Dispatch from Crame No. 1020:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the alarming price increase of basic commodities

1/18/21

Gising, Pilipinas! While the government is trying to justify the #Sinovacumita deal, people are carrying the heavy burden of rising prices of basic commodities!

Kamusta naman na mas mahal pa ang kilo ng baboy kaysa sa arawang sweldo ng karaniwang Pilipino? Lahat na ng presyo nagtaasan, kalidad ng serbisyo niyo na lang ang nananatiling mababa! Aba, galaw-galaw naman para madama naman ng taumbayan na may pakialam kayo!

This unnoticed issue pains me as Filipinos have faced massive job losses and a worsening hunger situation in the last few months. With no income or social support, millions of people cannot barely afford to eat - many have been forced to beg on the streets for daily sustenance as they wait in vain for government relief packages that either did not come or came too late.

Yung ayudang lagi niyong ipinagmamalaki kay tagal naman dumating. Parang mas marami pa ang naibulsa kaysa naipamahagi sa mga tao. Puro kayo price watch habang talamak naman ang kurapsyon at kickback under this regime.

There is a clear need to search for answers and address this problem by putting in place the necessary policies and measures to halt the sustained price increases of our basic commodities. Kung meron man tulog, eh dapat nating gisingin. Kung nagbibingi-bingihan ay dapat natin kalampagin. The high degree of uncertainty around the virus should never be an excuse in failing to be responsive to other equally important problems of our society.

Paano niyo naatim 'yang once-a-week service ninyo habang 24/7 na naghihikahos ang mga Pilipino? Nagsasayang pa ng pera pabalik-balik ng Metro Manila to Davao.

Kasi naman, Cha-Cha, kickvac, red-tagging, EJKs at kung anu-anong kalokohan ang inuuna kaysa ang tunay na mandato nitong magsilbi at tugunan ang mga mahahalagang problema ng ating bansa. ###

(Access the handwritten version, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatchno1020)