PESANTE NEWS

November 6, 2009

NDF-EV urges people to act on utilities crisis and not rely on squabbling politicians

Fr. Santiago "Sanny" Salas

Spokesperson in Eastern Visayas

National Democratic Front of the Philippines

November 6, 2009

Los Angeles-- PESANTE NEWS today learned through news sources that NDF-EV or The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today expressed solidarity with the people over the crises in electricity and water in Tacloban and the rest of Leyte and the region.

"The people of Tacloban are struggling to get such basic needs as electricity and water," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "But the Petilla and Romualdez political dynasties not only ignore this, they add further to the mess by squabbling over water administration as one of the political spoils at stake in the 2010 election. Meanwhile, the people are fuming at the lack of water and furthermore anticipate a power rate hike on top of that problem. Poor water and electricity services are not unique to Tacloban but widespread in the region because of government neglect."

Fr. Salas noted that bad governance worsen the water crisis in Tacloban. "Leyte Gov. Jericho Petilla and Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez are known allies of the Arroyo regime; they thus fight bitterly over who would be favored by the national government in the election. They serve the unpopular regime and themselves, not the people. They engage in politicking and watching out for their political turfs rather than buckling down to solve the issue. It is possible to fix and upgrade Tacloban's water service, but the politicians are the ones who are making it impossible at present."

The NDF-EV spokesperson urged the people to unite and act for their own welfare in the midst of the water crisis. "The matter of clean and potable water supply for Tacloban is a public need, and should not be tied to the political fortunes of bickering politicians. The people can push their own initiative forward to demand an immediate solution as well as the accountability of both the Petilla and Romualdez camps.

Furthermore, the election campaign period will be high time for the people to mobilize and demand concrete solutions to their problems such as the water crisis, an impending power rate hike, continuing oil price hikes and other important socio-economic issues."

Fr. Salas added that mass struggles during the favorable political climate can go on to tackle more comprehensive issues as well as long-term solutions.

"Utilities such as water and electricity that the public needs not only suffer from poor infrastructure and corrupt management. There is also the trend under the Arroyo regime to privatize state-run utilities, even though these are vital to the public's interests, because of its commitment to international financial institutions like the IMF-World Bank.

These include the assets of the National Power Corporation and the Local Water Utilities Administration that are in the process of being sold out to big businesses and foreign monopoly capitalists. Thus the water and electric cooperatives in the region are at the mercy of such a trend.

"It is therefore important for the people not only to confront the immediate issue of the water crisis, but in the long run to struggle against the corrupt and pro-imperialist Arroyo regime, and to strive for fundamental changes. The future is bright for revolutionary changes in the economy and in politics, towards achieving a sovereign and self-reliant economy, and a people's democratic government that advances basic interests and needs such as public utilities."#