FDC In The News: Launch of Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission

The public launch and induction of members of the Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission yesterday had full-media coverage. The advancer news release we issued last March 02 came out in The Manila Times (page A3) and BusinessMirror (page A12) and aired over dzAR, dzMM, dzXL-RMN, dzBB, dzEC and dzME. Television stations—ABS-CBN 2; ABC 5; GMA 7; RPN 9; and, ANC, broadcasted our event. FDC vice president Lidy Nacpil was also invited by ANC to its studio, explaining on air the Citizens’ Commission for more than 20 minutes. Today, the event came out in Malaya (banner photo, and page-A6 news article), BusinessMirror (page-1 photo and news article), online GMANews.TV, photos in Tempo (page 2), Balita (page 2), Remate (page 2), and Manila Bulletin (page 5).

As reported by ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol, Malacañang reacted to the creation of the Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission, stressing there is no need to put up an independent audit body because the country’s debt is already shrinking. In response, we issued another statement today, as stressed by Lidy, the reduction is negligible and not based on sustainable factors. And besides, the issue is not just on the amounts, but on the anomalous and illegitimate nature of the debts.

GMANews.TV
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83205/Independent-commission-to-audit-public-debts-launched#

Independent commission to audit public debts launched
Article posted March 04, 2008 – 12:08 AM

MANILA, Philippines – An independent commission that aims to audit the country’s public debts was launched Monday with a least 30 people taking their oath as members of the commission.

Created in response to a petition initiated by the People Against Illegitimate Debt movement, the Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission was launched three days after the interfaith rally in Makati City.

Prof. Randy David of the University of the Philippines, a member of the commission, said “the public debt issue is the most highly concealed crime of the state against its people.”

[READ MORE]

Malaya
04 March 2008
News article (Page A6) by Job Realubit
Photo by Rolly Salvador

Citizens group formed to audit gov’t loans

A CITIZENS’ independent audit commission was formed yesterday to look into the government’s loan-financed projects and programs.

The 30-man probe body, called the Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission, vowed to look into what they said are illegitimate loan-financed projects following the expose of Rodolfo “jun” Lozada about the large kickbacks surrounding the national broadband network project awarded to the Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

BusinessMirror
04 March 2008, Page 1
News article by Cai Ordinario and Jon Mayuga
Photo by Nonoy Lacza

Citizens’ debt-audit body formed

THIRTY reputable individuals from different sectors of society Monday took oath as members of a citizens’ commission that will look into alleged “illegitimate loan-financed projects and programs” of past and present administrations.

The Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission (Icdac) was launched at the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Center three days after the interfaith rally in Makati City tackled issues of graft and corruption in connection with the national broadband network (NBN) project that would have been funded by a Chinese government loan of $329 million.

Remate
04 March 2008, Page 2
Photo by Fenny Pineda

Balita
04 March 2008, Page 2
Photo by Noel Celis

Tempo
04 March 2008, Page 2
Photo by Noel Celis

Manila Bulletin
04 March 2008, Page A5
Photo by Noel Celis

The Manila Times
03 March 2008, Page 3
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/03/yehey/metro/20080303met3.html

Civil society launches Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission today
By Nora O. Gamolo, Senior Desk Editor

Civil society groups are launching today an investigation into all loan-financed projects and programs allegedly accompanied by shady deals at the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Center.

Thirty prominent names from different sectors, professions and areas of concerns, chosen for probity, credibility and expertise, will take their oath as members of the Indepen­dent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission.

The launching of the Commis­sion signals civil society’s attempts to dig into an investigation of allegedly illegitimate loan-financed projects and programs.

[READ MORE]

BusinessMirror
03 March 2008, Page A12

Debt Audit Commish to be launched

THREE days after the interfaith rally in Makati City, debt campaigners and other concerned citizens are now ready to conduct their own investigation of illegitimate loan-financed projects and programs.

The Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission Created was in response to the initiative of the People Against Illegitimate Debt (PAID!) movement. It will launched Monday at the University of the Philippines Law Center.

It will be composed of 30 people of proven probity, credibility and expertise, and coming from different sectors of society, and include Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former senator Wigberto Tañada, Bishop Efraim Tendero, Dr. Sixto K. Roxas, Prof. Randy David, Former FDC president Ana Maria R. Nemenzo, Fr. Ben Moraleda (CSsR), Sr. Cres Lucero (SFIC), FDC vice president Lidy Nacpil, Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio and lawyer Antonio Oposa, among others, and representatives from the labor and urban poor sectors.

 

People launch independent commission to audit public debts

PRESS RELEASE
PEOPLE AGAINST ILLEGITIMATE DEBT (PAID!)
c/o Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) – Philippines
#11 Matimpiin St., Brgy. Pinyahan, Quezon City
Tel. No.: +632 9211985 ; Telefax: +632 9246399

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03 March 2008

Contact persons:
Lidy Nacpil, FDC vice president, @ 0917-8800410
Bobby Diciembre, FDC media campaigner, @ 0920-9059856

Amid the ZTE-NBN scandal and other illegitimate deals
People launch independent commission to audit public debts

MANILA, Philippines—Thirty (30) individuals of proven probity, credibility and expertise, and coming from different sectors of society, took their oath as members of a citizens’ commission, vowing readiness to conduct their own investigation of the country’s illegitimate loan-financed projects and programs.

Created in response to a petition initiated by the People Against Illegitimate Debt (PAID!) movement, the Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission was launched today at the University of the Philippines (UP) Law Center, three days after the mammoth interfaith rally in Makati City against the alleged role of the First Family and corruption in the overpriced ZTE national broadband network deal.

‘Crime of the state’

University of the Philippines Prof. Randy David, a member of the citizens’ commission, stressed that “the public debt issue is the most highly concealed crime of the state against its people.”

“In a period when our government institutions lack integrity and credibility to undertake impartial investigations on loan-financed projects and programs marred with anomaly and fraud, people should actively engage to address this problem. We owe it to the next generation of Filipinos who will shoulder the burden of paying these debts,” said Prof. David.

He added that critical analysis of the public debt system is one of the most powerful ways to reveal the flaws and malfunctions in governance.

Objectives

Milo Tanchuling, PAID! co-convener and secretary-general of Freedom from Debt Coalition, said the citizens’ commission aims to conduct a critical, comprehensive, participatory and transparent examination of the Philippine public debt and contingent liabilities based on testimonies and inputs from affected communities, data and studies to be submitted by resource persons and organizations, and researches prepared by working groups and technical teams. It also aims to formulate policy proposals and recommendations for action.

“With Rodolfo ‘Jun’ Lozada’s revelation on the aborted $329 million ZTE-NBN deal, the Philippines ‘ debt problem and the continued accumulation of illegitimate debts has once again been put in the spotlight,” said Tanchuling.

PAID! members said the Commission is also charged with recommending immediate steps as well as far-reaching solutions towards eradicating the debt burden and correcting structural and systemic flaws and deficiencies that contributed to debt accumulation and domination.

The examination of structural issues shall not be confined in the Philippine system alone but will also address the international financial architecture, they said.

The audit shall examine not only the responsibility and culpability of the Philippine government and related institutions, but also address the responsibility and culpability of international financial institutions and other lenders, they added.

More ZTE-type debts

Beckie Malay, vice president of FDC and of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) said there are more ZTE-type debts that not only continue to evade public scrutiny but also are being paid with public funds at the expense of dwindling social spending for important social services like education and health. The World Bank funded textbook project, the Cyber Education Project (CEP) and the Austrian loan funded Medical Waste project are just some examples.

“Different social movements, civil society leaders, people’s organizations, communities, church people and personalities have called for the formation of the Independent Citizens Debt Audit Commission as major step forward to fundamentally address our lingering debt problem,” said Malay.

To date, the National Government has a debt of P3.78 trillion or $81.6 billion. Our total consolidated public sector debt as of percentage to our Gross Domestic Product (GCP) is 81.9 percent. Each Filipino soul from the newly born baby to a dying septuagenarian is indebted by as much as P43,487, paying P7,012 annually to service the debt.

“Every minute, our government, using our money is paying a mind-boggling P1.1 million just to service the debt,” Malay stressed.

Commissioners

Aside from Prof. David, other inducted members of the Independent Citizens’ Debt Audit Commission include: former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Senator Wigberto Tanada, Bishop Efraim Tendero, Dr. Sixto K. Roxas, Fr. Ben Moraleda (CSsR), Sr. Cres Lucero (SFIC), former Representative Mayong Aguja, , Former FDC president Ana Maria R. Nemenzo, FDC vice president Lidy Nacpil, Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, Atty. Antonio Oposa, Dr. Grace Jamon, Atty. Golda Benjamin, Dr. Aurora Parong, Dr. Emmanuel Luna.

Economics Prof. Joseph Lim, Atty. Ibarra Gutierrez, Atty. Mari Paz Luna-Severino, Prof. Eduardo Tadem, Atty. Teddy Pascua, Mr. Eribert Padilla, Ms. Vaupet Pena representing the youth sector, Mr. Vic Fabe representing the farmers and fisherfolk, Teacher Benjo Basas, and representatives from the labor and urban poor sectors.

Congressional audit

PAID! members said the citizen commission will complement the highly awaited Congressional auditing of public debt by raising questions beyond the limits of the parliamentary initiatives, and by putting forward recommendations sourced from the people’s standpoint on the problem.

Tanchuling confirmed that Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman has re-filed a joint resolution pushing for an official Congressional Audit of Public Debt and Contingent Liabilities in the House of Representatives.

“While we are pushing for the official debt audit, we believe that an independent citizen’s audit is also crucial,” he said. -30-