The Cochabamba example

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
1/25/2006



Manila Water is raising rates from P 19/cu. m. to P 24/cu. m. while Maynilad is raising its rates from P 30/cu. m. to P 41/cu. m. Then on February 1st additional EVAT will be charged to consumers while the Ayalas’ Manila Water will have its tax holiday extended for another year. Why are we tolerating this abuse and exploitation, oppression and outright aggression by these corporate plunderers of the people’s pockets? While Manny Pacquiao is deservedly filling his pocket from his well deserved win, the people is being distracted from these “corporatocratic” looters picking our pockets.

These rates are going up without the benefit of anyone of us citizens getting any whiff of news that hearings are being held – because none has been held. This is because water service is no longer considered a public utility by this regime holding sway over the country. The “corpo-rats” of Ayala and the bureaucrats of the corrupt Arroyo regime are arbitrarily raising water rates and dispensing corporate tax-privileges at the expense of the people. The MWSS as a regulatory body is totally inutile, and worse it is used to legitimize the looting and plunder of Ayala and the foreign “corpor-ats”.

While this corporatic looting is going on there’s no chance that the progress and prosperity for this nation can get back on track. Add to what these water utilities is doing to the consumers what the Independent Power Producers is extracting, these corporations are totally draining the financial resources of the people. Nothing will be left in the economic lifeblood to flow, consumers have nothing left to buy with to fuel the trade and agro-industrial production sectors and sustain employment. This explains why there’s no optimism among all economic institutions for the country’s 2006 growth prospects.

The best projection for the country’s growth rate is 5% when even the local IMF chief, publicly acknowledged that only 7% growth sustained over a decade can result in real economic growth for a nation, parroting nationalist-economist Alejandro “Ding” Lichauco’s long held view. It is more likely that it will be worse that project and with a very poor distribution structure at that, increasing the poverty level further. Gloria’s average growth rate has been just around 3-4% since her power grab with the corporatocratic interests in 2001, dragging the Philippines down.

When can Filipinos do a “Cochabamba”? We came across a report of the victory of the citizens of the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia, against the privatized water company Aguas del Tunari owned by American corporatocratic giant Bechtel. Over a decade ago Bechtel entered Cochabamba and compelled the government to privatize the local water utility, and Bechtel raised water rates by an average of 50%, beyond the ability of the people, triggering popular opposition and activism using a deluge of Internet mails to politicians, and protest rallies and marches that at one point led to the death of a child.

The Guerilla News Network reports, “….The Cochabamba water revolt – which began exactly six years ago this month – will end this morning when Bechtel, one of the world’s most powerful corporations, formally abandons its legal effort to take $50 million from the Bolivian people. Bechtel made that demand before a secretive trade court operated by the World Bank, the same institution that coerced Bolivia to privatize the water…Faced with protests, barrages of e-mails, visits to their homes, and years of damaging press, Bechtel executives finally decided to surrender, walking away with a token payment equal to thirty cents….”

The people’s movement in Bolivia as evidenced by the victory of the populist candidate in its last elections, Evo Morales, is a very powerful one. If the Filipino is to duplicate the victories of the Bolivian people we must have a similarly strong people’s movement, and to achieve this we need a populist leader too. President Estrada is that popular leader, but he has been shackled by the trumped up charges that have kept him imprisoned. Will Faeldon and company dare to take up the popular issues and convert their “rebel’ image to that of popular leadership?

We are here to help all those on the side of the popular interest and welfare. The flags, stickers and t-shirt we promised to generate support for is now being designed and several donors are waiting to give in their support. In a few more days we shall have the paraphernalia ready. While President Estrada is doing everything he can despite his constraints, like adopting the “debt moratorium” policy or launching the Rebolusyon Kontra Gutom home-food production crusade, even when he is still severely limited. I would like to see Faeldon and company champion the power, water, tax and food issues too; that will guarantee the victory of their revolution.

Removal of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from her perch is already irreversible, as the knowledgeable Commodore (ret.) Rex Robles has said. The question now is what comes after. If those who assume power shall toe the same line that the corporatocratic interests have imposed on Gloria, the same aggravating poverty shall result. The looting will continue and the country and people will have no capital or cash flow to base its economic recovery on. We must go for fundamental change if we are to escape from this vicious cycle of economic decay and poverty.

(Tune in to 1098AM, Mon. to Fri. 5-6am and 6-7pm)