to address the urgent humanitarian needs of tens of thousands of people who bore the brunt of typhoon Pablo as well as the recent typhoon Crising."

"The toiling people of Compostela Valley, long oppressed and exploited, have become victims twice over: by the calamity wrought by the recent typhoons and by the Aquino regime's utter neglect of their welfare," added the CPP.

"The revolutionary forces encourage the Pablo victims to remain steadfast in their mass struggle for just and swift relief and rehabilitation. They can continue to demonstrate in big numbers to amplify their demands, expose the anti-poor policies of the Aquino regime and generate broad support both locally and internationally," said the CPP.

"At the same time, they can continue to raise the long-standing issue of the large-scale operations of mining companies and plantations in the province which have ravaged the environment, exploited the people and plundered the country's natural resources."

"The CPP calls on the Filipino people to continue supporting the struggle of the calamity victims for urgent humanitarian assistance. We must thoroughly expose and denounce the DSWD and the Aquino regime for being totally inept and corrupt and mobilize resources for the victims of the calamity," said the CPP.