Scientists, Engineers Join Anti-Con-Ass Mobilizations in Ayala
Natural Resources, Public Utilities Up For Sale If Cha-Cha Pushes Through

Scientists and engineers under the activist group AGHAM (Samahan ng Nagtataguyod ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Sambayanan) joins in the protest action in Makati today. Together with the Defend Patrimony! Alliance, environmentalist and indigenous peoples groups, they held a short pre-rally program at the Ninoy Aquino monument at 12 noon protesting the sale of our natural resources and public utilities under the proposed constitutional revision in the House of Representatives.

“The proposed revisions in the House range from the deletion of the ownership cap on public utilities to providing for greater economic power and access to aliens and foreign corporations”, said Dr. Giovanni Tapang, chairperson of AGHAM.

“With the House Resolution 1109, these revisions can be written in our constitution together with the possible term extensions of those in power today. This would lead to the rape of our environment as well as ever increasing prices for utilities”, warned Dr. Tapang.

AGHAM noted that the existing laws that deregulate public industries will be part of the law of the land. The Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the MWSS privatization, 1995 Water Crisis Act, Downstream Oil Deregulation Act, Air Liberalization Law and the 1995 Public Telecommunications Act are examples of specific laws for investment liberalization and privatization of utilities.

“These laws that deregulated these utilities are the reason why we are paying so much for electricity, water, communication and fuel. With the cha-cha, we expect further opening up of these utilities, a larger dependence on foreign investments, and granting foreign monopolies control over strategic sectors of the economy. Nothing will be left for us Filipinos,” lamented Dr. Tapang.

“This cha-cha is a forward surge of costs for us and a backward step to our economic independence,” noted Dr. Tapang.
AGHAM further notes that the charter change proposals would turn over and the Filipino people’s economic sovereignty and national patrimony to foreigners. The scientists group said that the provisions allowing foreigners 100% ownership of mining, land and other natural resources would be detrimental to our economy and livelihood.

“They will be taking away our resources and leaving us with their mine tailings, environmental disasters and economic problems”, Dr. Tapang notes of foreign companies.

“We believe that a government that serious in developing our economy and desirous to ensure the welfare of the people should be providing the necessary infrastructure and services for them. It must therefore ensure that public utilities are part of the basic industries it should be building. The nationalization of public utilities should be done with the building of local industries for domestic production. This cannot be done by a government that sells our national patrimony, allows foreign control of vital utilities, and is uninterested in genuine industrial development such as the current one in Malacanang”, summarized Dr. Tapang.###