ARROYO MUST RETRENCH DISGRACED OFFICIALS NOT LOWLY-PAID WORKERS, SAYS COURAGE

Submitted by courage_phil on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 12:21.

COURAGE, a militant national center for
government employees expressed their dismay on the recent appointment of Manny
Gaite to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “This is a complete
affront to the government workers who are facing a threat to their jobs due to
the different lay-off schemes being implemented by the Arroyo administration.
It seems that PGMA’s main requirement for one to remain in government service
is an expert liar and cheater,” said Ferdinand Gaite, National President of
COURAGE.

 

The government employees are enraged
with PGMA’s practice of rewarding corrupt and dishonest officials with top
positions in the bureaucracy while attacking the jobs of lowly-paid workers.
They claimed that Manny Gaite’s loyalty to the present administration is his
main credential for landing in a strategic position in SEC wherein he will
enjoy job security and a bountiful amount of salary and benefits.

 

“We are not amused with Arroyo’s
standards for merit and promotion. She adamantly refuses to listen to the
demand of the government employees to scrap the EO 366 which will take away
their jobs and restrict promotions that they supposedly deserve. On the other
hand, she can easily promote unscrupulous officials,” added Ferdinand Gaite.

 

The leader stressed that Arroyo’s abuse
of her presidential prerogative has caused demoralization among their ranks. “There
are more qualified individuals who may take over the position of Martinez who
muddled SEC’s reputation with his alleged involvement in the Legacy issue. We
are quite puzzled how PGMA can perceive that it is fit to appoint
corruption-tainted Manny Gaite in an agency that badly needs to regain the
public trust,” said Ferdi Gaite.

 

The COURAGE President also stated his
disgust for sharing the same last name with the disgraced official. The members
of the militant organization also warned the public not to confused Manny Gaite
with their leader whom they said has always fought for the rights and interests
of the government workers and the Filipino people.

 

Meanwhile, the state workers cautioned
the Arroyo government that their struggle against the EO 366 is not yet over.
They said that Manny Gaite’s recent appointment, an addition to the long list
of the incompetent members of PGMA’s cabinet, would serve as an inspiration to
fight for their jobs while intensifying the campaign to kick unprincipled
officials out of the bureaucracy.

 

COURAGE announced its plan to mobilize
against the National Workers Congress which will be convened by the Civil
Service Commission on March 23 at the SMX, Mall of Asia. “The CSC, as the
central Human Resource Dept of the government, does not have the right to
organize such a congress. Definitely this will not address our problems on job
security and low pay. This is also a clear circumstance of management
intervention on the workers’ right to self-organization. We are discouraging
all state workers not to participate. ” said Ferdi Gaite. #