Angara urges Senate probe on planned NPO abolition

The Senate should look into the serious charge made by workers of the National Printing Office that vested interest groups out to rig the elections in 2004 for President Arroyo are behind the abolition of the state-owned NPO, Sen. Edgardo Angara said yesterday.

The NPO prints sensitive and secured election materials and other forms and receipts.

Angara was reacting to a serious charge made by Mar Adarlo, president of the NPO Workers Association, that private printers identified with the election bid of Mrs. Arroyo in 2004 have masterminded the planned abolition of the NPO.

The NPO is among the 14 government agencies to be abolished under an austerity program of government.

"The statement that there is a dark, sinister agenda behind the abolition of the NPO should be looked into," said Angara.

Adarlo and other NPO workers protesting the abolition have charged that the ugly head of politics was the main reason behind the abolition of the NPO.

Adarlo has charged after the abolition of the NPO, private printers identified with the Arroyo administration will come in and corner the printing of election materials.

"This is a very serious accusation that has to be investigated. The workers have raised a strong point that the NPO abolition is a mere cover to secure the printing of sensitive election materials for 2004 for the Arroyo partisans," Angara said.

Angara said that with civil servants at the helm of the NPO, there is a guarantee that the printing of election materials and forms will be professionally done and entirely without "partisan color."

He said that the accusation of the NPO workers that there is a "ready private entity" to take over the printing job and fill the printing void left by the NPO sends shock waves to public leaders and private groups now working out for a poll modernization program.

Angara is himself the sponsor of two major political reforms bills that seek to strengthen political parties and end the infusion of vested interest money into political campaigns.

NPO workers have vowed to stage mass protests to oppose the scheduled abolition of the NPO.