By Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
No photo with Obama plus the restaurant service sucks.
Sen. Lito Lapid might well have just stayed home.
After failing to have his picture taken with US President Barack Obama, Lapid was said to also not have enjoyed the P1-million dinner which he and other members of the Philippine presidential delegation had at Le Cirque restaurant in New York.
It was Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago who yesterday recounted Lapid’s unhappy experience at the favorite hangout of international celebrities, while herself expressing distaste at such a display of “outlandish” spending.
Like Lapid, Santiago joined the recent US trip of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, but she said she skipped the dinner at the popular French restaurant, which the New York Post said cost a whopping $20,000—or P1 million.
Those who go to restaurants like Le Cirque pay “for the prestige of that place and the privilege of seeing and being seen,” Santiago said in an interview on radio dzBB.
Apparently, the ambiance of the restaurant failed to impress Lapid.
Slow meals
Santiago said she learned that Lapid had told protocol officers that he did not enjoy the dinner.
“Sabi niya, grabe naman itong restaurant na eto, katagal tagal dumating ng order (He said this restaurant is terrible, the orders take so long),” Santiago said. According to her, Lapid pointed out to protocol officers that it took time to serve the meals because the waiters would change plates and silverware with every course.
“That’s why he did not like the French restaurant,” she said.
Unfulfilled wish
During the US trip, the movie actor and former Pampanga governor also raised eyebrows—not to mention giggles—when he admitted that he would like to be part of a select group meeting Obama because he wanted to be photographed with the US president.
Lapid did not get his wish. He wasn’t included in the exclusive group.
Santiago said she skipped the Aug. 2 dinner at Le Cirque with President Macapagal-Arroyo and her entourage because she said she normally did not like to go to such places as this would require her to doll herself up with make-up and jewelry. The senator also said she was not a “scintillating personality after 8 p.m.” She attributed this to her chronic fatigue syndrome condition which, she jested, makes her cranky in the late hours.
Still, she said she was surprised to find out that the dinner was at the watering hole of the rich and famous.
‘Powerful woman
The senator said that, when in the United States, she preferred to go to Vietnamese restaurants because for $10 to $15, one could have a meal of rice and viand.
Regarding Lapid’s missed photo opportunity with Obama, Santiago said she explained to Lapid how strict the protocol was at the meeting, adding that the Philippine group itself didn’t have a chance to be photographed with the US president.
“We have no picture with Obama because we’re not allowed to have pictures with him. His time was very very limited,” she said.
Santiago said Obama was all business. “So there was no picture taking,” she laughed.
She said that at the meeting, she was able to tell Obama that “America would not be able to get what it all wants from President Arroyo because she was not free to sign treaties as these needed to be approved by the Senate, which is dominated by the opposition.”
For that remark, she said Obama told her with a laugh, “I can see you are a powerful woman.”
It was a good thing that at the meeting, there was no talk of Muslim radical prisoners in Guantanamo being shipped to the Philippines.
Had this been mentioned and with Obama telling her she seemed to be a powerful woman, Santiago said she might have ended up being really “powerful in a sense that I would have raised my voice” on that issue.
(Comment: Lito Lapid opting for a photo with Pres. Obama? Hmmm.. Talagang pag tiwali ang kaisipan natin tungkol sa mga Amerikano, ganito ang magiging attitude natin. As a senator bakit ka magta-trying hard na makakuha ng picture kay Pres. Obama na para bang isa siyang artista na kailangang me souvenir photo ka? Kakahiya ito at pinapakita lang natin na talagang wala tayong respeto sa sarili natin bilang mga Pilipino (or as a Philippine Senator for that matter). Colonial mentality ang tawag dito at tayong mga Pilipino second best lang na sumasamba sa mga puti. Regarding this lavish dinner? hmmm... again, pag malayo ang puso natin sa Pilipinong mahihirap, talagang gagawin at gagawin ito ng mga lider na 'to. Nakakahiya na! Sobra na! Palitan na!)
Monday, August 10, 2009
New York dinner, Pinoy hunger
CDN Editorial
Two out of five Filipinos consider themselves as “food poor.”
This was according to the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey which showed that about nine million Filipinos classified themselves as poor.
While many Filipinos cringe in hunger, the country’s chief executive and her entourage managed to splurge on an expensive dinner at an exclusive restaurant in New York during last week’s official visit.
A New York Post report said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her party spent $20,000 or close to P1 million on food and wine at Le Cirque, a favorite hangout of famous personalities like broadcaster Barbara Walters, director Woody Allen and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Richard Johnson hit it right on the nail when he wrote in the Page Six “Eat and Drink” section of the NY Post online edition that “The economic downturn hasn’t persuaded everyone to pinch pennies.”
At a time when many of Filipinos can barely afford a decent meal at a cheapest fastfood, Arroyo gorged on caviar, lobster salad, wild burgundy escargot, soft shell crab tempura, black cod, halibut, over sole, saddle of lamb, prime dry-aged strip steak and Krug champagne, which cost $510 a bottle.
They spent P1 million on dinner when the Arroyo administration was spending only P6 per Filipino per day on education and P1 on health, according to the data released by Ibon Foundation.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde explained that the bill was paid by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez who hosted the Aug. 2 dinner for Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo. He said they didn’t know how much was paid.
But Malacañang has a lot of explaining to do and cannot just downplay the fact that the bill was paid by a political ally.
It has to show proof that no public funds were spent on the lavish dinner. If indeed the dinner was paid by Romualdez, they must prove that the money came from his own pocket and not from his pork barrel.
Still, an expensive dinner was highly inappropriate considering that the country was in the middle of a financial crisis and that about 10 million Filipinos were either underemployed or unemployed
It is not proper for the first couple and their entourage to spend P1 million in one night when based on the November 2008 study of Gallup’s World Food Day survey, 40 percent of Filipinos reported having experienced hunger “often or sometimes” in the last 12 months.
When they sipped the expensive wine and took a bite on the steak, did they even think about Juan dela Cruz who had to settle on watered down rice and a piece of dried fish for dinner? Or did they remember the children in poverty-stricken provinces in Mindanao who had not set foot on Jollibee?
(Comment: Pag lider ka (o kaalyado ng presidente) na HINDI SENSITIVE sa pangangailangan o paghihirap ng mga tao, ganito ang nagiging resulta ng pagdedesisyon. Para bang impulse decision dahil inabot ng gutom basta na lang gagawa ng ganitong hakbang --- irregardless kung ano ang situwasyon ng gutom sa ating bansa. Pag ako ang presidente hindi at malayong mangyari ito. Sa totoo lang kasi often laging ganito ang ginagawa ng marami nating opisyales sa bansa pag nasa labas ng bayan. Business with pleasure lagi. Kaso mas maraming pleasure ang kanilang inaatupag na para bang nasa bakasyon grande sila. Kaya yun lavish spending. Romualdez ba kamo ang nagbayad ng dinner bill? Hmmm.. again we know why).
Two out of five Filipinos consider themselves as “food poor.”
This was according to the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey which showed that about nine million Filipinos classified themselves as poor.
While many Filipinos cringe in hunger, the country’s chief executive and her entourage managed to splurge on an expensive dinner at an exclusive restaurant in New York during last week’s official visit.
A New York Post report said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her party spent $20,000 or close to P1 million on food and wine at Le Cirque, a favorite hangout of famous personalities like broadcaster Barbara Walters, director Woody Allen and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
Richard Johnson hit it right on the nail when he wrote in the Page Six “Eat and Drink” section of the NY Post online edition that “The economic downturn hasn’t persuaded everyone to pinch pennies.”
At a time when many of Filipinos can barely afford a decent meal at a cheapest fastfood, Arroyo gorged on caviar, lobster salad, wild burgundy escargot, soft shell crab tempura, black cod, halibut, over sole, saddle of lamb, prime dry-aged strip steak and Krug champagne, which cost $510 a bottle.
They spent P1 million on dinner when the Arroyo administration was spending only P6 per Filipino per day on education and P1 on health, according to the data released by Ibon Foundation.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde explained that the bill was paid by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez who hosted the Aug. 2 dinner for Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo. He said they didn’t know how much was paid.
But Malacañang has a lot of explaining to do and cannot just downplay the fact that the bill was paid by a political ally.
It has to show proof that no public funds were spent on the lavish dinner. If indeed the dinner was paid by Romualdez, they must prove that the money came from his own pocket and not from his pork barrel.
Still, an expensive dinner was highly inappropriate considering that the country was in the middle of a financial crisis and that about 10 million Filipinos were either underemployed or unemployed
It is not proper for the first couple and their entourage to spend P1 million in one night when based on the November 2008 study of Gallup’s World Food Day survey, 40 percent of Filipinos reported having experienced hunger “often or sometimes” in the last 12 months.
When they sipped the expensive wine and took a bite on the steak, did they even think about Juan dela Cruz who had to settle on watered down rice and a piece of dried fish for dinner? Or did they remember the children in poverty-stricken provinces in Mindanao who had not set foot on Jollibee?
(Comment: Pag lider ka (o kaalyado ng presidente) na HINDI SENSITIVE sa pangangailangan o paghihirap ng mga tao, ganito ang nagiging resulta ng pagdedesisyon. Para bang impulse decision dahil inabot ng gutom basta na lang gagawa ng ganitong hakbang --- irregardless kung ano ang situwasyon ng gutom sa ating bansa. Pag ako ang presidente hindi at malayong mangyari ito. Sa totoo lang kasi often laging ganito ang ginagawa ng marami nating opisyales sa bansa pag nasa labas ng bayan. Business with pleasure lagi. Kaso mas maraming pleasure ang kanilang inaatupag na para bang nasa bakasyon grande sila. Kaya yun lavish spending. Romualdez ba kamo ang nagbayad ng dinner bill? Hmmm.. again we know why).
I have never profited from my office - GMA
By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated August 11, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo maintained yesterday that she has never and will never use her position for personal profit even as she strongly denied manipulating her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) that showed her net worth doubling in the last eight years.
Her lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said the President vehemently denied “any report or speculation alleging defect or her non-compliance with the law in filing her SALN.”
A report from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) said that based on her SALNs, Mrs. Arroyo’s declared net worth more than doubled from P66.8 million in 2001 to P143.54 million in 2008, or bigger than the combined growth in declared wealth of her three immediate predecessors, including former President Joseph Estrada, who was convicted for plunder.
“The President reiterates that she has never used and will never use or take advantage of her position for personal profit as she had declared in her State of the Nation Address and as expected of her by the people,” Macalintal told a news conference at the Palace that was also attended by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain.
He said he spoke over the phone with the President who was in Ilocos Norte yesterday and received instruction that he speak for her on the matter. She did not sound upset, he said.
He said Mrs. Arroyo prepared and signed her SALN under oath to the best of her knowledge and in full compliance with the Constitution.
“She honestly believes that she has been very transparent on her assets and liabilities and she has nothing to hide,” Macalintal said.
He said the report insinuating irregularities in the preparation of her SALN “is most unfair and uncalled for.”
He said the report “would accuse the President’s SALN as somewhat irregular just because she reported an amount bigger or higher than her predecessors.”
“We do not know what standard used by the reporter in coming up with her analysis. It is as if that if you reported a big asset, this must be investigated; if small, it’s okay and there should be no more investigation,” Macalintal said.
He said Mrs. Arroyo is inviting anyone to question before the Office of the Ombudsman, where the SALNs are filed, “if he or she has any evidence that the President violated or did not comply with the constitutional requirements in the filing of such disclosure documents.”
He said the President filed her SALNs in good faith and without any intention to deceive anyone.
“Those who alleged otherwise should come up with evidence to prove their uncalled for or self-serving accusations instead of being speculative or judgmental on the matter,” he said.
Macalintal and Rondain said if there were any vagueness in the SALNs, the Office of the Ombudsman should have already pointed out the matter to the First Couple.
Rondain also criticized the article’s use of the term “token compliance” to describe the First Couple’s handling of the requirements of the law.
“Under the law, there’s no such thing as token compliance. Either you comply with the law, with the requirements or you don’t comply. Either you’re alive or dead,” Rondain said.
On the issue of the alleged non-disclosure of the First Couple’s business in the stock market, he said the data is open and available in the records of the Philippine Stock Exchange.
“My feeling is that if the PCIJ has any evidence, it would be better if they bring it out. Because the report is just full of insinuations,” Rondain said.
“It’s a clear indication that democracy is in action in the Philippines and nobody is prevented from making this report but of course the President expects the report to have evidence and not based on speculations,” Macalintal said.
A lot of explaining to do
Senators said the president has a lot of explaining to do regarding the allegations in the PCIJ report.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said every public official should account for the wealth he has acquired as stated in the Constitution and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Sen. Manuel Roxas II said the Office of the Ombudsman should be the one to look into accountability of a public officials but it was unfortunate that the anti-graft body was sitting on many scandals involving the Arroyo government.
“Of course it will raise eyebrows and the people will wait for an explanation on how it happened because she has no other businesses that can be the source of (her additional wealth),” Roxas said.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said it would be wise to check the income taxes filed by Mrs. Arroyo.
Enrile said the figures must be justified. “I’m a lawyer, I know how to handle that,” he said.
Roxas said if the President and her financial advisers would say she earned from her shares of stocks, it would be good to check the rates at the time she said she made money out of them.
Sen. Francis Escudero said he had not seen the SALNs of the President but that her salary was considerably low.
Moreover, he said, there is always conflict of interest when a president ventures into a business.
“There is also a worldwide crisis not only in the Philippines, so you wonder why her wealth grew much bigger considering ordinary interest rates, ordinary return on investments on any business that one gets into,” Escudero said.
“I hope she will put that in her SALNs, the explanations of where her wealth came from and that she must be transparent along with the public officials,” Escudero said.
Escudero said it’s doubtful that the wealth had been acquired legally by the President and that her lawyers’ defense should be examined in detail.
Confirmation
The United Opposition (UNO) said it is seriously concerned over reports of “exponential growth” in the wealth of President Arroyo and her family during her term, which exceeded the growth in the wealth of all the three presidents before her, spokesman Ernesto Maceda said yesterday.
“The PCIJ report confirms what people have long known. Arroyo has flouted the rules on accountability and transparency in government and has made a bad example for the million and a half other civil servants running the government,” Maceda said.
“Now we know why she has made token compliance to the requirement of regularly stating a public official’s assets. It’s because she has much to hide. In her eight years in office, Arroyo’s declared net worth more than doubled, from P66.8 million in 2001 to P143.54 million in 2008. The increase of P76.74 million represents a growth rate of 114 percent.” Maceda said quoting the PCIJ report.
Maceda said the PCIJ report showed that the late President Corazon C. Aquino’s declared net worth grew by only 4.8 percent from 1989 to 1992.
He said, by comparison, Fidel V. Ramos’ rose by 34.2 percent from 1992 to 1998, and Joseph ‘Erap’ Ejercito Estrada’s, by 7.2 percent from 1998 to 1999.
If various allowances are thrown in, Mrs. Arroyo’s monthly pay would total P100,000 at most or P1.2 million a year before tax. Yet even then, this represents only 10 percent of the P10.97-million average annual increase in Mrs. Arroyo’s net worth since 2001.
The president’s SALNs, however, offer few clues to explain the big difference, or whether she has other lawful sources of income.
PCIJ said that since 2001, the president has apparently taken the path of “token compliance” instead of going for full disclosure in form and substance of her assets and liabilities, in accordance with the Constitution. As a result, her SALNs in the last eight years have been remarkably full of gaps in data.
Allies come to GMA’s defense
Mrs. Arroyo’s allies at the House of Representatives defended her from insinuations that she had enriched herself during her eight years in office.
Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III saw nothing wrong in Mrs. Arroyo’s net worth since her wealth came from legitimate sources.
“Baka nga interes lang ng pera iyan sa bangko o kaya sa stocks, shares and other investments,” he said.
“Critics are trying to throw everything because they have no more legitimate issues to raise. It is very clear that politics is behind everything.”
Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo said the report on Mrs. Arroyo’s wealth is incomplete.
“It should have included details about the increase on President Arroyo’s net worth,” he said.
Romualdo said being an economist, Mrs. Arroyo had made some good significant investments that earned dividends.
“It seems that the battle among newspapers to boost its circulations is to report negative stories,” he said.
“How about good news? What happened to the positive gains of this administration? Do these good stories and positive achievements of the administration have been given enough space and prominence?” — with Aurea Calica , Jose Rodel Clapano, Delon Porcalla, Jess Diaz
(Comment: This kind of thing will not happen in my term as president. As stated in one of my crowning agenda (which all other presidentiables do not have -- they're only famous and nothing else). I only have one bank account which is open to all Filipinos. Anybody can check it anyday they want and the bank which handles my account will gladly tell them the balance. If that balance is more than what I should be earning as president, then I'll resign. No impeachment needed. If another bank says that I have another account with them or any Filipino finds out that I have another bank account not known to the people, then I'll resign. No impeachment needed. If we are sincere to the people, then this is the best transparency that they'll gonna get form me as their chief executive. You wanna kill corruption from the top? Then let's do this!)
MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo maintained yesterday that she has never and will never use her position for personal profit even as she strongly denied manipulating her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) that showed her net worth doubling in the last eight years.
Her lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said the President vehemently denied “any report or speculation alleging defect or her non-compliance with the law in filing her SALN.”
A report from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) said that based on her SALNs, Mrs. Arroyo’s declared net worth more than doubled from P66.8 million in 2001 to P143.54 million in 2008, or bigger than the combined growth in declared wealth of her three immediate predecessors, including former President Joseph Estrada, who was convicted for plunder.
“The President reiterates that she has never used and will never use or take advantage of her position for personal profit as she had declared in her State of the Nation Address and as expected of her by the people,” Macalintal told a news conference at the Palace that was also attended by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain.
He said he spoke over the phone with the President who was in Ilocos Norte yesterday and received instruction that he speak for her on the matter. She did not sound upset, he said.
He said Mrs. Arroyo prepared and signed her SALN under oath to the best of her knowledge and in full compliance with the Constitution.
“She honestly believes that she has been very transparent on her assets and liabilities and she has nothing to hide,” Macalintal said.
He said the report insinuating irregularities in the preparation of her SALN “is most unfair and uncalled for.”
He said the report “would accuse the President’s SALN as somewhat irregular just because she reported an amount bigger or higher than her predecessors.”
“We do not know what standard used by the reporter in coming up with her analysis. It is as if that if you reported a big asset, this must be investigated; if small, it’s okay and there should be no more investigation,” Macalintal said.
He said Mrs. Arroyo is inviting anyone to question before the Office of the Ombudsman, where the SALNs are filed, “if he or she has any evidence that the President violated or did not comply with the constitutional requirements in the filing of such disclosure documents.”
He said the President filed her SALNs in good faith and without any intention to deceive anyone.
“Those who alleged otherwise should come up with evidence to prove their uncalled for or self-serving accusations instead of being speculative or judgmental on the matter,” he said.
Macalintal and Rondain said if there were any vagueness in the SALNs, the Office of the Ombudsman should have already pointed out the matter to the First Couple.
Rondain also criticized the article’s use of the term “token compliance” to describe the First Couple’s handling of the requirements of the law.
“Under the law, there’s no such thing as token compliance. Either you comply with the law, with the requirements or you don’t comply. Either you’re alive or dead,” Rondain said.
On the issue of the alleged non-disclosure of the First Couple’s business in the stock market, he said the data is open and available in the records of the Philippine Stock Exchange.
“My feeling is that if the PCIJ has any evidence, it would be better if they bring it out. Because the report is just full of insinuations,” Rondain said.
“It’s a clear indication that democracy is in action in the Philippines and nobody is prevented from making this report but of course the President expects the report to have evidence and not based on speculations,” Macalintal said.
A lot of explaining to do
Senators said the president has a lot of explaining to do regarding the allegations in the PCIJ report.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said every public official should account for the wealth he has acquired as stated in the Constitution and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Sen. Manuel Roxas II said the Office of the Ombudsman should be the one to look into accountability of a public officials but it was unfortunate that the anti-graft body was sitting on many scandals involving the Arroyo government.
“Of course it will raise eyebrows and the people will wait for an explanation on how it happened because she has no other businesses that can be the source of (her additional wealth),” Roxas said.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said it would be wise to check the income taxes filed by Mrs. Arroyo.
Enrile said the figures must be justified. “I’m a lawyer, I know how to handle that,” he said.
Roxas said if the President and her financial advisers would say she earned from her shares of stocks, it would be good to check the rates at the time she said she made money out of them.
Sen. Francis Escudero said he had not seen the SALNs of the President but that her salary was considerably low.
Moreover, he said, there is always conflict of interest when a president ventures into a business.
“There is also a worldwide crisis not only in the Philippines, so you wonder why her wealth grew much bigger considering ordinary interest rates, ordinary return on investments on any business that one gets into,” Escudero said.
“I hope she will put that in her SALNs, the explanations of where her wealth came from and that she must be transparent along with the public officials,” Escudero said.
Escudero said it’s doubtful that the wealth had been acquired legally by the President and that her lawyers’ defense should be examined in detail.
Confirmation
The United Opposition (UNO) said it is seriously concerned over reports of “exponential growth” in the wealth of President Arroyo and her family during her term, which exceeded the growth in the wealth of all the three presidents before her, spokesman Ernesto Maceda said yesterday.
“The PCIJ report confirms what people have long known. Arroyo has flouted the rules on accountability and transparency in government and has made a bad example for the million and a half other civil servants running the government,” Maceda said.
“Now we know why she has made token compliance to the requirement of regularly stating a public official’s assets. It’s because she has much to hide. In her eight years in office, Arroyo’s declared net worth more than doubled, from P66.8 million in 2001 to P143.54 million in 2008. The increase of P76.74 million represents a growth rate of 114 percent.” Maceda said quoting the PCIJ report.
Maceda said the PCIJ report showed that the late President Corazon C. Aquino’s declared net worth grew by only 4.8 percent from 1989 to 1992.
He said, by comparison, Fidel V. Ramos’ rose by 34.2 percent from 1992 to 1998, and Joseph ‘Erap’ Ejercito Estrada’s, by 7.2 percent from 1998 to 1999.
If various allowances are thrown in, Mrs. Arroyo’s monthly pay would total P100,000 at most or P1.2 million a year before tax. Yet even then, this represents only 10 percent of the P10.97-million average annual increase in Mrs. Arroyo’s net worth since 2001.
The president’s SALNs, however, offer few clues to explain the big difference, or whether she has other lawful sources of income.
PCIJ said that since 2001, the president has apparently taken the path of “token compliance” instead of going for full disclosure in form and substance of her assets and liabilities, in accordance with the Constitution. As a result, her SALNs in the last eight years have been remarkably full of gaps in data.
Allies come to GMA’s defense
Mrs. Arroyo’s allies at the House of Representatives defended her from insinuations that she had enriched herself during her eight years in office.
Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III saw nothing wrong in Mrs. Arroyo’s net worth since her wealth came from legitimate sources.
“Baka nga interes lang ng pera iyan sa bangko o kaya sa stocks, shares and other investments,” he said.
“Critics are trying to throw everything because they have no more legitimate issues to raise. It is very clear that politics is behind everything.”
Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo said the report on Mrs. Arroyo’s wealth is incomplete.
“It should have included details about the increase on President Arroyo’s net worth,” he said.
Romualdo said being an economist, Mrs. Arroyo had made some good significant investments that earned dividends.
“It seems that the battle among newspapers to boost its circulations is to report negative stories,” he said.
“How about good news? What happened to the positive gains of this administration? Do these good stories and positive achievements of the administration have been given enough space and prominence?” — with Aurea Calica , Jose Rodel Clapano, Delon Porcalla, Jess Diaz
(Comment: This kind of thing will not happen in my term as president. As stated in one of my crowning agenda (which all other presidentiables do not have -- they're only famous and nothing else). I only have one bank account which is open to all Filipinos. Anybody can check it anyday they want and the bank which handles my account will gladly tell them the balance. If that balance is more than what I should be earning as president, then I'll resign. No impeachment needed. If another bank says that I have another account with them or any Filipino finds out that I have another bank account not known to the people, then I'll resign. No impeachment needed. If we are sincere to the people, then this is the best transparency that they'll gonna get form me as their chief executive. You wanna kill corruption from the top? Then let's do this!)
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