THE MARCOS ADMINISTRATION has intensified the privatization of public services so that bureaucrats and private entities can operate and manage facilities to enrich themselves and stay in power.
At least this is the perception raised by several groups at Monday’s media forum entitled “Beyond Corruption: How privatization steals from the people.”
KADAMAY secretary general Mimi Doringo and IBON research head, Rosario Guzman tackled how intertwined privatization is with corruption– which they said are mechanisms of bureaucrat capitalism– or running the government like a business for private gain.
Rampant privatization of public services is another way the Marcos administration and big corporations rob the people of their rights and needs.
Public funds and resources continue to be used by bureaucrats and private entities to operate and manage public facilities to enrich themselves and stay in power,” they said.
Guzman explained that politicians or bureaucrat capitalists do not only use their positions of power to steal billions of pesos in public funds through pork barrel or from kickbacks, but also to gain the favor of big local and foreign businesses by implementing neoliberal policies, such as privatization.
By brokering and turning over public services, public assets and natural resources for private firms to profit from, bureaucrat capitalists maintain their positions of power while enriching themselves and advancing their own businesses, at the expense of ensuring the peoples’ welfare and genuine development.
Inefficient, Unaffordable
Panelists who formed part of the discussion shared the impact of privatization on communities and livelihoods such as the privatization of local water districts, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the transport sector and electricity and oil.
They pointed out that when public services and resources are privatized, these become inefficient and unaffordable.
Yet the government guarantees the profits of private firms’ big-ticket projects despite the lack of benefits for the public, using the taxes and higher user fees squeezed from the majority of ordinary struggling Filipinos.
Militants Join Call
With Guzman in the panel were Leo Espelimbergo of the Water for the People Network (WPN), Arlene Castillo of Migrante Philippines; Nanoy Rafael of Para Commuters Network; Mody Floranda of PISTON; and Michael Beltran of Pinoy Media Center (PMC).
Gabriela Women’s Partylist (GWP) House Representative Sara Elago discussed the measures and alternatives to end privatization, and ensure transparency, accountability and genuine public control of services.
Amihan Mabalay of the SUKI Network concluded with a synthesis of the forum noting the importance of greater collaboration between the media, researchers, educators, campaigners and the people’s movement, and leading participants in a chant of “Serbisyo sa Tao, Huwag Gawin Negosyo!”
Various media groups and campaigners attended. The forum was organized by IBON, SUKI Network, Para Commuters Network, KADAMAY, Migrante PH, Water for the People Network, Makabayan, PISTON, Altermidya, and PMC.