People need food, not threat, bullets – PAMALAKAYA to Duterte
Manila Philippines – “We were expecting a concrete and long-term solution to the demand of the poor families for relief aid, not the usual threat and intimidation,” This was the reaction of the militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) lambasting the nation address of President Rodrigo Duterte last night, which according to the group did not lay out any plans and actions to address the plight of the poor families who have been calling for immediate relief assistance in Sitio San Roque, Brgy. Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City, yesterday.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA justified what they say as ‘spontaneous action’ of the residents of the said urban poor community who have yet to receive a relief assistance from the government.
“They are hungry with no sources of income courtesy of Duterte’s extreme yet futile preventive measure to the pandemic disease. If not for the total lockdown and strict quarantine rules, people could still manage to make ends meet,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said in a statement.
The fisherfolk group vowed to ‘resist Duterte’s authoritarian approach’ to the public health emergency.
“Amid the lockdown, we will utilize every avenue to air our grievances against this administration and expose his criminal neglect and failure to provide the affected families subsidies and basic social services,” Hicap added.
“The fear of seeing your family hungry is more terrifying than death threats. We will not be cowed and will continue to organize and assert what should be rightfully ours,” ended Hicap. ###
