By
ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Rhak Bihag, 23 said life is getting more difficult for urban
poor families. “It’s difficult to find a job; it’s difficult to make do
with a measly budget to buy food for our family. And what does the
president do? He further pushes poor families to crisis.”
Women strike back. Mothers marched to Mendiola to show rage against corporate greed. (Photo by Anne Marxze D. Umil / Bulatlat.com)
Women, including Bihag, stormed Mendiola bridge to show President
Benigno S. Aquino III their anger and disgust for his continued support
for big corporations such as the oil cartel at the expense of the
ordinary Filipino family.
“We are here today to strike back against the continuing oil price
hike, continuing demolition of communities of urban poor families,”
Bihag told Bulatlat.com
Gabriela marks Oct. 28 as National Women’s Day of Protest. This year
aside from the women’s rally in Mendiola, protest actions were also held
in Southern Tagalodg, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Iloilo, Negros, Cebu,
Davao and Caraga.
According to Lana Linaban, secretary general of Gabriela, on Oct. 28,
1983 10,000 women marched against the Marcos dictatorship. This began
the tradition of militant women’s protest actions every October 28
against various issues that plague women. For this year’s protest,
hundreds of women, Including mothers carrying their children, joined the
march from Morayta to Mendiola bridge.
Women protesters removed the barricades covering the gates of
Mendiola bridge. Caricature of Aquino, the US and oil companies were
then posted at the gates, mothers expressed their anger by throwing mud
at the caricature.
Junk oil deregulation law
Mothers throw mud at the caricature of Aquino, the US and oil companies posted at the gates of Mendiola bridge.(Photo by Anne Marxze D. Umil / Bulatlat.com)
“Women, especially mothers who try hard to budget the expenses of the
family, are suffering because of the high prices of basic commodities,
which, in turn, is being pushed up further by f the continuing increases
in oil prices. But the Aquino government continues to neglect the
welfare of majority of women. He allows big oil companies to rake in
profits at the expense of the poor,” Linaban said during the protest.
Linaban lambasted Aquino’s rejection of
buying back Petron.
“It is very clear from Petron’s huge profits that the company is doing
good business but at the expense of the people. If the company is owned
by the government, it could help bring down oil prices and the people
will benefit.”
Linaban added that the Aquino government only big businesses more
than the people. According to Linaban Petron’s profit increased from P 6
billion ($139 million) last June to P 7.6 billion ($176 million) this
September. She said,“Their profits increased by almost P 2 billion in
the third quarter. These three months were characterized by calamities
brought about by the typhoons and floods. Yet, it still had the temerity
to profit from the misery of the people whose livelihood further sank
into crisis. This is plain opportunism, added to the fact that the oil
cartel has not been able to answer the accusations of overpricing.”....
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Source: Bulatlat.com
URL:
http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/10/29/women-strike-against-poverty-government-neglect-corporate-greed/
