The country needs a ceasefire on “politics of destruction”–TUCP

Enough is enough! This said the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) as it urged both the administration and the opposition to momentarily stand down and act on urgent social issues.

TUCP in the statement said that the endless political strife in the country has sidelined more urgent tasks. It stressed that people’s concerns on the economy, rising unemployment and underemployment, the oil crisis, increasing costs of food, peace and order, threat of terrorism, and many more have taken the backseat because of too much negative politics.

“All we hear are accusations and counter accusations, mudslinging, unending congressional investigations, conspiracy theories, and the like. These things can not feed the people”, TUCP said.

TUCP said that more and more people are being pushed to poverty. TUCP pointed out that there are over 4 million without jobs and this is increasing annually by as much as 600,000. TUCP added that wages remains inadequate to respond to rising costs of living which is continuously pressed upwards by hikes in the prices of petroleum products and utility costs.

TUCP said that unless Government gets back to its business of addressing gut issues more people are to suffer.

TUCP also expressed alarm that companies are closing shop while investments in the country are stagnating because of the political noise.

“All these political intramurals have distracted government –the Executive and Congress, from their business of nation-building. We call on both the administration and the opposition that there is a universe of things to do aside from trying to outwit each other”, TUCP said.

“We remind them that outside of their little kingdoms there are over 85 million people depending on government to make life easier for them.”, TUCP added.

TUCP warned that workers are getting more disenchanted with the kind of politics that political leaders are displaying and may exact revenge on political personalities come 2007.

TUCP also lamented that some important sectors of society, including influential business groups and national figures have contributed to the negative political atmosphere which focuses too much on personal agenda rather than the interest of the people at large.

The TUCP also opined that today’s situation has brought the country to a point where no single sector has the right to claim righteousness.

“Everybody claims to represent the truth. But no single sector nor personality has the monopoly of what is good and right for the country. Everyone is suspect. No one has come forward to present an alternative agenda that will emancipate Filipinos from not only economic but moral bankruptcy”, TUCP said.

“We appeal to all the national leaders, political parties, national figures, the church and other sub-denominations, the administration and the opposition, the Senators, the Members of the House, even retired military officials: Let us give this nation a chance to grow, even for only one year!” TUCP said.