Protesting urban poor group slams DSWD for "blackmail"

MANILA — An urban poor group accused the Department of Social Welfare and Development for allegedly threatening Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries to prevent them from joining rallies and compel them to vote for administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II.

Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) chairperson Gloria Arellano said the threats were leveled at 4Ps beneficiaries from several Metro Manila and Rizal communities.

Barangays San Isidro and San Jose in Rodriguez town of Rizal, and Barangay Bagong Pag- asa in Quezon City told Kadamay that DSWD personnel had scheduled activities to coincide with the urban poor group's annual Kalbaryo ng Maralita (Calvary of the Poor) Holy Week actions, Arellano said.

At San Roque in Barangay Pagasa, 4Ps administrators called for a meeting on March 21, the same day the Kalbaryo took place, and threatened sanctions against those who failed to attend, she said.

And at San Jose and San Isidro in Rodriguez, 4Ps personnel have been campaigning for Roxas and his running mate, Leni Robredo, in violation of Comelec rules prohibiting partisan political activity by government personnel and officials, she added.

The DSWD personnel also claimed the dole-out program would be scrapped should Vice President Jejomar Binay win the presidency.

At Barangay 178 in Camarin of north Caloocan, Kadamay said 4Ps beneficiaries were used as a focus group for surveys to boost the administration's electoral agenda by making them fill out a questionnaire on their voting preferences.

"We call on the Comelec and election watchdogs to further investigate this matter," Arellano said. "Mar Roxas and the ' daang matuwid' coalition must be sanctioned for this continued deception." —

MANILA — With the official start of the campaign period for local positions Saturday, the camp of Rodrigo Duterte accused the Liberal Party of hatching a black propaganda campaign and a "psychological warfare operation" to derail the Davao mayor's presidential bid.In a statement, Duterte's camp said the LP plot is to picture Duterte as a pro- American candidate hiding behind the platform of federalism to allow easy access for US companies to the rich mineral resources of Mindanao, particularly metallic ores.The information came from a staff member of an LP stalwart who was not identified by the source, said the statement.Duterte's camp said the hatchet job, which was revealed to them by an informant, was planned somewhere in Western Mindanao where the LP has diehard members."The source reportedly attended one of those meetings. The scheme will reportedly roll out next week in time for the final half of the presidential campaign and which also coincides with the first week of the campaign period local election," Duterte's camp saidDUTERTEin a statement."The same source said the Liberal Party will use allied local government officials to 'destroy' Duterte in Mindanao where the maverick city mayor is very popular," the statement added.In several surveys, 47 percent of the voting population of Mindanao prefers Duterte to become the next president of the Philippines."That figure has been rock solid for Duterte who elevated crime, illegal drugs and corruption as national issues, something no presidential candidate has ever done before," said Duterte's camp."He has been steadily gaining grounds since the start of the campaign period and is now in a virtual statistical tie with Grace Poe in poll surveys," the mayor's camp added.Meanwhile, Duterte's spokesman, Peter Laviña described the demolition job against the Davao mayor as a "diabolical and a desperate move to resuscitate a dying campaign of Roxas."The spokesman said the plot could also benefit Poe who is being groomed as the alternative and secret candidate of Malacañang. — Philstar.com