It’s OK to defraud the rich, but not the poor – Villar

MANILA, Philippines—  You may defraud the rich, like her, but not the poor farmers.

Take it from  Senator Cynthia Villar, the richest member of the Senate, and wife of the richest man in the country, former Senate President  Manny Villar.

At Monday’s hearing of the Senate committee on agriculture, the incumbent senator recalled being approached by 80  farmers from Antipolo, who lost their P500, 000 capital for their banana plantation.

She said the farmers supposedly went to the University of the  Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)  for help but ended up losing the money given to them by the Rotary Club of San Lorenzo.

“Tinuro sila nung inyong head doon na bumili sa isang company na kanya. Tapos ng ideliver yung tissue culture hindi nag work.  Nawala yung P500, 000 nila, nawala na rin yung kompanya,”  Villar said.

(They were by the told by the head there to buy in the company that he owns.  When the tissue culture was delivered, it was not working. They lost their P500,000, and the company is gone too.)

The senator expressed dismay since she said this was contrary to what they learned when she was still a student in UP.  She said she joined rallies during the 70s to fight for their rights.

“Ganun kami sa UP noong araw. Bakit ngayon e pupunta sa inyo lolokohin nyo e hindi   ganun  ang tinuro sa atin sa UP,” Villar said.

(That’s how we were in UP before. Why is now that when they approached you, you’d  defraud  them, that’s  not what UP taught us)

“Ako OK lang sa akin  na lokohin nyo yung mga corporate kasi mayayaman sila…Kung sila’y maloloko  nyo, ok lang yun  kasi matatalino sila, may pera sila napaloko sila, kasalanan nila yun.”

(It’s OK to defraud the corporate because they are rich…  if you  succeed, then that’s OK because they are smart, they have money and it’s their fault  if you  got them.)

But it would be grave mistake  to  victimize  the poor farmers, who want to have a better life.

“Kung mayaman   niloko mo,  ako lokohin  mo,  ok lang yun kasi e napakatanga ko bakit  ako nagpaloko, that’s my own fault.  Pero yung mahihirap kawawa naman sila, walang walang sila. Nanghihigi lang sila para maka start sila ng  kanilang sariling business,”   she went on.

(If you defraud the rich,  if you fool me, that’s just OK because  I’d be that stupid if I allow to get fooled,  that’s my own fault.  But  I  pity the   poor, they really have nothing. They just asked   for money so they could start their  own business.)