Manila `cleaned' of people

By Ray Fulcher and Rachel Evans

MANILA -- On April 28 Metro Manila's police began an operation to sweep the many thousands of street people (peddlers, beggars and street kids) from the streets in preparation for the Miss Universe “beauty” pageant.

The pageant opened on May 7. The Ramos government wants to present a “clean and tidy” face to the world press. Government press statements claim that the operation is to “benefit the people through rehabilitation, welfare and care”.

According to media reports, the street people are simply being held in local jails. The plight of their dependents is unknown, but while these people are in custody an already meagre income will become desperately inadequate to support a family.

Dennis Mendiola, secretary general of MAKABAYAN, a broad socialist organisation, said that the operation was “a hypocritical manoeuvre by the Ramos government”. He said that the Miss Universe pageant was another example of the government's misplaced priorities.

“In a country where the majority lives in poverty, Fidel Ramos has allocated 166 million pesos, 3000 police and 100 doctors and nurses to the pageant.”

According to Mendiola, the national ration of doctors to population is 1:2000. The women's organisation KABABAIHAN planned to protest at the Miss Universe opening ceremony.

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