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.)