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President Rodrigo Duterte made a decision right there and then to take down loan sharks. No more 5-6 schemes to fool the poor. Images combined credit Inquirer and Philippine Plus |
President
Rodrigo Duterte had long shown a soft heart for the poor and the iron will to
take down those who abuse and take advantage of the poor to put themselves in a
better situation.
Presidential
Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy
disclosed a narrative on what happened during the 26th Cabinet
meeting when Secretary Sonny Dominguez was explaining to the President the
reason why chicken is more expensive in the public market than in groceries.
Badoy recalled how the conversation went, saying that grocery store owners can easily
buy chicken straight from the supplier whereas market vendors often had to
borrow money to buy products they can market.
These
market vendors end up in 5-6 schemes
where the loan they make has to be paid at a certain higher price due to
interest, which prompts vendor to sell their products at a price that can give
them just enough to pay off debts and have a meal.
Instead
of rising above their poverty, they dig a deeper hole because of these loan
sharks who take advantage of the poor’s desperation.
Upon
hearing this, Duterte made a decision right there and then to take down loan
sharks. No more 5-6 schemes to fool the poor.
Badoy
recalls the President saying, “This has to stop. What
are the laws against this?!” which then prompted discussion on anti-usury laws
which the President vowed to enforce and take down illegal moneylenders.
Badoy
expressed her admiration for the President, noting his strong will in pursuing
what is right and just, especially for the poor.
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Chicken vendor in public wet market in Q.C. Image credit to ABS-CBN News |
Read full post below:
During
the 26th Cabinet meeting, Sec Sonny Dominguez was explaining to the President
why chicken sold in the market was more expensive than chicken sold in the
groceries.
He
said it was bec grocery store owners had more capital while wet market vendors
had none and had to borrow money from usurers at high interest rates. 5/6, in
other words.
So
they need to patong more yet earn so little –so much less than the already-rich
grocery owner and of course the walangyang 5/6’er.
They
are then unable to get out of these debts. it eats them up so all they do is
work to pay for the interest on these loans alone.
Then
poverty is something they can never climb out of. They get sucked into this
dark hole even more.
This
is how the poor get even poorer.
We
were having dinner at that time. I looked at the President bec I love watching
his reaction when talks turn to the poor getting abused. Sarap talaga kasi yon na
yon ang nararamdaman ko.
Dakilang
Resbak ng Bayan. That’s our President.
Like
what happened in Yolanda.
He
was the ONLY govt official who mirrored the rage, the grief, the sorrow I felt
while the heartless and incompetent and corrupt Dinky Soliman, Mar Roxas,
Noynoy Aquino did NOTHING.
Except steal.
From the poor.
In their darkest hour.
I
looked at the President and I saw that his face had darkened. He stopped
chewing, dropped his fork on his plate and pushed his plate away.
Uh-oh,
I said. This is gonna be fun.
Daming
mura. Yon yung dessert namin LOL.
He
was sooo mad.
“This
has to stop!”,he said. “What are the laws against this?!”,he asked. He went on
and on and on. He was so hurt, almost like a wounded animal. Like a father
whose children have been abused and mistreated.
So
anti-usury laws were discussed and he vowed he would run after these loan
sharks who feed off the desperation and fear of the poor.
Wait lang, sabi nya. Aayusin ko to.
Wait lang, sabi nya. Aayusin ko to.
You
know, had you been there, you’d have seen me smile a most beatific smile
because I was so comforted.
All
those years I worked with and for the poor where I felt they had no one but me
grieved me—and what really could I give them but precious little? Nothing that
could change their lives for better and take them out of poverty really.
Because
the most powerful ones were the most indifferent towards the most disempowered.
And
so I basked in the comfort of the President’s tirade.
This
is a man who gets important things done.
You
know that song of his that plays as he enters the room? “Ipaglalaban Ko”? That
is who our President is.
Our
defender and protector. More so the defender and protector of those who have no
one.
If I
were engaged in 5/6 now, I’d be quivering in my boots.
There
can be no real progress if we leave the poor behind. I believe this.
I am
overjoyed the man we managed to install in the highest office of the land
believes this as well and will stop at nothing to snatch the poor out of the
jaws of the monster, Poverty.
Upward
and onward, Philippines!
****
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Source: Facebook/Lorraine Badoy