PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

CPP denounces Batasan urban poor demolitions and vendor dispersals for Bush visit
October 15, 2003

The Communist Party of the Philippines took up the cudgels for the urban poor and denounced today the "rash and cruel" demolition of urban poor shanties and dispersal of street vendors on the pretext that they posed security risks for US President Bush's visit on October 18.

CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that "it is reprehensible that Gloria Arroyo is ridding Metro Manila of shanties to hide them from her Master George".

Rosal accused Arroyo of "trying to prettify the scene and hide from her all-important visitor and the international media the obvious fact that most of the people in this country are dirt-poor, have no decent housing and live miserable lives."

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is rushing the demolition and evacuation of urban poor colonies and driving away street vendors from areas near or leading to the Batasang Pambansa.

Rosal stressed that the extreme poverty and social blight in the country that Arroyo wants to hide is actually the doing of US imperialism, the puppet government and the local ruling classes who have been colluding to oppress, plunder and impoverish the country to the utmost for more than a century now.

Rosal also said that Gloria Arroyo is turning out even worse than Imelda Marcos who concealed urban poor areas with white-washed fences to eliminate what she regarded as "eyesores". "Gloria has outdone Imelda by going one step further and eliminating the urban poor dwellings altogether," said Rosal.

In an earlier statement, Rosal also criticized the other lavish, pretentious and expensive preparations that include repainting and setting up new fountains in Malaca�ang.

"The people will ironically be all the poorer by at least P50 million by the time Bush's eight-hour visit is over, all because of such servile extravagance," said Rosal. The MMDA alone is spending P10 million to cosmeticize Metro Manila's streets. ###

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553



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