Robredo: Take war vs. poverty seriously, but not by 'dehumanizing' the poor

Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday urged local officials to push for initiatives “that honor and protect” every Filipino’s well-being, saying the poor “deserve better” from the government.  

Robredo underscored the importance of taking the “war on poverty” seriously, but without “dehumanizing” the poor, whose “rights and liberties” must be upheld.

“The poor are not a disposable inconvenience, easy to get rid of through summary killings,” the Vice President said before the Lady Local Legislators’ League of the Philippines national general assembly.

“Instead, their lives are a grim reflection of how society has failed them. They deserve better from the government. They deserve better from all of us,” she added.

She also urged them to speak up in these “extraordinary times.”

“There’s growing noise around the world, encouraging a culture of hate and division and polarization. People’s liberties are at risk and the easier option is to disengage and fall into a resigned sigh. As women, we can’t opt to keep quiet and sit down on the sidelines,” she said.

“Lady legislators, you have been called for such a time as this to flex your unique kind of power to champion our people’s rights and basic freedoms during these extraordinary times [when] democracy and our very way of life is under attack,” she added.

Empowerment

The widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, a long-time Naga City mayor, the Vice President called on female local officials present to “take the lead in empowering your communities in this fight.”

“Being women, being bearers of life itself, you would know firsthand the value of human life. Your duty is to develop legislation that honors and protects the well-being of every Filipino, so that the disempowered are finally empowered,” she said.

She noted that local governance affords them the “closeness … with the people you serve.”

“The National Government will never have the proximity that you regularly have with ordinary Filipinos. Therefore, citizen engagement is your leverage. Not for the sake of expanding your political influence, but for the sake of serving your constituents better,” she said.

Robredo also urged them to “find spaces for innovation” amid rules that govern their work—coupled with “the need for integrity.”

“The solutions must always abide by the law. Dapat walang shortcuts. Innovation demands that we test the limits without disrespecting them,” she said.

“The effects of good governance also go beyond improved service delivery. Its ultimate effect is the empowerment of ordinary Filipinos everywhere … [W]e have to show the people that they can be part of the solution, that they have a role to play in nation-building,” she added. — BAP, GMA News