STATEMENT
NUSP Condemns Pro-Military Budget

October 14, 2002

THE NATIONAL Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) today joined teachers and students from the University of the Philippines and Polytechnic University of the Philippines in condemning the proposed national budget of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which they described as “anti-people and pro-military.” According to NUSP national president Raymond Palatino, the budget of the Department of National Defense was increased by P3.7 billion while funding for social services, especially that of housing, health and state universities and colleges suffered cutbacks.

The protesters hit the government’s strong republic goal whose cost and objectives are clearly reflected in the proposed national budget. They believe the government “is planning to beef up the repressive apparata of the military and police to stifle dissent and instill fear among the people.” Palatino claims the government of “President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is laying the foundation of a fascist police state by giving more incentives and priority to military and police personnel.” He added that the President may have hinted that the Filipino people no longer wants to talk peace with communist rebels to justify the overblown funding for military expenditures.

“If the country has a ballooning budget deficit, why is the government prioritizing the needs of the military and police over the social security and general welfare of the people. This is as unacceptable as the P2.9 billion for AFP salary increases and the P2.1 billion for PNP salary increases when the government has been virtually denying the request of government employees for salary increases,” said Palatino. The student leader contrasted the P3 billion increase for the Philippine Army and P1.04 billion raise in the DND-AFP pension fund over the P143.9 million decrease in the allocation of state universities and colleges (SUCs), P502.2 million reduction in the health budget and P307.5 million cut for housing and community development. “At a time when rising prices of oil, gas and basic commodities continue to inflict more hardships on Filipino workers struggling to survive on meager salaries, the need to subsidize the social services sector becomes more imperative. But the government is doing the opposite by bloating the budget of the military and the police at the expense of other socially productive sectors,” said Palatino.

The NUSP leader warns that the slash in the capital outlay, and maintenance and other operating expenditures of public universities will lead to poorer state of facilities and lower quality education in the public sector. “The cut may even force SUCs to raise tuition or commercialize assets to augment their decreased resources.” Palatino concluded by announcing the nationwide boycott of classes to be mounted by public universities at the start of the second semester next month to protest the continuing lack of prioritization for the education sector.

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