NR1008b:GMA's new wealth program for the country's exploiters

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin B. Beltran
News Release October 8, 2004
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, chief of staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Celphone number 09213907362
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MACAPAGAL-ARROYO-DE VENECIA NEW WEALTH STRATEGIES BLUEPRINT FOR ECONOMIC
DISASTER AND CATACLYSM - REP.BELTRAN

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said that President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo's adoption of five strategies from the 12-point new wealth
package being pushed by Speaker Jose de Venecia only means the country will
never ever get out of the fiscal mess, "at least never while Macapagal-Arroyo
remains president," he said.

"There is no hope to be had under the administration of President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo," he said. "As an economic expert, her expertise is geared
towards parceling off the nation's resources to the highest bidder but at
losing prices. The 13th Congress, operating under this new-wealth program and
Malacañang's fiscal-relief formulas will only promulgate and pass measures that
will attack the job security, wages, welfare and over-all well-being of majority
of the nation's poor."

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is set unveil the
administration's "road map to fiscal strength for fighting poverty" on Monday.
President Arroyo listed six strategies for wealth creation: privatization of
the National Power Corp.; mobilization of investors for Mt. Diwalwal gold mine;
exploration and development of more oil and gas wells; re-launching of massive
reclamation projects; a major nationwide reforestation program; and creation of
Hong Kong-type enclaves to capture long-term investors.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri said the President picked these
measures because of their "strong potential'' in generating massive foreign
investments and boosting confidence in the economy.

"Instead of a road map to fiscal strength for fighting poverty," the de
Venecia-Macapagal-Arroyo plan looks like a blueprint for economic destruction.
A rundown of the strategies already shows that whatever new wealth the
government will unearth or discover will not benefit the Filipino people as the
government intends to entice foreign investors and corporations in the mining,
oil and electricity business to the country with these resources. The
government is preparing to further open up the country to the wholesale plunder
and exploitation of foreign multinational and transnational corporations. They
will drain the nation dry, leaving the country's oil wells, mines and forests
dry and empty husks," he said.

"The environmental impact will also be cataclysmic." The veteran labor leader
said challenged Malacañang to instead implement radical economic reforms that
will protect the economy and thus the people's welfare.

"A 180-degree turn must be made from the liberalization, deregulation and
privatization policies. The removal of the remaining protectionist provisions
of the Constitution to accommodate and legalize the 100% involvement and
ownership of foreign firms in the crucial sectors of the economy such as
finance, banking, telecommunications and mining will further rip the economy
apart and plunge the Filipino people into greater economic misery and
starvation," he concluded.#