Lawmaker says leftist insurgency to end soon

WITH the release of the so-called “Morong 43” the other day, Rep. Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis party-list over the week end said that he smell the end of communist insurgency next year. “It’s highly possible. With the way President [Benigno] Noynoy [Aquino 3rd] is doing, we can see light at the end of the tunnel,” Mariano exclaimed.

He said that what President Aquino is showing that his government is pro-poor and his eagerness to put an end to senseless war, the administration is fast winning the hearts of the ordinary citizen.

Accused health workers were charged of being members of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines were ordered freed after the regional and municipal trial courts of Morong dismissed the charges against them on Friday afternoon.

The Department Justice was ordered by the President to withdraw charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives and violation of the election gun ban.

“What PNoy [President Aquino] is making . . . is another milestone, making hard things possible for the benefit of the Filipino people,” Mariano told mediamen at the weekly forum, Kapihan sa Sulo.

Although he is not in favor to some decisions, which forces ordinary citizen to make a violent reaction like the increase of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) cheapest rice by P2 making it P27, this might push back his plan to end hostilities.

“The increase in the price of NFA rice is a result of Aquino’s scant budget allocation for the grain agency.”
Mariano noted.

NFA administrator Angelito Banayo announced that effective December 7, the cheapest NFA rice will retail at P27 from P25 to ensure support for farmers and guarantee that the NFA, which is burdened by loans and a slashed budget, would remain viable.

“The Filipino people are now shouldering the impact of the Aquino government’s planned privatization of the NFA,” Mariano noted.

“If not for the strong opposition by farmers to the Aquino administration’s zero-budget for the NFA, the P2.5 billion coming from the agriculture department’s P5-billion public-private partnership will not be allocated to the grain agency,” he stressed.

He warned that the P2 increase in NFA rice prices would have a domino effect on commercial rice prices.

“For sure, unscrupulous rice cartels will follow the NFA’s lead. The people will brace for rice price hikes in the coming days,” Mariano, chairman of the peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said. “Aquino is playing scrooge this first Christmas under his administration.”

He described the increase as “a callous move” by the administration in the midst of workers’ stagnant wages, liquefied petroleum gas and oil price hikes and the people’s increasing poverty. –SAMMY MARTIN, Manila Times