Arroyo's econ resiliency fund for election purposes only - KMU; Neri told to hands-off from SSS funds

Kilusang Mayo Uno slammed today the Arroyo administration's P330 billion economic resiliency fund supposedly to cushion the effects of the financial crisis, and the pronouncement of SSS chief Romulo Neri commiting P12.5 billion for such fund.
 
"Why suddenly this huge concern to help the poor and uplift the economy, when their government offices are supposedly to end soon? Because it is their political survival they want resiliency for and not the economy." said Joselito Ustarez, KMU Executive Vice President.
 
"In the first place, the specified projects in the economic resiliency package, such as the fostering of privatization and business-process outsourcing schemes, are among the prime causes of our economic bankruptcy. Instead of developing national industries that utilize our resources for the true needs of the people, the government still succumbs to the dictates of foreign capitalists that only distress our situation further," Ustarez added.
 
He also lambasted Romulo Neri for promptly pledging the SSS funds for such economic stimulus package.
 
"How dare he decide on what to do with our funds! That is the workers' hard-earned money which we will never allow to be corrupted, especially by this abusive administration. Neri only validated our anticipations when we launched the Neri Watch campaign since he was appointed to the SSS, given his track record of dishonesty.
 
"Although Neri claims he has only allotted a part of the excess SSS funds to the resiliency package, such surplus funds should be channeled to additional benefits SSS members can directly feel. For a concrete example, many are now retrenched and threatened to be retrenched from their jobs, they definitely need additional assistance," Ustarez said. ###