Nababahala ang Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) na matulad ang Pilipinas sa Sri Lanka na nalubog sa utang dahil sa kakulangan ng suplay ng produktong petrolyo at pagkain.
Sa kilos-protesta ng grupo sa Makati City, sinabi ni Lidy Nacpil, coordinator ng APMDD, na hindi lang ang Pilipinas ang maaring matulad sa Sri Lanka, kundi maging ang ibang bansa sa Asya.
“We stand by the Sri Lankan people in the exercise of their rights to free speech and assembly. Teargas, water cannons, arrests, increased military surveillance and questioning of civil society leaders in response to people’s
opposition have no place in a state that claims to be a democracy,” ayon kay Nacpil.
“Sri Lanka is a cautionary tale for the Philippines,” pahayag ni Nacpil.
Nakatatakot aniya na parehong landas ang tatahakin ng Sri Lanka at Pilipinas.
“Through this action, we highlight the many years of debt dependence, faithful compliance with lenders’ conditionalities, corruption and mismanagement which eventually brought Sri Lanka to the point of debt default. We are dangerously on the same path as public debt and debt service payments mount,” pahayag ni Nacpil.
Nabatid na umabot na sa P12 trilyon ang utang ng Pilipinas.
Pumalo naman sa $8.6 bilyon ang utang ng Sri Lanka.