Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Militant lawmakers in the House of Representatives expressed outrage on Wednesday at the Commission on Appointments’ rejection of Judy Taguiwalo as secretary for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
In a statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said the Cabinet would lose a “competent” member following the rejection of Taguiwalo’s ad interim appointment.
READ: CA rejects Taguiwalo’s appointment
“The Duterte administration will be losing a very competent and dedicated DSWD secretary with this rejection and the majority of the people, catered to by the DSWD, would be the ones to suffer,” Zarate said.
Zarate lamented that those who do not agree with Taguiwalo’s no-nonsense policy against the pork barrel system in the DSWD must be pleased with Taguiwalo’s rejection.
“Talo ang mahihirap at mamamayan sa nangyari at tuwang-tuwa ang mga ganid sa pork barrel , mga neoliberal economic managers at militaristang maka-US sa pagkareject kay Mam Judy ,” Zarate said.
(The poor people are in the losing end here and for sure those who are greedy of the pork barrel are rejoicing, the neoliberal economic managers and militarist US sympathizers, with the rejection of Ma’am Judy)
It seems Taguiwalo is just “too good and straight for the CA,” Zarate said.
READ: Palace laments CA rejection of Taguiwalo, who ‘made an impact’ in DSWD
For his part, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao said the rejection of Taguiwalo’s ad interim appointment only proves that “the interest of patronage politics and corruption prevails.”
Calling Taguiwalo’s rejection a “disservice to poor people,” Casilao said the CA members are against the reforms instituted in the department.
“The rejection of Ma’am Judy is a blatant proof that pro-reform officials will not be tolerated by institutions of traditional politics, hence, is causal of poverty and misery to the people,” Casilao said.
During the previous budget hearing in 2016, Taguiwalo confronted lawmakers who are angry at the DSWD’s policy against lawmakers’ practice of getting favored projects in the department, which Taguiwalo slammed as a pork barrel system. JPV
READ: Taguiwalo draws solons’ ire in House debate on budget