The Rev. Oscar V. Cruz, archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, was among those blaming the society at large for placing the girl in such dire straits.

“This means we have not done well. We have not done our civic duty to correct the abuses, and to censure graft and corruption. We have kept our eyes closed. We did not act,” the Philippine Inquirer quoted him as saying.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo released one billion pesos (US$23 million) to government agencies overseeing programs to reduce poverty and hunger. The money, however, is unlikely to make a big dent in reducing poverty or hunger.

Marianette's suicide is no news to GCAP-Philippines, the national chapter of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty. The group accuses the Arroyo administration of systematically ignoring the poor and of fudging numbers to reduce poverty indices on paper.