Daily Fel
Philippine Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has faced criticism from online users after his recent statement about the country’s growing debt.
During a senate hearing concerning the proposed 2024 national budget on Tuesday, August 15th, Dela Rosa proposed that increasing the country’s population could serve as a strategy to address the significant debt issue.
He argued that a larger population would lead to a reduced per capita debt burden for the nation. Dela Rosa stated, “Mas maganda siguro manganak tayo ng maraming anak para lumaki ang population natin, at pag lumaki ang population, mas marami mag hatihati są utang, mas bababa ang per capita utang natin.”
He continued, “Yung simple ba, yung pinobre ba, pinobreng pag iisip. Manganak ng mas marami para yung per capita debt natin mas mababa. The bigger the population, mas marami mag hatihati są utang,”
Dela Rosa’s comment prompted a swift response from online users, with many criticizing the senator for suggesting what they viewed as an impractical solution.
In a sarcastic tweet, social media personality @miamagdalena quipped that Dela Rosa’s statement could potentially win a Nobel Prize in Economics.
“Pang Nobel Prize in Economics.”
Pang Nobel Prize in Economics. pic.twitter.com/k0zdHmCaAN
— Miss Maggie (@MiaMagdalena) August 16, 2023
Economist and prominent Twitter personality JC Punongbayan also weighed in, humorously tweeting, “By the same token, bawasan din natin ang populasyon para tumaas ang GDP per capita (laughing emoji).
By the same token, bawasan din natin ang populasyon para tumaas ang GDP per capita… 😅🤦♂️ https://t.co/SZ8Qgeuidd
— JC Punongbayan, PhD (@jcpunongbayan) August 16, 2023
@moonlitpaw, on the other hand, criticized the senator for appearing to lack substantial ideas within his “shiny head.”
nothing inside that shiny head of his https://t.co/BloMtSwyNO
— ree 🪼 (@moonlitpaw) August 16, 2023
Expressing an alternative viewpoint, @banjoong suggested, “Perhaps it would be better if there were fewer senators like you.”
Parang better if less senator like you nalang siguro https://t.co/gGpBVcGzR0
— 𝕭𝖆𝖓𝖏𝖔𝖓𝖌 🌸 (@banjooong) August 16, 2023
Sharing a similar perspective, both @pr3ttyboyomar and @theyseerei expressed their frustration, questioning how someone like Dela Rosa could be a part of the senate.
“We should have a right to fire someone in the senate if they’re this dumb.”
https://twitter.com/pr3ttyboyOmar/status/1691669104170864923
“good heavens how can a person be this stupid my god”
https://twitter.com/theyseerei/status/1691741405797110060
