CEGP lambasts Duterte and his minions over irresponsible, unnecessary remarks
In a childish fit of rage, Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy questioned Anakbayan and other progressive groups for raising donations for the victims affected by Taal Volcano's eruption.
"Napakaraming magnanakaw at sinungaling pag panahon ng sakuna na ginagamit ang mahihirap para pagkwartahan kaya LAHAT gagawin para ang mahihirap ay hindi na makabangon sa kahirapan," said Badoy in a Facebook post.
As one of the Philippines' public servants, Badoy's response is disappointing and of poor taste. Badoy's expletive conclusion against youth groups was insensitive and unnecessary.
Last November, Badoy also maliciously red-tagged the members of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in an interview with the television program News 5's The Chiefs.
Badoy linked NUJP as part of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is “unequivocally” fronting for terrorist organizations.
Meanwhile, CEGP found out that its #ReliefPH announcement, which was posted on Facebook yesterday intended to help the evacuees in areas near Taal, was taken down by Facebook this morning after paid trolls reported the said status.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año, meanwhile, drew flak from the Filipino people after calling out the public to give donations.
"The Duterte regime has budgeted for expensive cauldron, jets, and militaristic approach to quell the Filipino mass movement, but has an insufficient budget when it comes to a natural disaster. What happened to the 16 billion calamity fund?," asked CEGP national president Daryl Angelo Baybado.
It is important to note that corrupt practices under the Duterte regime includes kickbacks from false rebel surrenderees for instance. With this, corrupt officials corrode its ability to help all its citizens.
Meanwhile, when asked by the media if Duterte is fit to visit the victims in Batangas, he answered, "Kainin ko pa 'yang ashfall na 'yan, pati Taal, ihian ko pa 'yan. Bwisit na 'yan!"
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines, the oldest, broadest, and the only existing alliance of tertiary student publications in the country and in Southeast Asia, strongly lambasts these public servants for making irresponsible and unnecessary remarks.
"We call them out for their repugnant behavior as the supposed public servants of the Filipino people," said Baybado.
"While the youth are exerting effort in these hard and trying times, opportunist government officials demonize their relief contribution and label them as a terrorist. Instead of cooperating with the youth and providing assistance to the victims in Taal, Lorraine Badoy, as a machinery of the reactionary state, chose to bad-mouth and accuse youth groups of being opportunist, where in fact, these progressive groups only want to help the victims," added Baybado.
"Now, more than ever, Duterte and his cohorts must strive for a well-functioning and relevant approach when it comes to the disaster management system. They should stop disregarding the initiatives of the youth over humanitarian coordination," ended Baybado.
A time of tranquility will return to the affected areas eventually, but for that to happen, the current regime must extend its utmost help to the Filipino people.
