“We are the ones burdened, yet we are still the ones to blame?” Kadamay counters Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for blaming the people for the flood. During Marcos’ speech on July 25, he said the flooding in Metro Manila was due to climate change and people’s “lack of discipline” in disposing garbage.

“Floods and calamities are not the fault of the people,” the group said. “The state’s blindness to profit and greed that levels mountains, allows reclamation, and so on, are at fault here.”

The group called Marcos “shameless” for blaming the poor’s buying of “sachets” while “they’re the only things his flaunted measly wages can afford,” they said.

“Before blaming the Filipino, he should first ensure he is truly developing national industries, improving our agriculture, and promoting climate justice,” Kadamay said. “Before he blames, he should first make sure that he is doing his job well as president.”

“Ever contemptous of the poor,” Manuel said. “The cause of NCR’s severe floods is not simple, so ordinary citizens should not be blamed for they are themselves victims of the floods.”

He said, Marcos’s pretend sympathy during his visits to the flood victims was plain hypocrisy. “If he is sure about what he thinks caused the flood, did he also tell the victims themselves that the flood was their fault because of their garbage?”

“He should instead be accountable for explaining the end result of the ₱244.57 billion for flood control projects. While the youth and our countrymen are working together amid the disaster, the sitting president’s blame is not what we need,” Manuel said.

This is also the statement of the Center for Environmental Concerns. “A true leader recognizes problems and weaknesses,” he said. “Climate change is a problem but the government’s lack of preparation and action is the cause of disasters. Government agencies are responsible for a proper waste system and education for its proper disposal.”