MANILA, June 27, 2012— There is nothing wrong with the Aquino administration helping other countries but it should first prioritize the needs of the country, at least two Catholic bishops said.
Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad said it would be better for President Benigno Aquino III to address first the pressing problems of the country that needs immediate attention.
For the government’s help to other countries to be more sincere, it should first start solve the problems at its own backyard.
“Charity begins at home. There’s nothing wrong with helping other countries as long as our own problems are addressed properly,” Jumoad said.
“Many Filipinos are hungry and are jobless. These are some of the things that should be resolved first,” he said.
The bishop was reacting to the Aquino administration’s $1-billion pledge to the International Monetary Fund’s emergency pool to help the euro zone countries stuck in a financial crisis.
According to retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, contributing to the IMF’s crisis fund is only a public relations campaign in the build-up to the next State of the Nation Address (SONA) next month.
“It’s just for a show. It’s like a movie. Aquino just wants to create a good impression for his upcoming SONA that the country is now able to lend money to IMF,” Cruz said.
“It’s like to show that the country’s situation is improving where in fact it’s the other way around,” he said. [CBCPNews]