Give us a chance, Duterte camp asks critics

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The camp of presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte on Friday called on critics to give them a chance to prove that the incoming administration’s economic policies would be different from that of President Aquino.

“We haven’t assumed office yet and you’re already criticizing us,” Peter Laviña, spokesperson of Duterte’s campaign team, said in reaction to a statement by the research group Ibon, which said that the names floated for inclusion in Duterte’s economic team showed he was not veering away from the economic policies of his predecessor.

“You’re supporting a different political candidate,” Laviña said. “At least, give us a chance to prove it.”

Ibon said Duterte’s initial statements had strongly indicated continuity with the neo-liberal economic policies that have kept Filipinos poor and the economy underdeveloped.

Treading elitist path

The think tank particularly cited the possible inclusion in Duterte’s economic team of Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, businessman Carlos Dominguez III and economist Ernesto Pernia. It said it showed that Duterte would be treading on the same Aquino administration path of elitist economics.

His preferences, as announced by his spokesperson the day after Monday’s elections, for a “major rewriting” of the Constitution, including the easing of restrictions on foreign ownership, are signs that Dutertenomics  is taking shape as a conventional elitist economic agenda, Ibon said.

The militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) also called the eight-point economic agenda of Duterte a “continuation of the neoliberal poison” of the present administration.

In a statement, Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said he feared the proposed economic roadmap of the Duterte camp would only worsen the conditions of ordinary people, most especially in the marginalized sectors.

Reyes said Duterte should end the neo-liberal economic policies of the Aquino regime by pursuing national industrialization, economic sovereignty and strengthening of the domestic economy; and also end the import-dependent, export-oriented, backward, pre-industrial economic set-up.

He said his group was also urging the presumptive president to review and  reverse existing and proposed public-private partnership projects;  to pursue people-oriented infrastructure development that would help  develop industry and agriculture, and to develop government-supported mass  transport systems.

To pursue economic sovereignty and strength the domestic economy, he said, Duterte should abandon all plans for economic Charter change and instead review the business terms of big foreign mining companies, coal plants, large plantations and other enterprises that plunder our national patrimony and destroy the environment.

Reyes also said to truly develop the agricultural sector, the incoming Duterte administration should adopt and implement genuine land reform and various forms of collective farming with increased government support.

Domestic over foreign

Make agriculture address domestic needs rather foreign demands, he said.

Bayan’s other proposals include an increase in government spending for  basic social services such as health and housing; an increase in state  subsidy for education on all levels, implementation of a moratorium on  tuition fee increases and halting the implementation of the K-12 program;  pursuing income tax reforms for working people and running after big tax  evaders from big business; and to make domestic job creation a priority  instead of relying on the Conditional Cash Transfer to address  poverty.

The group also called on Duterte to support the clamor by workers and employees for a national minimum wage and to address the urgent demands of migrant workers. Germelina Lacorte and Karlos Manlupig, Inquirer Mindanao

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