The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) aired their call once again for Landbank and QUEDANCOR chairman Luisito Lorenzo to leave government sector. According to Danilo "Ka Daning" Ramos, secretary general of the group "Lorenzo should be on the lifestyles of the rich and infamous rather than government service. His highly expensive working style is not fit for a government official, let alone one in a country in crisis,"

 "A single phone bill of Cito is worth almost 2 years of hard-earned salary of a minimum wage worker. This is impermissible and a betrayal of peasants, who he claims to be serving," said the peasant leader.

 The group also pushed the Office of the Ombudsman to expedite the findings on the plunder case filed by the KMP on Lorenzo and former DA Usec. Bolante concerning the P432 million fertilizer scam, because if not, at the rate things are going, the cases against Lorenzo would pile up in their office.

 Meanwhile, Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of KMP, quizzed Ma. Teresa Dimo, vice president of the Accounting and Budget Department of the QUEDANCOR,for defending former Sec. Lorenzo's overspending, "her logic is obviously clouded with bias for her boss,"

 Ms. Dimo said that "Definitely, the costs incurred is just miniscule compared to the efficient dissemination of instructions to the people in the field,"

 "We challenge Ms. Dimo to say this to the farmers who got nothing substantial during Lorenzo's term at the DA, though his expenses are off the roof. In fact, farmers gave Cito a failing grade for his stint in the department," ended Ala. # # #
 

KMP - 2 October 2004