Rampant privatization of public services is another way that the Marcos administration and big corporations are robbing 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, various groups stressed at the “Beyond Corruption: How privatization steals from the people” media forum held Monday.
The media forum’s rationale was delivered by KADAMAY secretary general Mimi Doringo. IBON Research Head and main speaker for the event Rosario Guzman then discussed how privatization is intertwined with corruption, and that both are mechanisms of bureaucrat capitalism – the running of the government like a business for private gain.
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. They use their positions to gain the favor of local and foreign big business 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. This is at the expense of ensuring the peoples’ welfare and genuine development.
A panel discussion followed where panelists 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, as well as electricity and oil. They discussed that because public services and resources are being privatized, these have 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. Joining 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 also discussed the measures and alternatives to end privatization, and ensure transparency, accountability and genuine public control of services. Amihan Mabalay of the SUKI Network then concluded with a synthesis of the forum, 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.
