Bayan Muna slams’militarization’ of social welfare services

CABANATUAN CITY – The impending appointment of retiring Army chief, Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista, as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development will “weaponize” the agency against poor people who are perceived to be critical of the Duterte administration, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said on Friday.

Appointing Bautista to the post instead of a career social worker continues the “militarization of the bureaucracy with the appointment of more generals to the Cabinet,” he said after speaking before members and officers of the National Federation of Employees Associations of the Departments and Agencies in Agriculture (NAFEDA).

President Duterte announced Bautista as his choice for social welfare secretary in a speech he gave to alumni members of Philippine Military Academy on Thursday.

DSWD is now headed by Secretary Virginia Orogo, one of the leaders of the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Committee (MRRD NECC),  which campaigned for the former Davao City mayor in the 2016 presidential elections.

“Red October is turning out to be the start of a witchhunt against so-called Reds in all sectors of society to be waged by generals now holding Cabinet positions,” Zarate said.

He was referring to the alleged ouster plot revealed by the military, which would be waged by an alliance of communist rebels, former and opposition leaders this month.

The DSWD, Zarate said, should be led by a social worker who would be impartial when serving the public regardless of their political affiliations.

“So what will happen now? DSWD will be used by this administration in its anti-insurgency campaign instead of delivering basic services to our people without looking at their political beliefs,” the lawmaker said.