‘Resist return of dictatorship’

Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday called on Filipinos to resist the return of dictatorship that in the past was accompanied by greed which had shelved the nation’s welfare and brutalized people’s rights.

In a speech at the third annual SEC-PSE Corporate Governance Forum, Robredo also indirectly criticized the Duterte administration’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs, which had resulted in nearly 5,000 deaths since June 30.

“In a political environment such as ours, the welfare of the ordinary Filipino is often shelved in the most terrible name of greed, in the name of greater wealth and power. In our history, this manifested most brutally in a dictatorship where rights were disposed of as swiftly as bodies were,” Robredo said.

“We must not let this happen again. We must not allow our people—especially the poor—to be rendered disposable, to be degraded as mere numbers in a game of blood and bullets,” she added.

Robredo, whose speech centered on sustainable goals and corporate social responsibility, urged businessmen to consider the wellbeing of the poorest of the poor while planning to expand their ventures and increase their profits.

She said they should also “target real and sustainable development that include not just the welfare of the bottom poor but also the environment.”

“Do we look at ethics, corporate governance and commitment to small shareholders with as much urgency as net income for the year? I hope we all do. I believe many of you already do. Please keep on doing so, because while the Philippines is poised for economic growth, such an achievement will not become sustainable if it is not inclusive,” Robredo said.