Jennylyn Mercado, one of the celebrity critics of the Duterte administration slammed the government after the national debt reached P9.06 Trillion pesos.
In a tweet, Mercado questioned if the government released a breakdown so the people could know what’s happening with the money being loaned by the country.
“Naglabas na ba ng breakdown kung san napunta ang perang inutang?” said Mercado.
“Kawawa ang mga magmamana ng utang natin,” she added.
Kawawa ang mga magmamana ng utang natin…
— jennylyn mercado (@MercadoJen) July 29, 2020
As a response, radio host Mark Lopez made a lengthy post to lecture Mercado about the debt of the country, saying that the data she’s been asking was already available.
According to him, the real economic, finance, and accounting experts are not questioning the government’s transparency so much because they know where to get data.
Lopez then told Mercado that her post may only lose her credibility.
You can read his whole post below:
JENNYLYN MARKADO
Ok, pagbigyan natin itong hirit ni Miss Jennylyn Mercado…
So interesado ka ba talaga malaman ang breakdown ng inutang?
Kasi, kung totoong may paki ka jan, hindi ka na magtatanong kasi the information is readily available.
Pero ano ba ang actual concern mo Miss Mercado, ung KABUUANG UTANG na P9.06 TRILLION, including the breakdown per administration?
Teka, aware ka ba na yang utang na yan eh hindi lang nung isang buwan inutang, or nung umpisa ng 2020, or nung pagtatapos ng 2019? Bale utang yan ng bansa carried over from one administration to the next.
Aware ka ba na by fiscal year 2016, or pagkaupo ni Mayor Rody Duterte as President eh nasa lagpas P6 TRILLION na ang utang ng National Government?
Or, baka ang tinatanong mong breakdown eh yung loans para sa Covid-19 response?
Pero bakit mo din tinatanong eh available din naman ang information?
In fact, may isa ngang concerned citizen na dating connected sa Department of Finance na ngayon ay isang policy researcher sa Ateneo, ang gumawa ng isang CITIZEN BUDGET TRACKER para matulungan ang taumbayan na ipaliwanag saan napunta ang pera.
Eto yung feature sa kanya –
https://news.abs-cbn.com/…/this-kid-created-a-budget-tracke…
Ayan, Miss Mercado, kung talagang interesado ka, bakit hindi ka lumapit kay Kenneth Isaiah Ibasco Abante, and help him, at the very least, to promote yung kanyang advocacy, para mas malaman ng mas marami, lalu na ng mga fans mo, na ayan at available ang datos at ang hinahanap mong breakdown.
Eto pala yung link ng Budget Tracker ha – https://www.covidbudget.ph/
Sa totoo lang, ang mga finance, accounting, and economic experts, hindi naman sila hirap sa issue ng transparency and accountability dahil alam nila kung saan kukunin ang kailangan na data from the government, and with that, nakakagawa sila ng sound and very much informed opinion.
Tulad nitong mga batang batang economic experts na sina Raya Buensuceso, Jerard Megg Depra Cordero, and Jan Saniel na recently, nag publish ng kanilang assessment sa tinatanong mo about the National Government DEBT.
Eto, paki basa na din ung kanilang sort of mini-thesis kung bakit hindi tayo dapat mag panic sa 9Trillion na utang.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/…/phs-almost-9-trillion-peso-debt-…
Isa pang puede mo ring maging reference guide ay si Jan Suing, as he can also give you factual data, and he can probably explain it to you in a manner na kaya ng comprehension mo.
Eto, isang sample ng maayos na counter argument ni Jan na madali mo lang maiintindihan –
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157690084504247&id=552279246
The point lang Miss Mercado, is that information you are demanding is readily available, unlike what you are trying to portray or convey.
Mahirap yang ganyang stance Miss, kase baka akala mo eh yang ganyang asta eh you are earning credibility or preaching accountability and transparency.
Lumalabas lang kasi, sa ganyang pagbibida mo eh mas lalu ka lang nahahalata na b*bo.
Sayang lang effort mo.
The post of Lopez reached 21,000 shares as of writing.
Mercado has yet to comment on Lopez post against her.