Press Release
November 12, 2008

ROXAS: GMA GOV'T PREFERS SCAMS OVER PEOPLE'S WELFARE

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas on Wednesday said the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in 2004 showed the Arroyo administration preferred using government resources for its own selfish political purposes than pursue programs to improve Filipinos' lives like better education and health care.

"Hindi talaga pinahahalagahan ng gobyernong ito ang kapakanan ng sambayanan. Imbes na gumastos ito para sa mga programang makatutulong sa mahihirap, mas pipiliin pa nitong nakawin na lang ang pera sa kaban ng bayan at gamitin para sa sarili nitong kapakanan. (This administration does not really care about the welfare of the people. It would rather steal money from government coffers instead of providing for the needs of the people)," he said.

He said studies showed that the P728 million could have been spent to subsidize the enrolment in 2004 of some 67,406 state scholars.

Or, he added, the money could have been spent for the construction of 970 new classrooms that would have accommodated 43,650 students (as per the1:45 standard classroom to student ratio), including the 2,198 children aged 6 to 15 years old in 2003 who did not attend school.

"Ito ay katumbas na ng buong populasyon ng elementary students sa Iloilo City o sa Marawi City sa Mindanao . (This is already equivalent to the elementary population of Iloilo City or Marawi City in Mindanao)," he also said.

The Ilonggo senator likewise said the fund could have been used to buy 485,333 new elementary school desks for use of an estimated 970,666 elementary school children or to acquire 970,666 secondary armchairs worth P750 each for use of high school students.

"Nasayang talaga itong perang ito dahil sa fertilizer scam ni Jocjoc Bolante. Kaya nga talagang kailangang managot kung sinuman ang utak sa likod nitong pagnanakaw na ito. (The government really wasted this money because of what Joc-Joc did. That's why we really have to find out who is the brains behind this anomaly)," he said.

The Senate blue ribbon committee reopens its investigation into the fertilizer fund diversion scam tomorrow, Thursday, with no less than Bolante expected to appear and testify on how the multi-million funds were redirected to the campaign kitty of President Arroyo during the 2004 presidential elections.

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