Permit to hold relief mission, absurd and violative of people’s right to food – Pamalakaya
Manila, Philippines – As the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) arbitrarily announced requiring relief mission efforts permit from local government units, the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) slammed it as absurd and violative of the people’s right to food. Pamalakaya National Chairperson and Anakpawis Party-list former representative Fernando “Ka Pando” Hicap added that it is vulnerable to politicking, especially when the target beneficiaries are critical of the incumbent local officials.
“May saltik ang kautusang ito. Sabi ng Department of Agriculture, ang pagkain kapag ibebenta dapat maluwag na pinapadaan, pero kapag ibibigay mo na ito, kailangan mo na ng permit sa LGU. Hindi ba abnormal ito? Ang dami na ngang humihingi ng tulong kahit sa social media, dahil hindi nga inabot ng mga ayuda at SAP ng gubyerno, tapos ngayon, iipitin na naman nila ang dapat malayang pagtulong ng mamamayan sa mga nangangailangan,” he slammed in a press statement.
He added that this order violates the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), on which the country is a signatory. This upholds the people’s right to food, as pillar of the right to adequate standard of living.
“Hindi kailanman pwedeng i-subject sa mapag-abalang prosesong burukrata ang karapatan sa pagkain ng mamamayan, laluna ang intensyon ng marami na tumulong. Naglulunsad ng ‘bayanihan’ ang mamamayan ngayon pero ang gubyerno, panay harang ang alam gawin,” he elaborated.
The group called on various sectors to condemn this pronouncement and instead, emulate the real spirit of ‘bayanihan,’ sans repressive measures of the Duterte government. ###
