Thread by @SenLeiladeLima

THREAD:

Dispatch from Crame No. 999: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the 7 Billion budget cut on the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) [1]

I am thoroughly disappointed and dismayed upon hearing that a Senate colleague had pushed for and succeeded in slashing ₱7billion from the 4Ps program. This cut will affect around 300k families that were anticipated to “graduate” from the program before the pandemic arrived. [2]

Nakapanlulumo at napakabigat sa kalooban na malaman ito lalo’t alam natin na ang ayudang dala ng 4Ps ay isa sa mga pinaka-inaasahan ng milyun-milyon nating mga kababayang naghihikahos sa buhay na lalo pang hinagupit ng kahirapan dahil sa pandemya. [3]

This decision of cutting the program’s funding, at a time when the Filipino poor are still reeling from significant losses in livelihood and income brought by the pandemic, is nothing short of heartless as it is oppressive.[4]

Maraming naghihirap, nagugutom at umaasa sa suporta ng pamahalaan at ang sagot nito sa sigaw ng tulong ng daang libong pamilya ay ang pagtapyas sa pondo ng programang ito. [5]

Bakit ba ganyan na lang ang gigil niyo sa mahihirap, dapang-dapa na nga sila, lalo niyo pang binabaon? How dare you pour salt into the wounds that they are still nursing,.. [6]

... wounds that cannot close because ages-old poverty was not remedied by a government that kept reneging on its promise of malasakit, wounds that this government’s dismal pandemic response has repeatedly injured. [7]

The poor should not be made to pay for this government’s failures. Huwag ang mga walang-wala at said na said na mamamayan ang pagbayarin ninyo sa mga pagkukulang at pagkakamali ninyo sa bayan. [8]

Certain legislators say that they support the program but their actions tell us otherwise. It shouldn’t come as a shock anymore, with this government’s misgovernance and twisted priorities. Hindi nakagugulat pero nakagagalit! [9]

READ it in full, here: facebook.com/leiladelimaoff…