Enrique Sadiosa For President 2010

Bishop urges Aquino: Look beyond friends in strengthening Cabinet

2011-01-04T01:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2011!!!

As I start writing again in this blog, I can't help it but blame nyself for not posting important issues affecting our country since President Nonoy Aquino took over the helms of the government last year. I repeatedly tell my colleagues and friends here in Hong Kong and in the Philippines that not much will happen or change in the country even if Mr. Aquino will sit as our new leader since he himself is a product of the old padrino politics, meaning he himself benefited from the old systems since he was a member of congress and a senator. He cannot abolish pork barrel since he himself has benefited from this annual "doleout" and knows the power it can give to an individual. He cannot abolish it since many of his colleagues in the government know how to corrupt it and hide the corruption from the taxpayers. The hostage embarrassment is another proof that he cannot, as leader, imprison government officials who were once allies to her dad and mom who were responsible for shaming the country all over the world. Much to my dismay (since I am based in Hong Kong and felt the embarrassment myself with our innocent kababayans here), President Aquino did nothing much to appease the hate and anger of Hong Kongers, while 120,000 of our working and resident kababayans are not given importance and left hanging by his government on any backlash which until now is still being felt by our communtiy --- the recent being the Hong Kong government's alleged sudden change in strategy from banning maniland Chinese domestic helpers to now " opening its doors" to Mandarin-speaking domestic helpers -- endangering the hanap-buhay of the hundred thousand Filipinos here. Truly, my predictions of President Aquino's government one by one, are beginning to come. I mentioned this in this blog even before the election. More will be happening this year as I mentioned last year. Cheers to everyone this 2011!
Watch and read more in this blog and you be the judge.

By Jocelyn R. Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—A Catholic bishop has called on President Aquino to replace the officials in his Cabinet with “very capable people” in order to effect real reforms in the country.

Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos said on Monday Mr. Aquino’s plans for the country remained unclear because of the existing patronage system in the government.
“I am actually hoping and praying that he will actually exercise his presidency because right now it’s unclear where we are going,” said Pueblos over Church-run Radyo Veritas.
The prelate proposed that Mr. Aquino reshuffle his Cabinet and appoint members because of their skills, not because “they are his barkada (buddies) or they were loyal to his mother or father.”

The President is the son of the martyred opposition leader Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and the late icon of democracy and former President Corazon C. Aquino.
“I think everybody would like to support him because there is such an aspect for change… but he should let the government be run by very capable people,” said Pueblos.
Other Church officials previously aired the same sentiments after Malacañang suffered setbacks with several executive orders it had issued, including one that created a truth commission to investigate anomalies in the administration of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz pointed out that all the mistakes and glitches in the new administration were the fault of the “very incompetent” advisers in his Cabinet.
“He better reshuffle his Cabinet and get able ones,” Cruz had said.

But Pueblos said the creation of a truth commission would only be a waste of time and public funds as the job of investigating the corruption cases in the Arroyo administration could be conducted by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman.

“There are a lot of other problems that the President must attend to, particularly the flooding that some parts of the country, including Mindanao, is experiencing,” he said.

RP polls bring feast then famine - Washington Post

2010-04-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

By Jose Katigbak, STAR Washington bureau (The Philippine Star) Updated April 29, 2010 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON – Filipino politicians have one of the worst records in Southeast Asia for stiffing the poor, coddling the rich and indulging themselves, The Washington Post said.

A Post report from Manila by Blaine Harden said in an election season in the Philippines, the poor are inundated with “goodies” but the pre-election good times are almost always followed by post-election betrayal.

The need to do much for the poor is the primary talking point of 85,000 candidates running for 17,000 elective positions in the May 10 general elections, the newspaper said, and “it’s hard to keep track of all the incoming goodies.”

Traditionally, aid to the poor drops off after the vote.
The campaign slogan of presidential frontrunner Sen. Benigno Aquino is “without corrupt officials, there are no poor people,“ the report said, “but after 12 years in public office, he has little record of introducing legislation aimed at poverty reduction.”

As for Sen. Manuel Villar, Aquino’s main challenger, his slogan is: “End poverty once and for all.“

Villar says he understands poverty like no other candidate because he grew up in the slums and knows how to alleviate it, but his critics claim he became rich in part by using his political influence, the newspaper report said.

Many of the candidates employ the services of entertainment and sports celebrities to boost their chances at the polls. In the United States, Hollywood fame brings candidates no political fortune, The Washington Times reported.

It said a study by researchers at North Carolina State University found that celebrity endorsements by stars such as Madonna and George Clooney do not help political candidates and, in fact, can hurt them.

The Times said public annoyance with celebrities who leave the sound stage for the campaign trail has been detected elsewhere in the United States. The Philippine election campaign has attracted little attention in the US media primarily because the leading candidates in the presidential stakes are pro-American (hay nakuuu).

There doesn’t seem to be anything interesting about the election unless of course it doesn’t happen, said Walter Lohman of the Heritage Foundation.
“Now that would be a problem because the US definitely wants to see the elections proceeding and the results being honored,” he said.

Ernest Bower of the Center for Strategic & International Studies said the election was an important opportunity for the Philippines to emphasize one of its key competitive advantages – a democratic government.

“Let’s hope the race is well fought and won by the candidate receiving the most votes. The candidates who lose should support the new president and move on to support the country’s national interest,” he said.

(COMMENT: Need I say more?!? THIS IS PRECISELY ONE OF THE REASONS why I decided to run. But the COMELEC didn't like my application. So now, I'm boycotting this election... and so with the thousands more OFWs around the world. Here in Hong Kong, with about 100,000 workers, not even 10% had casted their votes. Matalino talaga ang mga OFWs. In Europe and U.S.? The same. Ganun din sa Asia-PAcific region. 'Di talaga paloloko ang OFWs!) 'Di na natoto ang Pilipino.

Audience wanted answers to questions but not asked

2010-02-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

By Minerva Generalao, Cyril Bonabente, Eliza Victoria
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Some 80 questions were asked in the first-ever Philippine Daily Inquirer Presidential Debate held Monday at the University of the Philippines (UP) Theater in Diliman, Quezon City, but those who came wanted to ask more.

Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III should have been asked about Hacienda Luisita, “and why he has not done much as a senator,” said C, 54, a businesswoman.

Another, who decided to be anonymous, said: “Noynoy should have been asked about Hacienda Luisita. Up to now, no forum had personally asked him about this issue.”

But Elizabeth San Diego of Quezon City disagreed. “I have already read and heard a lot about the case of Hacienda Luisita so I did not want to hear more about it anymore,” she said.

Amer Amor, a professor at UP Baguio, said, “I expected that someone would ask former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro about his links to President Arroyo.”

A 20-year-old student leader said he would have wanted to ask Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar: “How much money does a candidate have to spend on political ads?”

NBN-ZTE, other issues

“There was no question about NBN/ZTE,” said Noel, 18, a student. “I wanted to know if the candidates were still for wiring schools and other institutions, with the scrapped contract being so controversial.”

Tino Borja, a physics major, lamented the lack of questions about “research and development and on science and technology.” He said: “I would have liked to hear their views, and learn how they will give attention and provide investments for these fields.”
A graduate student, Aisa Manlosa, 24, said she “did not learn about the candidates’ stand on the government’s fight against terrorism, and on the Philippines’ alliance with the US in this regard.”

“For the Social Issues panel, discussions were focused primarily on reproductive health,” said Clara Buenconsejo, 19, a student. “Nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to hear also about agrarian reform and other issues such as education.”

Other issues that attendees wished were raised and tackled during the debate were on political and human rights, particularly for women, the communist insurgency, and labor issues like unemployment and labor contractualization.

More time for responses

Many in the audience wished more time was allotted for the candidates’ responses.

“We would like it if the candidate was able to at least finish a statement he had begun instead of being cut halfway through when the microphone was turned off,” a 19-year-old female student said.

A number of attendees were disappointed that deposed President Joseph Estrada did not show up.

“We’re all questioning why he was allowed to run—and why he’s running again in the first place—and I would have liked to hear his reasons and reactions to the criticisms against him,” said Christina, a law student.

Some commented that the forum seemed like an “elite affair.”

“People’s organizations were conspicuously absent from among those who asked questions on the floor,” Julius Cainglet of the Federation of Free Workers said.

Allen de la Fuente, a UP psychology student, said business organizations were given “undue importance” in the forum.

Informed choice

But many said the presidential debate was successful in helping them make an informed choice for the coming elections.

“I guess I heard everything that I wanted to hear from the candidates because now I know whom not to vote for. Before I came here I was undecided on two candidates, but now I think I am 99 percent sure whom to vote for,” said a female UP graduate student.
Christina said: “Some of the candidates that I have completely stricken off my list surprised me with their answers. May potential naman pala sila. You couldn’t really get to know candidates simply through their advertisements.”

The forum even led some voters to change their minds about their first preferences.

Changing their minds

“I was disappointed with Noynoy. I was initially for him, but I saw that when he spoke, he lacked conviction. He gave answers that were too general, and he wasn’t direct to the point. Walang dating. Hindi ka makukumbinsi (No sizzle, he’s not convincing). Gibo was more specific,” said Hilda, 30, a businesswoman.

Grace, 52, a human resources officer, found some candidates’ answers too general. “I was impressed with [Sen. Richard Gordon] and Gibo [Gilbert Teodoro], though, because their answers were specific and you could see that they actually studied the issues raised, and they had concrete plans. From the others you simply heard more of the same: Blah, blah, blah.”

San Diego said she liked the forum very much. “The questions were varied … I hope there will be a follow-up.”

(Comments: PDI seems to be biased with Nonoy (though, again, I'm not voting for him or any of the presidentiables running. I prefer a boycott on this election and you know my reasons). The way PDI reporters and writers presented Nonoy's case was not balanced. I guess PDI is betting on Villar. Again, the PDI forum was a waste of time, money and effort since the more important issues like poverty, food supply, overseas workers, graft and corruption (and how to solve them), FSC (food, shelter, clothing) prices, employment, businesses, and various other issues were not properly addressed. So, there were more important questions that should be asked like the ones above. Why were not they asked? And why waste your TME (time, money and effort) for this forum when we very well know that the same things will happen in our country whoever wins in this race. It's like the COMELEC. Kunwari, nagtawag ng mga kakandidato para ipakita na patas ang darating na halalan. Then we knew what had happened after that. 99 presientiables, 91 got busted (including me haha). Then the forums came. Same things were said by the candidates. Nothing new. It was just a show and nothing more. PDI won because they became more popular after their sponsored debate. WHAT I was waiting were conrete answers from the candidates on what to do with the country's image now that we are into globalization (I did not signed up for this). What to do with our islands that are now "invaded" by China, Taiwan, and all the countries in Asia (who are pretending to be our allies via ASEAN), extreme poverty in the country, OFWs who are being jailed overseas, unemployment which is dragging our citizens into working overseas like slaves, human rights violations, extreme divide between the rich and poor, decaying infrstuctures, neglect of the countryside including abuse of our natural resources, health and hygiene, basic public infrastuctures, deteriorating jails, white washing of criminal cases, deteriorating professionalism and neglect of government support of our military, sagging quality of education, and many hundreds more problems that are basically taken for granted by the government (and millions of our people too) due to graft and corruption. The country has been in disarray since th Marcoses took over. Cory became president but did nothing to the Marcos cronies and friends and supporters who were guilty of plunder and other heinous crimes (because some were her friends and even relatives?). FVR took over for a short period but then he was a former Marcos general which complicated the system even more. Those who were not punished after Marcos came out winners and until now are holding government posts. Erap came and we knew the story. GMA took over and the country became more corrupt and unstable. GMA even wanted to create "super nannies" since she has no solution to the OFW problem. This is the reason why I am boycotting this coming election basing from the TRACK records of our former presidents and those who are now running. What else can we expect from these people? I was hoping for new faces, new names, and new blood in this race (kahit hindi na ako). What came out are old faces, old blood, old politicians. There is nothing more to hope for and expect from them. No matter what they say and plan for the country, this track record will speak for whoever will come out winner in May 2010. It will another 6 years of sufferings and difficulties in the Philippines. Itaga natin yan sa bato. Let us view our country and its problems in a macro level and we'll understand how little and absurd are the things happening in the minds of these presidentiables. They have no solutions to our very basic problems and they do not really care.D

Who are the real liars in the Senate?

2010-01-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

Who are the real liars in the Senate?
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TO ACCUSE THE 12 SENATORS who signed the report on Sen. Manuel Villar’s culpability in the C5 Extension project of political motivation is a sophomoric attempt at avoiding the issue, and is itself politically motivated. The assumption that Filipinos are so stupid as not to see through this ploy is an insult to the people the senators are supposed to represent.

By avoiding to take up this issue on the Senate floor and dismissing it simply as politics, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is in effect calling his 12 colleagues of lying and of being irresponsible and unpatriotic.

And if he and the other senators who signed the “acquittal resolution” on Senator Villar truly believe that Senator Villar has been falsely accused by his irresponsible colleagues, then it is their sworn duty to expose these unworthy senators and prove to the public that they are indeed liars and to accept the latter group’s challenge to convince Senator Villar to present himself before the Senate and show the public who are the liars. Presidential candidate Villar cannot strut around the country pretending this is not happening. This is a great opportunity for him to prove that he is clean and deserves to be our next president.

Senator Cayetano, corruption is the reason why there is so much poverty in our nation, in case you don’t know. You were elected to represent the 90 million Filipinos, not yourself.

As for those two senators who signed both the “acquittal resolution” and the report, whichever group is proven to be lying, they are doomed to be in the list of liars.

—J. FRANKLIN B. REGIS,
256 Calatagan St.,
Ayala Alabang Village,
Barangay Alabang,
Muntinlupa City

(Comment: As I said before, the country needs a total overhaul of leaders (politicians, religious, etc) to start moving again. These people in the senate are just using their time fighting, insulting, backbiting, back-stabbing each other while millions of Filipinos are hungry and suffering. Total overhaul means from the president, senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, barangay captains and tanods. This includes policemen, and leaders from the armed forces who are mostly corrupt. The list goes on to leaders from the public works, education, COMELEC, justice department, religious leaders who are trying to be politicians themselves, NGOs, etc). The country needs a total change on mentality, culture, or beliefs. The Philippines has and still is "the" laughing stock of the world (better yet, a country subjected to general ridicule), the economic sluggard, and cheap supplier labor because its leaders are corrupt, dishonest, incompetent, and no connections to the outside world. The country and its people (including leaders) are like fishes swimming in a small bowl where there is no longer room for improvement, development, and progress. So what happens when the country and its people are "dammed" like those fishes in that small bowl? They start killing and eating each other until the only strongest among them survive. This is the once-proud, once-2nd-only-to-Japan country in Asia). It is only by putting many of its corrupt leaders (and their cohorts) in jail and changing the Filipino mentality of insensitivity and stupidity that the country will grow and become a strong nation. Oh, by the way, Filipinos should stop worshipping America and eating its trash. Filipinos should learn how to manage themselves and take of themselves during calamities and natural disasters. Hora-horada na lang pag me kabuwisitan, tawag sa kano! Ano ba? Pag me bagyo, tawag sa knao! Pag me baha, tawag sa kano! Pag me lindol at landslide, tawag sa kano! Hindi na tayo nahiya! Well, ganun naman talaga kasi. Pag puro walanghiya at corrupt and maraming leaders, talagang hindi sila mahihiyang magmakaawa na naman sa kano para tulungan. 'Yan ang quality ng maraming leaders sa Pilipinas, napakarami ang mga walanghiya! Magsariling sikap naman tayo. Gamitin ang pera sa baha, huwag ilagay sa bulsa!

Other countries in Asia had accomplished that 20-30 years ago. This is why they are more developed now and have overtaken the Philippines in many aspects of their development). Wake up na, Pinoys!

Adulterer, yes; plunderer, no

2010-01-25T18:26:00.000-08:00

By John Nery
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Close this The decision of the Comelec’s Second Division to qualify Joseph Estrada for the presidential election in May, reached on the ninth anniversary of his people-powered ouster from Malacañang, invites the Filipino citizen to consider, yet again, the ex-president’s sins against the nation.

In two recent editorials, the Inquirer observed the distinction between the legal impediments Estrada faces (which the second division blithely set aside, in favor of a sweeping populism) and the moral hazard that Estrada’s return represents.

This distinction, I think, is crucial to our evolving understanding of the democratic project.

Many Filipinos object to the very idea that a failed president can serve in the presidency again. But as the first editorial pointed out, the issue before the Comelec was whether the Constitution—not past performance, not much-publicized adventures in morality—bars Estrada from running for reelection. In other words, the notion of “failure,” of whether Estrada was a “good” or “bad” president, ought not to figure in the legal debate.

As I have written before, the phrasing of the prohibition, that the president is ineligible for “any reelection,” seems clear enough; the deliberate inclusion of the word “any” reflects the framers’ reconsidered view. Sadly, instead of vigorously advancing a contrary legal view, the Comelec’s second division merely passed the burden of decision to the electorate (in theory) and to the Supreme Court (in reality).

As the second editorial argued, however, there are in fact many reasons other than the strictly legal to disqualify Estrada from running again. Many of these have to do with public virtue, a democratic republic’s true foundation stone.

Estrada’s new lease on political life thus gives all of us (or, well, maybe just me) the chance to sharpen our thinking on the kind of morality political office requires. I raised similar points in two columns last April; I trust Estrada’s example will help me push my argument forward.

* * *

In an ideal world, political office should be reserved for those of undoubted personal integrity. The familiar example we use to illustrate the point is powerful precisely because it speaks to common experience: A philandering husband, we say, makes for a corrupt politician, because he would be forced to skim money off the treasury to fund his extra needs. Hence, don’t vote known adulterers to public office.

In reality, however, the truth is more complicated. To confine our discussion to heads of government alone: Some of the best (that is, most effective) politicians have been less than faithful to their wives; indeed, to choose just one example, the most consequential US president of the 20th century was the fascinatingly complex Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (He was an artful liar, too.) Conversely, personal probity is no guarantee of competence in governance, much less of success.

But the republican form of government is based on the notion of public virtue. I take John Adams’ definition for my own: “There must be a positive Passion for the public good, the public Interest, Honour, Power and Glory, established in the Minds of the People, or there can be no Republican Government, nor any real liberty.”

Emilio Jacinto’s “Kartilya,” the primer he fashioned to orient members of the Katipunan, is marked by this same regard for public virtue. The fifth principle, for instance (cribbed from Filipino.biz.ph, using a copy based apparently on a National Centennial Commission “handout”) reads: “Ang may mataas na kalooban, inuuna ang puri kaysa pagpipita sa sarili; ang may hamak na kalooban, inuuna ang pagpipita sa sarili kaysa sa puri.”

We can translate this as follows: “The noble man places honor before self-interest; the lowly man puts self-interest before honor.”

To be sure, a strong sense of personal virtue underlies Jacinto’s founding principles. Consider the ninth: “Ang babae ay huwag mong tingnang isang bagay na libangan lamang, kundi isang katuwang at karamay sa mga kahirapan nitong buhay; gamitin mo nang buong pagpipitagan ang kanyang kahinaan, at alalahanin ang inang pinagbuharan at nag-iwi sa iyong kasanggulan.” We can translate this as: “Don’t look at woman as a mere plaything, but as your equal and companion in life’s hardships; tend to her weakness, and keep in mind your mother who bore you and raised you.” But even here, the notion of public wellbeing is transparent.

* * *

In sum: the moral fact that disqualifies Estrada from serving in the presidency again is not his serial adultery; it is his conviction for plunder. That his absolute pardon erased that conviction is legal fiction—that is to say, it is a construction, a fact created by legal processes (which we must all respect, if we want the rule of law to take effect).

But that he ran the illegal numbers game jueteng from Malacañang, and abused the powers of the presidency by putting pressure on the public insurance systems to purchase a controversial stock on which he, the President of the Philippines then, earned a P180-million commission—these remain facts that cannot be erased by the pardon. Only their legal meaning has been changed.

Their moral content remains the same: They prove that the highest official of the land violated public morality. He placed his own self-interest ahead of the public good.

All things being equal, I would of course prefer not to vote for an adulterer. Allow me, then, to tweak this column’s title, thus: An adulterer, maybe; a plunderer, never.

(Comment: Kagaya ng sinabi ko, the mere fact that Esrada was a convicted plunderer (ex-convict for that matter) already disqualifies him to run for public office. For delikadesa na lamang, dapat iningatan ito ng COMELEC if the COMELEC is a TRUE GUARDIAN of democracy in the country. Dapat HINDI na nila pigkonsidera ang application ni Erap dahil basag na ang public trust ng tao sa kanaya. Public office is a public trust. Once nabasag na ito,kahit pa pinatawad na siya, hindi na dapat pang in-accept ng COMELEC ang application nya. Ang basag na salamin sa bintana kahit lagyan mo pa ng dekorasyon at pabango, hindi mo na maibabalik and dati nitong anyo dahil me lamat na. This same thing applies to Erap's case.

Tingnan na lamang natin ang kaso ni Jalosjos na rapist ng 12 years old. Dapat makukulong siya ng habambuhay, pero dahil sa political movements ni GMA, pinatawad din siya at special guest pa nga si GMA sa birthday nito (sa Pilipinas lang nangyayari na ang presidente ng isang bansa ay nakikikain katabi ng isang convicted rapist! Thanks to Philippine corruption). Pero, ano kaya ang mangyayari kung ang ni-rape ni Jalosjos ay anak ni GMA or for that matter pera ni GMA ang ninakaw ni Erap, do you think pareho pa rin ang magiging treatment ni GMA sa 2 ito? Or the same things pa rin ang mangyayari sa dalawang ex-convicts na ito ngayon? Ano naman kaya kung anak pala ni Commissioner Melo ang ni-rape at pera niya sa bangko naman ang ninakaw, i-a-allow pa kaya ng COMELEC boss na ito ang pagtakbo for public office ang 2 ex-convicts na ito? Ano kaya kung ang ni-rape at ninakawan ng 2 ito ay mga kapatid ninyo o nanay ninyo, dahil pinatawad sila ng presidente ay tuluyang hahayaan na lamang ninyo na tumakbo pa si Estrada at makipag-party pa kayo kay Jalosjos?

Mag-isip ka na, kabayan! Ninanakawan ka na, nire-rape ka pa, sinasamba mo pa?)

Villar allies slam Aquino over Subic-Clark road deal

2010-01-24T23:38:00.000-08:00

By Cathy C. Yamsuan
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines – Supporters and allies of presidential candidate and senator Manny Villar hit back at his opponent, Liberal Party standard bearer, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino by bringing up Hacienda Luisita’s involvement in a land deal related to the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

During the Kapihan sa Manila Forum on Monday, Cavite Representative Crispin Remulla, of Villar’s Nacionalista Party, said the House of Representatives was ready to release a report on the SCTEX funding use. Remulla said irregularities in the payment of right-of-way to Hacienda Luisita, owned and controlled by the Cojuangco clan to which Aquino belongs, were uncovered.

Remulla dared Aquino to "come clean," saying he must have known of the land overpricing in the deal, being a Cojuangco.

Liberal Party members, Senator Rodolfo Biazon and Representative Ruffy Biazon took turns defending Aquino, saying the standard bearer was not directly involved in the land deals between Hacienda Luisita and the consortium that built the SCTEX.

The Biazons said Villar should explain the benefits his real estate companies gained from the C-5 road project.

Aquino, Biazon, and 10 other senators have signed the Committee of the Whole report seeking the censure of Villar for being in a conflict-of-interest situation in the C-5 road project. The report recommended that Villar’s company return to the government P6.2 billion, which his firm earned from the project.

Villar denied that the company earned that much said the contracts were above board.

(Comment: Pare-pareho lang silang corrupt. Bakit pa tayo pipili sa dalawang ito? Hay, naku, nagsisiraan, nagtatapunan ng parehong baho at putik! Pareho lang naman sila. At nagpapaloko at nagpapakabobo naman ang mga Pilipino. Agai, itaga natin sa bato, kahit sino pa ang manalo sa May 2010 election, another 6 years of poverty and suffering na naman ito sa ating mga Pilipino. Hindi na tayo (ehemm... KAYO - mula ngayon hiwalay na ako sa maraming nagpapakabobong kababayan nating hindi na nadala!)

Comelec: Estrada can run for president in May

2010-01-20T02:31:00.000-08:00

By Kristine L. Alave
INQUIRER.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 3) The Commission on Elections Second Division allowed on Wednesday former President Joseph Estrada to run for president in the May 2010 elections.

The second division issued the ruling dismissing the disqualification case filed by a certain Evelio Pormento.

In its ruling, the poll body’s second division said Estrada could not be covered by the constitutional ban on a President’s reelection because he is not an incumbent President intending to run for reelection.

The poll body added that Estrada, who was convicted of plunder in September 2007, was pardoned by President Macapagal-Arroyo a month after, and therefore, all his civil and political rights have been restored.

Estrada, who was present during the reading of the promulgation, hailed the ruling, saying it could boost his popularity ratings in surveys on presidential candidates. Estrada is currently running third in the public’s preference surveys behind Sen. Benigno Noynoy Aquino III, the front runner, and Sen. Manuel Villar.

"It is a victory of the Filipino people," Estrada said of the ruling.

Pormento, the lawyer who filed the disqualification case against Estrada, said he would appeal the Second Division ruling to the Comelec en banc. According to him, the spirit of the constitutional ban on presidents seeking reelection is "absolute." Pormento said he has also started preparing an appeal to the Supreme Court if the Comelec en banc would uphold the second division ruling.

Before the promulgation of the ruling, nuisance candidate Ely Pamatong created a scene by yelling at the Comelec commissioners, "I want to lead. Magnanakaw kayong lahat (You are all thieves!).

Comelec guards immediately detained Pamatong inside a Comelec office, and the Comelec held him for charges of indirect contempt.

Comelec officials said he would be brought to the Manila City jail and be detained there for 10 days.

(Comments: Sinasabi ko na nga ba. Hindi sa pinatawad na si Erap ni GMA kundi ang katotohanang nagnakaw nga ang taong ito sa kaban ng tao. Yan ang issue kaya hindi siya dapat tumakbo at hindi siya qualified na tumakobo dahil ex-convict na nga! Hanip talaga itong COMELEC. Magkano kaya ang binayad sa mga ito sa decidion nilang ito? Pinagtatawanan na tayo ng buong mundo, hindi pa rin natitinag ang pagkamanhid ng mga taga COMELEC. Again, itaga natin sa bato, kahit sino pa ang manalo sa election sa Mayo 2010, another 6 years of poverty, suffering and very bad image ito sa ating bansa). Kelan ka pa magigising ang matututo, Pilipino?

'P1.5-trillion budget laden with pork'

2010-01-18T04:05:00.000-08:00

By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Congress-approved version of the P1.541-trillion 2010 national budget is “laden with pork,” an official of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) involved in the review of the outlay said yesterday.
“It’s full of insertions made by senators and congressmen,” the official, who did not want to be named, told The STAR.

He said they would now make a detailed listing of congressional insertions, realignments, augmentations, and reductions.

Last Thursday, Gary Olivar, President Arroyo’s spokesman for economic issues, hinted that the President would slash the huge amount of “pork” in the budget.
He said Mrs. Arroyo is considering a veto on the P65-billion debt payment reduction that lawmakers have made and which they diverted to their pork barrel.
“She wants to continue exercising fiscal prudence and responsibility. She does not want to expand the budget deficit,” Olivar told a news forum in Quezon City.
“Because debt payments are automatically appropriated under the law, if you do not veto or reject the reduction in debt service funds, you will increase the deficit,” he said.

He added that the President has asked Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. to carefully review the final shape of the budget, particularly insertions made by lawmakers.

A bicameral conference committee chaired jointly by Senate finance committee chairman Edgardo Angara and his House counterpart Quirino Rep. Junie Cua drafted the final version of the budget. Malacañang received the two-inch thick 2010 appropriations bill last Wednesday, nearly a month after the Senate and the House approved the Angara-Cua committee report on Dec. 18.

It doesn’t usually take that long to print the budget document. What delayed the printing process was the job of hiding the lawmakers’ large pork barrel allocations all over the budget, which Cua’s staff was tasked to do. The staff closeted itself at the House’s Mitra building even during the Christmas holidays to finish embedding such allocations in the budgets of scores of agencies, primarily the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The version that is presumably on Andaya’s desk now is vastly different from what the President submitted to Congress in August. The Angara-Cua panel reduced Mrs. Arroyo’s proposed debt payments by P65 billion to P276.2 billion and then farmed out the huge reduction to scores of agencies that hide pork barrel funds. Of the P65-billion cut, P30.3 billion was given to the DPWH, the agency where most lawmakers’ funds are hidden. The department’s budget jumped to P126.9 billion from P96.6 billion as proposed by the President.

Subsidies to state corporations were increased by P3.3 billion to P24.3 billion. Among the recipients is Angara’s two-year-old Aurora Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), which received a huge P655-million augmentation. In her budget proposal, Mrs. Arroyo recommended only P145 million for ASEZA. The economic zone has barely taken off. Lawmakers also increased their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) by P3.9 billion to P10.9 billion.

‘Hidden’ pork

The PDAF is the source of money of senators and congressmen for their so-called “soft” projects such as medical, educational and livelihood assistance to constituents.

The fund is the only transparent pork barrel allocation in the budget in that it is so specified. Other pork barrel funds, intended for “hard” projects such as roads, are hidden in agency appropriations.

The public education sector received an additional P4.9 billion. The budget of the Department of Education was increased by P1.3 billion to P161.4 billion, while funds for the more than 100 state universities and colleges spread all over the country jumped by P2.8 billion to P22.4 billion.

During the House deliberations on Mrs. Arroyo’s budget proposal, Andaya said the President reduced the amount of money she proposed for DPWH for this year, compared to last year’s level, because the department still had tens of billions in backlog spending.

“There’s no use giving them additional money because they cannot spend it anyway,” he said.

He said unlike other appropriations, infrastructure funds are good for two years.
A congressman-supporter of Liberal Party presidential candidate Sen. Benigno Aquino III said Angara and Cua padded the DPWH budget with pork barrel allocations so that these funds would still be available to lawmakers in 2011 when a new president shall have taken over from Mrs. Arroyo.

“It is possible that Mrs. Arroyo will benefit from those funds if her successor will release them,” he said. The budget that Malacañang got from Congress last week is P400 million lower than Mrs. Arroyo’s proposal, but her allies did not cut her spending bill.

The P400 million represents the combined pork barrel funds for this year of Senators Panfilo Lacson and Jamby Madrigal, the only two lawmakers who do not avail themselves of their annual P200-million allocations. They make sure that their funds are deducted from the budget so they won’t be misused.

Presidency and Democracy Denied

2010-01-18T03:53:00.000-08:00

Boys and girls,

I filed my presidential candidacy certificate last November 23, 2010, but was denied by COMELEC due to the absence of having a political party and the machinery to run my presidential campaign... in other words, they immediately judged me as a candidate with no money. Hmmm.. that might be true, but how on earth did they come to this decision since they really don't know who my backers are and how much money they might have? Secondly, out of the 99 who filed their CoCs, only 8 passed the Comelec's mighty arm of truth: that only clean, honest, moral candidates are eligible to run. Again, this might be true, BUT how come Erap was one of the 8?

Ang election ba sa atin ay para sa mayayaman na lang? At bakit lahat ng pinili ng Comelec ay taga Manila lahat? Hindi na ba tayo Pilipino kapag hindi tayo taga Manila?

I thought a lot of things have already changed in our country, and with the introduction of this computrized election process things already have changed in our political arena. I was wrong. It is the same even back in the time of President Marcos.

Even the likes of former Sen. Osmenia of Cebu did not passed the almighty "clean" and "honest" baromemters of the Comelec to run for public office.

Now, Sen. Pimentel is saying that the old "Hello Garci" boys, who orchestrated the whole 2004 election where GMA beat popular actor Fernando Poe, are now occupying higher offices at the Comelec. Prize of their "almighty hands" in manipulating the 2004 election? Now that they are STILL working at the Comelec and are even promoted to higher ranks, what kind of election are we facing this 2010?

Boys and girls, OFWs and immigrant Filipinos in Europe are now instigating a BOYCOTT in the coming election.

I have have started emailing my friends around the world since December 25, 2009 to BOYCOTT this useless election. If it is our right to cast our vote, it is also our God0given right NOT to cast our ballot. No one will put us behind bars if we do not participate in this already shadowy election process in May.

Join me and let us show to the corrupt Filipinos in the Philippines that this already-rigged election process is meaningless because it will not provide better food and jobs to our poverty-stricken masses.

This coming election is another BLOW to the country's fake democracy.

Join me and the other many thousands who are already sick and tired of Philippine corruption and traditional politics.

Yes, our Plan A (which is to run during the election and now denied) did not push through. So, we'll go to our Plan B (which is to cry foul and instigate a BOYCOTT to this election).

This is now became a CRUSADE for all Filipinos. Fight against corruptiom! Fight against TRAPOS! Fight against poverty and discrimination! Fight against Filipino indolence! Fight against political dynasty! Fight against human rights! Fight against equality and opportunity for all Filipinos! Fight against Filipinos who connive with corrupt Filipinos!

These are the real issues.

Enrique Files for Presidency 2010 at the COMELEC in Manila

2009-12-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

There you have it, boys and girls, I finally filed my presidential bid last Monday, Nov 23, 2009, at the COMELEC at the Palacio del Gobernador in Manila. I need all your votes to effect changes in our country! (Please click my link for photos).

Mine is a crusade. Meaning, I'll never stop running for the chief executive post of the land until there is a free exercise of our right to suffrage (2010, 2016, 2022, etc), until we are able to make our 90 million poor kababayan understand the value of electing an honest and dedicated public servant and the benefits this will give to all of us and to our children.

And one of the best ways to launch this crusade on accountability, transparency, honesty and leading by example is by actually joining this race. Now, the first hundreds of text messages and emails have clogged my cell fone and email add.. a very good welcoming sign but very stressful!

Before filing, the media from all over the country had a fiesta of interviewing me for almost an hour (while other presidential hopefuls who filed on the same day only had 10-15 minutes). From day 1 to the last day of registration, I was the only with a clear platform (agenda) typewritten and given to the media. Questions varied from economy, religion, education, employment, and entertainment. But the most rewarding experience was after my media and COMELEC encounters.

The soldiers and policemen guarding the COMELEC building (Palacio del Gobernador) approached me, two of them introducing their names and ranks. They told me that they are so thankful that them and the other civil servants are on top of my agenda. They offered their services to me as my personal bodyguards --without pay -- during the official campaign period (February - April 2010)! Nakakataba ng puso kasi they didn't know me personally till that day. They said they are already sick and tired of big and moneyed politicians and are actually looking for a new, reliable, honest, and serious candidate whom they can rely on as civil servants. To quote them, "Sir, sa lahat ng mga kandidato, ikaw lang ang nakapansin ulit sa aming mga civil servants. Sir, matagal na kaming napabayaan ng ating gobyerno. Sawa na kami sa mga politikong me malalaking pangalan at sikat. Sawa na rin kami sa kanilang promisong mapabuti ang bansa natin. Ang hinahanap namin ngayon ay 'yung hindi kilala, walang partido, hindi sikat at hindi mapera pero me totoong layunin na mapabuti man lang ang pagkain ng aming pamilya sa araw-araw. Sir, ikaw pa lang ang me agendang nakasulat. Alam namin na paninindigan mo ang mga ito kapag ikaw ay nanalo."

The REAL issues sa eleksyong ito ay walang iba kundi ang kahirapan, kaayusan (peace & order), kawalan ng trabaho, kurapsyon (KKKK). The continuing presence of these cancers in our society will forever divide our people, continue to place us into more suferings, and may eventually lead us into turmoil of unprecedented proportion. We can never and will never effect changes and give better future to our new generations. Itaga natin sa bato, pag nanalo ang mga likes ng mga malalaking politikong tumatakbo ngayon (presidente, etc..), it will be another 6 years of extreme poverty and suffering to our 90 million already poor people and economically devastated country.

It's time we change our choices and give chance for ourselves and to our country. Kawawa na tayo, naiwanan na ng ating mga kapitbansa.

Mabuti silang iilan na sikat, me negosyo, me trabaho at me kapit: magsu-survive. Papaano naman ang karamihan sa atin na walang-wala?

I say politics, as a science in the Philippines, is ineffective because we have a mix of corrupt politicians and condoning electorate (the media included). Hindi ko maisip kung bakit me ilan sa ating mamamayan na alam na nga na corrupt and mandaraya at mandarambong ang politikong humihingi ng kanyang boto, eh nagpapa-uto pa rin!

But we cannot blame them. This will be a long fight. Corruption is there even before we were born. To rephrase a quote by a good poet, "Evil men triumphed because good men don't do anything about them".

Filipinos are basically good men and women. Let's put this into action.

Tell me what you think.. hereare some photos at my photostream (Flicker):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sadiosa4president/?saved=1

UN experts: End elite hold on RP politics

2009-12-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

From Philippine Daily Inquirer, Reuters

GENEVA — Investigations into the deaths of 57 people in an election-related massacre in southern Philippines must be the start of a major reform process in the country, two United Nations human rights experts said on Wednesday.

The two experts called for the “effective” prosecution of those behind the killings and an end to manipulation by the elite of the country’s election process.

The authorities must also put in place immediate measures to prevent similar murders in the run-up to elections next May, said the experts, who report to the UN Human Rights Council on extrajudicial killings and on freedom of expression.

“The premeditated killing of political opponents, combined with a massive assault on the media, must be tackled at various levels that go well beyond standard murder investigations,” declared the two experts, Philip Alston and Frank La Rue.

The massacre took place in Maguindanao province on Nov. 23 in the Philippines’ deadliest ever election-related crime. The killings were blamed on members of the Ampatuan family, whom President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has in the past called valuable political allies.

Threat to democracy

Alston and La Rue said the inquiry “must be followed by effective prosecutions of all those responsible for the killings.”

But the massacre should also spark extensive reflection “on the elite family-dominated manipulation of the political processes and the need to eliminate such practices in order to assure the future of democracy in the Philippines,” they said.

The two UN experts—Alston from the United States and La Rue from Guatemala—said any broad inquiry into the country’s political system would have to focus on how to improve protection for journalists, 30 of whom died in the massacre.

Even more urgent was the creation of a task force to prevent more election-related killings.

“There is every indication that the run-up to the May elections will sound the death knell for many political activists,” the two added.

UN intervention

In Manila, journalists said Philippine media groups might ask the United Nations to intervene in the probe of the massacre.

“We’re considering all options, including asking the UN rights body to step into the massacre,” Melinda Quintos de Jesus, executive director of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, told reporters, adding the local press must “not drop the ball to allow the suspects to get away with the murders.”

Int’l press group’s mission

International press groups were also sending a mission to the Philippines to look into the massacre.

Around 15 delegates from groups like the International Federation of Journalists, the Southeast Asian Press Alliance, and the Committee to Protect Journalists were expected to arrive in Manila this weekend, according to National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) board member Rowena Paraan.

“This shows that there is international attention on the incident, as it should be. The trip will also be an expression of solidarity with local journalists,” Paraan said.

Paraan said members of the media would march on the Don China Roces Bridge (formerly Mendiola) on Dec. 9 as part of the Global Day of Action for the slain journalists.

In a report released Thursday, a fact-finding team that went to Maguindanao observed that police had handled evidence poorly, leading to its possible contamination.

“There was little or no consideration given to preserving the evidence. There was little or no consideration given to avoid the contamination of the crime scene,” the report said.

The group said the vehicles used by the suspects in stopping a convoy carrying journalists and relatives of a clan opposed to the Ampatuans were still unaccounted for.

“Investigators said the suspects also used a Nissan Frontier pickup with police markings. One such police vehicle issued to the Maguindanao police is still unaccounted for. This jibes with claims by (witnesses) that police vehicles were involved in the blockade,” the team said.

‘Culture of fear and silence’

The killings have stoked fear among students in some areas of Mindanao.

Fr. Edgardo Tanudtanud, OMI, director of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) for Central Mindanao, cited a recent incident in which several students, out of fear, canceled their participation in a march for peace in Cotabato.

“It has created a culture of fear and silence among the people, including the students, Christians and Muslims alike. But that fear did not stem from that massacre incident alone, but because of the history of violence in the area,” Tanudtanud said.

In a statement, the association of 1,272 member schools, colleges and universities said: “This mass murder ... has showcased the extent corrupt individuals are willing to go in order to arrogate the power to themselves.”

Msgr. Gerry Santos, president of the CEAP, said the group was demanding long-term solutions to the decades-old conflict that had forced Maguindanaoans to live in fear and subhuman conditions.

“We ask the government to dismantle private armies and put an end to the anarchy of clans in the region,” Santos said. Reports from Reuters, Alcuin Papa and Tina G. Santos

(Comment: I have been advocating this issue since my high school years, but nobody seemed to mind what I was saying back in the days. So, there it is, mga kababayan, it took more than 20 years before this issue of private armies -- due to corruption and corrupt mentality of many of our kababayan -- reached the UN. How long will many of our kababayan will 'play deaf and mute' regarding our local politics? It's time to change our leaders. We need new politicians, new names, new personalities, new and updated ideas on how to develop our country, new strategies to overcome poverty and unemployment, new minds that will effect CHANGES in the country. If these old politicians (and those young ones who are just copy-cats of these old politicians and are trying to continue their corrupt practices) did bring good life to Filipinos during their terms, then let us change them with better and younger politicians who have real plans for the betterment of our starving population. Huwag na tayong magmatigas ulo dahil hindi epektibo ang mga corrupt na politicinas na ito. Dahil guwapo, kilala, mapera, sikat, kababaryo, o kaibigan natin, huwag iboto! Piliin natin ang mga hindi kilala ngunit me pag-ibig sa bayan at hindi mga magnanakaw. Kapag pinili natin ang dating mga pangalan ng mga lumang kandidatong ito, itaga natin sa bato, another 6 years na kahirapan ang bansa natin at 6 years na pagkukuskos ng kubeta ng mga amo natin sa abroad ang naghihintay sa atin. Hindi na tayo nagsawa. Hindi na tayo natoto. Galit na sa atin ang Diyos dahil sa katigasan ng ulo natin!

WHY I'M RUNNING (Repost)

2009-11-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

Dahil paparami na ng paparami ang nagtatanong sa akin tungkol sa kung ano ang magagawa ko sa bayan if elected, so here's a summary of my plans for the country including Filipnos abroad (my email address is now being clogged by hundreds of responses from the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Canada, U.S.A. [pinakamarami from Filipinos overseas], the Midle East like Kingdon of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, parts of Europe, islands of Palau, Guam, Hawaii, including emails from Africa and Russia. Please read on and read my thoughts and give me comments. Salamat po)

15 POINTS AGENDA TO CHANGE THE COUNTRY

Many, if not all, presidentiables (and others running for public office) DO NOT HAVE any plan for the Filipinos per se as a nation. They have no long-term vision and goals to benefit the younger generations. Everyone's trying to get gain and to profit DURING their short terms in office. Dahil popular o me pera kaya tatakbo. Wala namang plano para sa bayan. Pagkatapos ng halalan, taghirap pa rin ang sambayanan. Balik sa dating gawi. Balik corruption. Balik hirap ang tao. Like what the bible is saying more than 5,000 years ago, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn (suffer)...Where there is no VISION, the people PERISH...(Prov. 29:2, 18). This is still very true and will remain true sa panahon natin ngayon. MATOTO na tayo, Pilipino! Choose public officials who have real plans and true hearts for more than 80 million Filipinos who have nothing to eat and future to hoped for. Fight for them and be real heroes of this modern days. We can achieve change -- if we really want it.

Now that automated na (compuetrized) ang darating na halalan, bababa ang tsansa na manakaw o makurap ng mga mandarayang politiko at mga kaalyado nito ang magiging resulta ng botohan. Kahit nakawin pa ni mayor o ni gobernor ang mga computers sa kanilang lugar hindi nila mananakaw ang botong inilagay natin doon. Kung naaalala n'yo, lahat na mga congressmen and women na kaalyado ng pamahalaan ay AYAW ng computerized election. Bakit kaya?

Here are my 15 points agenda (platform or whatever you may call it) to do during my 6-year term that would bring REAL changes in our country (of course, without the use of guns, goons and ammos):

1. Double the salary of our, teachers, policemen, soldiers, nurses and civil servants. This will give them dignity as civil servants and improve their services. Them and the people will start trusting the government again. Of course, controlling the prices of basic commodities should be prioritized and make them affordable to all. The money saved from corruption is more than enough to double the pay of all our civil servants including funds for other major projects to benefit the poor and the unemployed. It is only by doubling the salary of our people to be able to cope with the real inflation in the country. The amount of money being saved from corruption is more than enough to make our civil servants happy and smiling while they're doing their jobs.

2. Control or curtail corruption - if we cannot eradicate it 100%.. We should create a special task force or a commission such as a real Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to run after corrupt officials and businesses that sabotage our economy. No one is exempted from the ICAC. The Bureau of Customs, Land Transportation Office, the Department of Public Works and Highways, etc. should be given priority to be scrutinized and checked by this agency on a REGULAR basis. If it is necessary, we need to reassign and transfer personnel from these agencies to different posts in the country to avoid connivance and illicit networking.

3. Curtail RED TAPES and BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE to speed up everything from a simple filing of income tax returns (magbabayad ka na nga lang ng tax, kasalanan mo pa!) to business registrations, court assistance and results, registrations of registrations, and the like. Red tapes already made our country the slowest in business and everything that should be moved to bolster economic development! This is so shameful and disgusting. Red tapes are a major source of corruption in the country.

4. No pork barrel. Civil servants (including the President, senators, governors, mayors, barangay captains, janitors should make their living via government salary and benefits ONLY. Political parties will receive nothing from the government but from their own initiatives -- such as money from sponsors and donors or other sources only who would like to support their parties (like in the U.S.). With no pork barrel, no politician can afford to buy votes or to hire private armies to intimidate voters. They will have no money to corrupt other corrupt officials and individuals. Them and their children (or cronies) will have no means to boast of their ill-gotten wealth (anak ni mayor naka-Expedition). They will no longer be untouchables. We need highly-respected government officials to achieve change. We don't vote for these public servants to bully us in the end. Public servants are not gods. They are only public servants hired by the people to make their lives better each day.

5. Controlling government money (peoples’ money) and spending it accordingly: to education, health, infrastructures (roads, clinics, etc). Education means scholarships, modern schools with facilities (including additional support to government subsidized schools to modern equipment and building facilities, high quality teachers, etc. Health means health insurance for government servants including free hospitalization, modern hospitals, cheaper medicines (made locally), high pensions, etc. Infrastructures also means road and farm (or sea)-to-market roads, garbage disposal equipment, modern air and seaports, access to clean drinking water, new clean public toilets, improved postal services, more lamp posts, etc. A population being supported by health and other perks create a strong nation.

6. Building factories, roads, hospitals and other government projects to create more jobs and stimulate economic activities. This includes building them in provinces to enahnce employment and economic opportunities. This in a way will discourage many not to migrate to cities already over-crowded and polluted. This will also encourage talents and skills to stay in the country. This means better and higher quality of labor and services to the public.

7. Creating income-generating projects such as loans to support small and medium entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and compete. Support business organizations to again stimulate the economy. More money circulating, more businesses, more production, more employment, higher income. Create Economic Zones to provincial areas to discourage migration of workers to cities. Economic Zones provide jobs in the provinces and further stimulate economic activities, thus developing the countrysides (provinces) and giving quality jobs to the masses. This is one of the best ways to finally defeat insurgencies and rebellions, e.g. NPAs, muslim extremists and separatists, etc.

8. Self-sufficiency in food supply by supporting local farmers (both sea and land farming) to have access to modern equipment, raw materials for planting and good training. This is 100% possible. Farm projects including equipment and raw material support to farmers will be monitored to ensure success. It's not enough to give seeds and modern farm tools to farmers. They need good roads and lower fuel prices to support their trade. This means affordable food to the masses.

Also, we should be self-sufficient in raw materials not by importing but by developing our own resources (machines, equipment, tools, etc) to produce high quality products. This will improve the quality of our local products which in time will qualify for local consumption and exportation. The country is still rich in natural resources (despite the bad publicity and image we have right now). We can start cultivating again, planting again, develop again. In no time, we can be self-reliant on raw materials and get our own supplies.

We should support projects that will improve our own production. Importation drains our national reserves and local businessmen become dependent of producers overseas. Importation kills our local manufacturers. We become dumping grounds of cheap foreign products. We should support our farmers, toolmakers, local manufacturers, etc.

9. Self-sufficiency in defense, including security of our territorial waters. This means modernization of our national defense. By improving its budget, we can acquire good training and good equipment to boost the morale of our men in uniform. We will professionalize our servicemen and women by increasing their salaries and benefits, including fre health, schooling, and housing. By giving respect to our military personnel, they become dignified and respectful to the people they protect.

Having modernized weaponry increase the effectivity of our men in uniform. By controlling corruption, we can have real funds to do this. This way, even the Spratley Islands, which are being "invaded" and claimed by China, Taiwan (only recently), Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei will have a different outcome when we fly our modern jets and hi-tech navy around these islets which is geographically within the 200-mile territorial radius of the country. Wala tayong magarang armas kaya binu-bully tayo ng mga bansang ito ngayon. 30 years ago, not one among these countries has any claim on the Spratleys because these islands were being used as target practice both by the US and our navies. Having more than 1,700 islands it should be a prerogative of our government to have a strong navy to guard our seas. Otherwise, we will have no idea how much of our tuna and other marine products are lost to illegal fishing by foreign pouchers. This is also a perfect way to control terrorists and other illegal actitivies plying our shores.

10. We should have a strong I.D. System in the country. This will not only stop corrupt officials to profit from conniving or assisting scrupolous syndicates that bring illegal aliens, but also discourage illegal aliens to enter the country without proper documentation and taxation. This means one ID that we can use for all personal and business transacti0ns. Illegal aliens steal our jobs and transact businesses in the country without benefit to the government. A strong ID system will help facilitate our travels faster without the use of forms and other documents that create delays and discouragement to tourism.

Tourism Promotion

Local and international promotion of the country as tourist destination where tourists are secured and satisfied with our infrastructure and services. Filipinos are good at this. Learning from the success of other countries will not really affect our egos. But we can only be successful at this if we have a strong image abroad, e.g. that we don't have kidnappings and high crime rate in our country. We should give focus on the hygiene of our local destinations with clean public toilets (ni tissue paper wala!), availability of efficient transportation, communication, clean food, cheap hotels and other amenities expected by our local and international visitors. Again, having controlled corruption means having the funds to do this.

11. For OFWS and Filipinos Overseas

They should retire here! (OFWs and Filipino residents abroad including foreigners)
Filipinos who have been overseas, either working or staying permanently, should think of the Philippines as their own and should retire and enjoy their waning years here. But whose idiotic OFW or immigrant Filipino will do this if the country is riddled with corruption, hunger, violence, and disease? We should first fix and clean our homes and backyards before accepting visitors and guests. This is very basic. Failure of having simple conveniences in the country WILL NEVER bring our kababayan back to our country, much more foreigners to retire here. They'll never even think of doing this in the first place if our infrastructures are in shambles. This is basic.

12. Support them, finance them (Filipino Scientists and Inventors)

We should support our Filipino inventors (scientists) and innovators. They will give us better economic opportunities in the long run. Filipino scientists and innovators, like those developing engines that run NOT BY GASOLINE but other energies like water, electricity, or alternative energy (clean and green power). They SHOULD BE given priorities. This will stop our dependency on foreign oil which has been stalking the nation for more than 50 years! Yet our leaders NEVER learned from this! This will sound bad for oil companies (local and foreign) in the Philippines. BUT our priority is for the benefit of the GREATER good.

That Filipino politician from Laguna (?) who innovated the first "e-tricycle" which runs by electricity should be given funds to develop it and make it available to the nation. He said that the "e-tricycle" only uses P20 worth of electricity for a whole day's operation! Tanga lang ang presidenteng di ito susuportahan! (unless naba-bribe siya ng mga malalaking oil companies s atin).

13. Professionally imposing the laws of the land; meaning, a powerful judiciary, controlling nepotism, cronyism, red-tape, padrino system, etc. This also applies to implementing a real LAND REFORM so that many Filipinos would have lands to till and live. If I have the money saved from corruption, I can build more jails to discipline the corrupt, the criminals, and the pasaways! (this includes members of my family, friends, colleagues and classmates. If they too are corrupt, they land in jail. No exceptions).

Executing the laws of the land include correct accounting of taxes from all sectors of the country (personal income, business income, customs, exports, etc.). We know already that ours is country of many thousand certified accountants who do not know how to count. "Doctorism" will not be allowed anymore, unless our prisons need certified accountants too. No one will be REALLY above the law. This kind of action needs political will - and only an uncorrupt President can execute it.Support from the U.S. and other countries

The OBAMA government hates corruption. The new American government has repeatedly snubbed the Arroyo government and our government is aware of this. When US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton made courtesy calls to America's ALLIES in Asia early this year, she snubbed the Philippines -- a supposed ally in its war on terror. She instead visited Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, etc... The Obama government knows that the Philippines, now the 'most corrupt' country in the world, cannot be relied upon, unstable, "balimbing", no political will, and an untrusted ally. Our country’s image had sunk to its deepest level during the current government. Again, IMAGE! IMAGE! IMAGE! Pangalagaan natin!

Yes, the Americans had seen the Filipinos fighting the Japanese with them. But that was more than 60 years ago! Those were the days of gallant Filipinos, dignified Filipinos, brave, Filipinos, trusted Filipinos!

Now the Americans see corrupt Filipino leaders unrealiable, easily bribed, undependable, untrustable, coward, poor, deceitful Filipino leaders who cannot make sacrifices in times of war and crisis. Americans see a country riddled with nepotism, connivance, cronyism, bribed judges and policemen, corrupt politicians and government officials who spend their time enriching themselves out of peoples' money, custom officials and tax collectors rigging everything and conniving with local businessmen, politicians personally fighting among themselves (clan wars and political dynasty wars), a country of strong poverty and low moral, unemployed masses, a country that survives in doles and loans from other countries (which, again, are pocketed by corrupt leaders).

Corruption and in-transparency (sorry for the misuse of the word) have mained and crippled our leaders' determination and determination to stay firm and strong in times of difficulties. This is how our allies see us. It's embarassing, disgusting, frustrating and deceitful. From the eyes of our neighbors and allies, we are plain traitors.

This means the current Philippine government and those who will be running it after the current one WILL HAVE NO SUPPORT from the U.S. government (or its allies), unless they are not corrupt. Now, take a look at the line-up of presidentiables in 2010 (both form the ruling party and the opposition). Most, if not all, of these candidates are coming from old political parties and groups (many tainted and riddled with corruption scandals) or are part of them or a product of a mix of all these parties. Puro balimbing kasi. Walang isang salita ang mga 'yan!

Do we really think that the U.S. government (or other generous countries) will continue to help the Philippines if anyone of these tainted presidentiables (senators, other politikos) become the next Filipino president or leaders in 2010? Even rich countries will start to have second thoughts of helping the country when they know that the aid they will send for the poor people will only end up inside the pockets of corrupt Filipino officials. Magsasawa din sila sa kapapa-utang sa atin. They know it and they are not stupid.

If I am president, I start from scratch - by improving our own and developing our own resources and by investing on our own people. Support for our businessmen, farmers, students, soldiers, health care, insurance, infrastructures, tourism, diplomacy (local and abroad), science and engineering, research, medicine and the like which will make our people really proud and our country strong. We have to make our base really strong. Again, this can only be done by eradicating corruption and transparency. This will create patriots and people who are proud of their country.

14. Slow down on colonial mentality and dependency

If we want to change our country, we have to discourage colonial mentality and dependency. Change should start from within us. Then this change will open new doors and perspectives, new alternatives on how we can run our business.

We have to promote our own and support our own. This way, we stop looking at other nations treating us as second-class citizens or worst, treating us like shit. When we have made our country truly strong and independent, then nations will come to us and respect us. When this thing happens, development is on the horizon. And the time to do this is NOW!

My term is just a precedent; There to do the job and nothing else!

My term will only be a precedent to the next leader, a preparation for the next President in 2016. Like John The Baptist of old, I will only prepare the way for the next President to continue the accomplishments and achievements that we as a country have made during my term. It is only a 6 years' sacrifice. After that, I'll go back to my private life but continue to promote the country as a decent, clean, and honest destination where there is security and smiling people.

Democracy is not cheap

Putting our country on the right track will need no people power, revolutions, or civil wars. It only needs a leader who is honest, transparent, and how knows how to execute laws. Someone who knows how to whip bad peoples' asses. Ours is a budding democracy, and democracy is not cheap! It needs responsible and matured people (not matured politicians who laugh from their mistakes and stupidity and easily forgiven by "religious" Filipinos). We need strong-willed Filipinos to guard our freedom. We need Filipinos who value the sacrifices of our forefathers to become an independent nation. We need Filipinos who know how to make good laws and executive them too.

This will make the country strong, better, more stable, create a more disciplined citizenry to be aligned among the rich countries like Japan, Singapore, China, UK, or the USA.

15. Leading by example

After my term, the people will clamour for the next President who will also lead and worked like I did. This will also be required by the people in choosing the next senators, governors, mayors or barangay captains - to lead by example! Nakita na nila ang resulta ng may malinis na leader. Hahanapin din nila ito sa mga susunod na lider ng bansa. Hahanapin nila ang lider who leads by example!

Dignity and honor to OFWs; Back to the Philippines - JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!

This is also the best way to bring back our OFWs and highly skilled Filipinos to work in the country and help restore our dignity, creativity, and respect as a nation. Having our highly skilled kababayans back into our country will bring enormous benefits to our economy, science, engineering, and the like. Though it is everyone's right to work or travel abroad, we will do our utmost to compete with the salaries and benefits abroad to discourage our professionals to give their services to foreign lands. Working overseas would still be allowed for everyone. But priorities should be given to having decent jobs in the country!

Putting the country in order and on the right track - up and running again!

When a country is in order, there is no need to invite foreign investors to invest in our country. They will come and invest because this is good and profitable for them. The country has the best natural resources in the region. Can we inagine our 1,700 islands all filled with resorts and tourists? Can we imagine the exploding economic activities and the amount of benefits they bring to our people? Employment and other opportunities always tag along with strong tourism.

My work and business in and around Asia gave me the understanding that the Philippines has the most a country can offer among all the other countries around it. The good thing about it is that I have understood how the Asian mind operate and work, what they need, or what else can give them a win-win advantage over other Asian competitors. I know how they do business, what they require to do business with, and how both can profit so that everybody will be happy. Ours is the best country for them to retire and enjoy the profits of their labor -- this holds also true to overseas Filipinos in the region.

Sadly, many of our leaders ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS because they are so tied up with infighting, pa-pogi points, corrupting the government. Our leaders do not mingle with other Asian business leaders. They have no experience of how is it to sell the country's products overseas. They have no idea on how businessmen and business leaders operate to create a win-win environment to benefit their people. OFWs are better off since we have lived with foreigners and we know their habits, characters, weaknesses, strengths. Can we imagine if OFWs are the ones running the country now? No one will leave the country anymore to clean the asses (I mean toilet sits) of our employers! OFWs are typically disciplined, trustworthy, honest (we don't steal from our employers), hardworking, aware of what is happening around us and always ready to save anyone from a burning building.

Our politicians do not have the experience of what I am saying here becasue they are so regional that they never mixed or lived with foreigners whom they are inviting to do business in the country. What our local leaders know is how to corrupt the country and focus their attention on government money (the peoples' money) and don't give a shit on what is happening around the world. They focus more on their party first, then the country second, thus, the poverty and chaos in the country.

MY CHECKS AND BALANCES LIST FOR A GOOD PRESIDENT

How will Filipinos know that I will not become a corrupt public servant or will not end like the corrupt ones? TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, STRONG POLITICAL WILL and HONESTY are in my game plans. Please check them below:

1. ONE BANK ACCOUNT - I will only have one (1) bank account and any Filipino can call my bank and ask for my bank balance 24/7. Having two (2) bank accounts will mean my immediate resignation. No impeachment is necessary. This account will be my only bank account during my 6 years in office which is subject to government audit life-style check every month. All my financial dealings are open to the public for scrutiny and audited by independent representatives from various sectors of the society. Any Filipino can call my bank and inquire my bank balance.

2. ONE PESO SALARY EVERY MONTH - I will only receive Php1.00 salary every month so that each Filipino will know exactly how much money I have in my One Bank Account which is open to them to inquire. This means, I should only be having Php12.00 in my bank account each year. More than that means my resignation. No impeachment needed. Gagastos pa tayo nun! I can take care of my self financially while running this office. I guess there is free food naman sa Malacanang for a Chief Executive to survive for 6 years. Again, I'll be in office for 6 years to fix the country and to keep it running again.

3. ANTI-NEPOTISM -- If anyone of my relatives, friends or colleagues was able to enter Malacanang unofficially or any government post will mean my immediate resignation. No impeachment necessary.

4. SEEN BY PEOPLE 24/7 -- I will be in front of the camera during my official working time as an employee of the people, 24/7. Any official deals done off-camera will mean my resignation. All contracts and laws signed by me are all under the camera. Failure of doing this will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.

5. BONDY CLOCK AT MALACANANG -- I will install a bondy clock in Malacanang. This means everyone working there as public servants, including myself, will time in and out - just like a regular government worker. If I miss registering my entry even for a single day will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary. This is a simple way to tell everyone that the president is not above the law.

6. SMALL WAREHOUSE AT MALACANANG -- I will construct a small warehouse beside Malacanang Palace to safe-keep all personal donations, gifts, palangis, suhol, bribes, etc. from unscrupulous and/or corrupt individuals of corporations to alienate or influence Malacanang. At the end of the month, these gifts and suhols will be auctioned and the money received will be added to the treasury.

7. NO VIP TREATMENT -- No VIP treatment, except official visits in and out of the country. No helicopters, SUVs, yachts, golf meetings, etc. Having used any of these toys will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.

8. PRO-MASSES, FRIENDLY TO BUSINESSES -- Neglecting the poor Filipinos and not supporting business will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.

9. EMPOWERING THE PESO -- If I was not able to uplift or increase the purchasing power of Filipinos (including additional employment and development of the economic status of government servants) after my first year in office, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.

10. NO RELIGION -- I will have NO religion during my term. If the problem in Mindanao is not resolved or at least see any light at the end of the tunnel in two years, I will resign. No impeachment necessary. As President, I will not be a respecter of persons. This means, I will have NO religion during my term. All religions will be treated equal. After my term, simba na ulit ako.

11. IMPROVE IMAGE -- If the country has not achieved anything in improving its facilities and image abroad after my first year, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.

12. REGULAR LIFESTYLE CHECK --If I am richer than what I am supposed to receive during my first term of office, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.

13. DEDICATION TO WORK ONLY -- There to do the job and nothing else. My six years will only be focused on rebuilding the country: bringing back the trust of the people to the government, increasing employment and production, peace and order, health, education, diplomacy, income, creating opportunities in business, science, politics, etc. This is only for 6 years so that no doubts and malicious issues will affect my term. This is to show how sincere I am in this business.

14. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! BUSINESS! BUSINESS! BUSINESS! -- My failure to create more jobs for the people means my resignation. No impeachment necessary. Eradicating corruption means opening of new investments and businesses. This means more jobs to our people. No corruption means very good business too. Having a fair business environment brings a lot of opportunities, wealth and security to the people.

Note: The above 15 Point Agenda and 14 Check and Balance conditions shall be signed by me in front of the camera and witnesses and copies of this document shall be posted to all schools, colleges and universities in the country to remind our young generations of Filipinos that nothing beats transparency and honesty in public service.

Any Philippine politician who can do my the tiems above will have my honest VOTE! No questions asked.

+++***+++

Political philosophy (what I thought are sensible and practical to the country and its people):

It is my belief that the President of the land is just another caretaker of the people and not a god or someone who is untouchable. The president is worthy of respect because of the office, not to be treated as someone who is high up there who's unreacheable. Suweldohan lang siya ng tao para mamahala sa kapakanan ng tao. For 6 years, dito lang dapat naka-focus ang attention ng Presidente at wala ng iba. Ang isang sundalo ng pamahalaan ay kagaya lamang ng Presidente na parehong suweldohan at wala ng iba na puwedeng patalsikin ano mang oras dahil sa katiwalian.

Hindi dapat abusuhin ng lider ang taong bayan sa maraming pamamaraan lalo na ang dayain sila o nakawin ang para sa kanila.

Sagrado ang boto ng tao na dapat pangalagaan ng bawat mamamayan--- kasama na ang Presidente.Karapatan ng mamamayan na patalsikin ang isang lider na corrupt at sinungaling sa bayan. Kaya nga dapat lahat ng lider sa bansa ay transparent para maalis ang duda at kutya ng tao sa kanila. Ito lang ang paraan para respetuhin silang muli at manumbalik ang kaayusan sa bansa.

Kapag mahirap ang bansa, hindi maaalis ang corruption at pandaraya. Kapag corrupt ang lider, corrupt din and mga followers. Kawawa ang mamamayan. (When corrupt leaders reign, the people suffer).

Leading by example is always the best barometer for an effective leader. Nothing beats honesty and sincerity to the people. The more transparent we are to our constituents, the better they respect us and follow our orders. The will love the leader and never ask him/her to leave the office.

There is no need to cheat the constitution just to stay in power. Honest and transparent leaders last longer and their legacy treasured by the people. They even teach this legacy in schools to be emulated by the next generations.

Please tell me what you think (email me at rsadiosa@yahoo.com). Thank you.

Solons: No pork for storm rehab

2009-10-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Solons: No pork for storm rehab
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Majority of the members of the House of Representatives have rejected calls urging them to donate some of their pork barrel for the speedy rehabilitation of areas ravaged by tropical storms Ondoy, Pepeng, and Ramil.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said that any realignment of their pork barrel, euphemistically called the Countryside Development Fund (CDF), should be voluntary.

Congress allots P70 million in CDF per representative to pay for projects of their choosing in their districts.

Nograles said some provinces that were not affected by typhoons this year had not yet undertaken the rehabilitation of their infrastructure that was damaged in last year’s storms.

“Panay Island, for example, has not yet recovered from the devastation caused by Typhoon ‘Frank’ which hit it in June 2008. Please remember that when Frank devastated Panay, there was no call for realignment, including during the time of the massive floods in Leyte,” he said.

House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor said there was no need for lawmakers to make extra contributions toward storm damage repairs because the P12-billion supplemental relief fund to be sourced from savings in this year’s national budget and approved by Congress was more than enough to pay for rehabilitation work.

Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.

(Comment: Hmmm... patay nga naman ang delihensiya nila kung isasauli pa nila ang perang hindi naman talaga pag-aari nila. Masyado nang madamot ang mga ito sa tagal ng panahon na "kanila" personally ang pork barrel na ibinibigay sa kanila ng tao. Kailangan na talagang baguhin ang sistemang ito at huwag nang ibigay ang pork sa kanila. Sobrang kapal na talaga at gahaman sa pera ng tao ng mga ito).

Busy Preparing and Sending Relief Goods to the Country

2009-10-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

Please bear with me on not updating my blog due to my hectic schedules in preparing and sending relief goods and cash to the victims of the recent typhoons in our country.

Sa mga nagbigay ng cash o in kind, salamat sa inyong lahat! Mabuhay po kayo!

I received reports that the Bureau of Customs is under order from the top that they are to traffic relief goods and tax them irregardless of recipients or charitble institutions where they came from. Grabe talaga, pagkain at baro na lang ng mga namatayan at nagugutom na mga biktima ng baha at bagyo sa atin, ninanakawan pa nila! Saan ka makakita ng ganitong kawalanghiyaan at kababuyan? Only in the Philippines! Gising na mga kababayan ko!

Kung term ko to, kalabuso ang bagsak ng mga ito!

Noynoy, Mar: We won't steal

2009-09-22T00:15:00.001-07:00

By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated September 22, 2009

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Manuel Roxas II formally declared yesterday he is running with Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr., and both promised not to steal from the people if elected.

(Comment: So politicians are really stealing. Period)

“I wholeheartedly accept the challenge to push forward the reforms in the country. I wholeheartedly accept the responsibility of being Noynoy’s partner in his fight for change. I wholeheartedly accept to be Noynoy Aquino’s partner,” Roxas said in a speech before supporters and LP members at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan.

He also thanked Aquino for the opportunity to work with him “as we raise the banner of reform” and “fight for decency and integrity in public service, and for a government that puts the people’s interest first.”

(Comment: Like I was saying in this blog, there's no deceny, integrity in the publicservice and these people DO NOT put the people's INTEREST first! I was so true from the very start).

“Noy, you have raised the banner. This is the banner of hope and reform. This will put food on the table because the funds for the farmers will no longer be stolen. This will provide jobs to the people because investors will no longer be victims of extortion. This will make prices of medicine affordable because there will no longer be government connivance with abusive pharmaceutical companies,” Roxas said in Filipino.

(Comment: So Sen Roxas knew these stealings, connivance and extortions in the government. How come he is only saying this NOW? Dahil tatakbo sya? Hay, baka naman kasi nakinabang din sya rito? Just curious..)

Roxas was apparently taking a swipe at the Arroyo administration for its involvement in high-level corruption, including the alleged diversion of funds for farmers to the campaign kitty of President Arroyo in the fertilizer fund scam and the overpriced national broadband network deal with China’s ZTE Corp.

Critics have also accused the Arroyo administration of allegedly dragging its feet on the cheaper medicine law due to the strong lobby of giant pharmaceutical firms.

But Roxas stressed the fight would not just be about him and Aquino. “It’s bigger than the two of us, it is bigger than the Liberal Party. It is about our collective thirst for change. It is about our thirst for change finally overcoming those who want to continue the tayo-tayo (exclusive) system, the horse-trading, the greed, the self-interest, the transactional politics that has been the biggest roadblock to progress and prosperity for all,” he said.

“This is about what is straight and what is crooked. This is about the honest against the corrupt. This about right versus wrong,” Roxas said.

Roxas acknowledged that it would be a tough battle in 2010 and that they should not be lulled into complacency.

“We are up against forces who will fight tooth and nail, fair and unfair, legal and illegal, against us. For them, happiness continues; for us, the fight is on,” Roxas said.

“Our opponents will exhaust all avenues in order to win. They have been robbing us for so long, and they want to continue robbing us. But we will not allow them to rob our hopes as well,” he said.

(Comment: Lumang tugtugin at tuno na 'to).

“I am honored to join him (Aquino) in this field of battle. To all of us here in this hall and all across this great nation who are fighting alongside him, make no mistake about it: We will not back down from this fight, not now, not ever,” Roxas said.

“The fog of cynicism has already lifted from our hearts. Now, we can dream again. Together, we will not forsake you. We will fight,” he said.

Lower taxes

For his part, Aquino said in a press conference after Roxas’s declaration that he was hoping to bring down taxes if elected by using government resources judiciously.

“Our ambition is to lower taxes and maybe the key there is to collect the existing ones correctly. And maybe if the use of the public funds will be more proper, then the basic services for the people will become better and available at lesser cost to the people,” Aquino said.

(Comment: Truly, Aquino and ROxas do not have a good plan for the government to earn except from taxes. Talaga naman kasing walang plataporma hindi lang silang dalawa kundi lahat ng tatakbo sa election. The same names, the same faces, the same tunes, the same promises. These two, including all presidentialbles, do not know how to make the Filipino government competitive and attractive to business and investors (local and abroad). So this is what we'll get if they are elected. No plans, no strategy, no long-term blue print for the hungry masses).

He said he hopes to attract more investors by eliminating corruption and ensuring that government funds are spent wisely.

Roxas’s acceptance of Aquino’s invitation to be the LP’s vice presidential bet was timed for the 37th anniversary of the declaration of martial law, which their parents, former senators Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and Gerardo “Gerry” Roxas, fought as LP stalwarts and opposition leaders.

Aquino’s mother, former President Corazon Aquino, took her oath in the same hall at Club Filipino when she took over the presidency after the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos in a peaceful people power revolution in February 1986. His father was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983 upon his return from self-exile in the United States.

Yesterday was also the celebration of Eid al-Fitr or the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

A Catholic priest and a Muslim preacher led the invocation. The prayers were for change and true freedom from poverty and other problems of the country, particularly strife in Mindanao.

Aquino praised Roxas for giving up his presidential plans for the sake of unity.

“This sacrifice gave way to the launching of a national movement formed by the people thirsty for the return of decent, clean and good governance,” Aquino said.

He cited the long history of friendship - of sharing the same ideals and dreams for the country - between his and Roxas’s family.

(Comment: Like what I have been writing in this blog, I know Sens Roxas and Aquino both have clean intention to clean up the government. Andun na ko. But, again, going to a war with no war plans (platform) for the people is inutile. Ano ba talaga ang mga plano nila para sa tao? Gutom? Crime? War in Mindanao? Corruption (both government and private)? Image of the country? Poverty? etc... They are only taking advantage of the recent popularity of former President Cory Aquino, who by the way, has not put a lot of corrupt and Marcos cronies to jail and whose government was almost toppled by coups. Literaly, hers was a weak government and was not very effective. Again, the same names. What we need are new blood, new leaders, new names who can speed up the development of the country not because they came from prominent families in the country (para bang sila-sila na lang palagi ang pag-asa ng 90 million Filipinos. Mahiya na naman kayo, no?). These new leaders are new Filipinos who can give new meaning, new ideas, new hope and interest for the people to start becoming productive again and bring the much awaited economic rebirth in the country. Palitan na ang mga trapos. Palitan na ang "sila-sila" mentality. Pairalin na ang katotohanang hindi effective ang mga lumang politikong ito kasama na rito ang kanilang mga anak na ngayon ay balak ituloy ang kani-kanilang alitan sa gobyerno --- at the EXPENSE of the Filipinos). Tama na. Mahiya na kayo!)

Noynoy Aquino to run for president in 2010

2009-09-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net

Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III officially announced that he will run for president in 2010 on Wednesday, exactly 40 days after the death of his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino.

“Tinatanggap ko ang hiling ng sambayanan. Tinatanggap ko ang tagubilin ng aking mga magulang. Tinatanggap ko ang responsibilidad na ituloy ang laban para sa bayan. Tinatanggap ko ang hamon na mamuno sa laban na ito. Tatakbo po ako sa pagka-pangulo sa darating na halalan (I accept the voice of the people. I accept the advice of my parents. I accept the responsibility to continue the fight of the people. I accept the challenge to lead in this fight. I will run in the coming elections),” declared Aquino.

Aquino made the announcement of his candidacy for the presidency at about 8 a.m. at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, the same venue where his late mother took her oath as president in 1986.

Personalities present at the jam-packed room were Liberal Party members Senators Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Francis Pangilinan, former Senate President Franklin Drilon, Quezon Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, former congressmen Florencio “Butch” Abad and Nereus Acosta, singer-composer Jim Paredes, former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, and singer Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement.

Noynoy’s sisters, Ballsy, Pinky, Viel, and Kris, were also there. They were all wearing black as was Noynoy.

At a presscon after the announcement, he declined to say if Roxas will be his running mate, saying that he will just let the senator make the decision himself.

(Comments: First of all, he is running kasi dala ng simpatiya ng ilang Pilipino ng pagkamatay at libing ng dating Presidente Cory Aquino, her mother. Kaso, wala naman talaga sa intention n'ya na tumakbo at ilaban ang bansa sa kahirapan at mga problema sa ngayon. Napilitan lang kaya tatakbo. Eto ba ang karakter na kalilangan natin sa bagong lider? Ni wala siyang agenda man lang kahit isa para sa mga OFWs. This is the bitter reality. He has no passion, intention, plans, and agenda for the Filipino masses. Yes, he is the son of former Ninoy and Cory Aquino. But this is not a qualification for him to lead the nation, though he is a senator. As of the moment, wala naman siyang matinong nagawa o naipasa para sa bayan lalo na sa mga Pilipinong nasa abroad. Napilitan lang kaya tatakbo. Walang plataporma at balak sa bayan. Ni walang balak man lang tungkol sa negosyo o plano para sa karagdagang trabaho. Eto ang katotohanan dito. Papaano na naman ang nakararaming gutom sa bayan? Sa mga pagod na katatrabaho sa labas ng bansa? Ni hindi niya kilala ang mga OFWs. Para sa akin, mas mabuti pang maging lider ang isang HINDI politiko o galing sa angkan ng mga politiko para magkaroon naman ng panibagong pananaw ang bansa kung papaano mahango sa hirap. Itaga natin sa bato, his term and leadership will be the same thing all over again for the nation. Kawawa na naman tayo

Likely scenario: According to the news, Ninoy Jr will ran after the Marcos wealth daw. Hmmm.. What will happen is magiging labanan na naman ito ng mga pamilya at hahalukayin na naman ang mga lumang issues ng iba pang mga politiko laban sa kani-kanilang mga pamilya. Old grudges. Old issues. Old story na ito at panis na. Magiging lugar ng labanan na naman ang senado at kongreso ng mga lumang politiko at ng kanilang mga lumang alitan. Labanan ng mga anak ng dating me galit at utang ng kani-kanilang mga tatay at nanay. Mauubos na naman ang panahon at pera para panuorin na naman ng mga Pilipino ang kanilang sigawan at insultuhan sa konseho. Hay, sayang ang pera, sayang ang oras, sayang ang opportunities. Gutom ang Juan de la Cruz for another 6 years! Hindi talaga marunong matoto ang Pilipino!

Second round na labaanan na ito ng mga anak ng mga Marcoses, Aquinos, Chavits, Escuderos, Roxas, etc.... all over again!!!! Walang pupuntahan ang bayan kundi sa kangkungan at KAHIRAPAN!

Political dynasty ang tawag dito. Sila-sila lang ang nakikinabang sa pera at oras ng mga tao. Nandoon na rin ang mga kaalyado ng mga anak ng politikong ito at mga nakikisakay sa kanila. Mga alipures na naghihintay lang ng tamang pagkakataon para kumita. Walang loyalty. Walang prinsipyo. Walang pagmamahal sa bayan. Walang pakialam sa kahirapan. Period.

Para naman kay Sen Mar Roxas na nag concede agad (at sa mga iba pang nagtake advantage na sumuporta kaagad kay Sen Ninoy Jr for president), sayang kayo. Mga bata pa naman kayo ngunit wala kayong determinasyon na ipaglaban ang inyong paniniwala at prinsipyo para sa mga Pilipino. Ipinakita lang ninyo sa desisyong ninyong ito na nahina kayo at walang lakas na loob na lumaban at ilaban ang mahihirap sa ating bayan. Madali kayong madala sa agos at madali rin kayong mabili ng inyong partido! Ipinakita ninyo na tama ang aking paratang na INUUNA ninyo ang inyong PARTIDO at hindi ang bayang Pilipino! Kung talagang makabayan kayo at mahal ang mahihirap at mga mahihina, ipaglalaban ninyo ang inyong prinsipyo. Ipaglalaban ninyo ang nakararaming kababayan natin na napakatagal nang naka lubog putik ng kahirapan. Papaano ninyo maidedepensa ang mahihina kung vice president lang kayo? Ano ang nagawa ni VP Noli de Castro, aber? Sayang kayo at sayang ang mga ginastos na ninyo para lituhin ang bayan. Sayang ang inyong mga liderato.

Success does not always come from a STRONG leader. Success comes from a leader that CARES for his people.

Hindi na tayo natoto. Sayang ka, Pilipino!).

Palace increases 'pork' by P700 million

2009-08-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The administration did not reduce the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or the pork barrel allocation for senators and congressmen, which actually increased by P700 million, contrary to the claim of Malacañang officials.

Research conducted by The STAR showed that last year, Malacañang proposed P6.24 billion for PDAF in the 2009 budget, the same level as in previous years.

During the Senate-House of Representatives conference on the budget, senators increased the PDAF appropriation by P3,425,027,000, to P9.665 billion.
President Arroyo did not veto the P3.425-billion increase in pork barrel funds when she signed the 2009 national budget.

Mrs. Arroyo has proposed in the 2010 national budget a PDAF allocation of P6.940 billion, which is P700 million more than what she proposed in previous years.
Congressmen sitting in the House appropriations committee surmised that the additional P700 million would be for the 32 new party-list representatives the Supreme Court recently added to the chamber’s membership.

The PDAF is a more transparent form of the pork barrel and it is the source of funds for so-called “soft” projects like medical, livelihood and educational assistance.
Funds for “hard” projects are embedded in the budgets of infrastructure agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transportation and Communications, and Department of Agriculture (for farm-to-market roads and irrigation canals).

The pork barrel dispenses P200 million for each senator and P70 million for each House member.

Only opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson does not avail himself of his P200 million.
In the House, militant party-list members like Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño of Bayan Muna do not receive their allocations.

(Comment: Imbes na alisin, dinagdagan pa ng Palasyo ang pork. More pore, more corruption, more kahirapan. Simply lang ang reasoning dito. Hindi na dapat isipin pa).

P1 pork barrel for each solon proposed

2009-08-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — A member of the House of Representatives on Monday proposed a P1 allocation for each lawmaker’s pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to ensure that the fund would not be used for the 2010 election campaign.

The amount originally allotted to congressmen and senators as their PDAF in the 2010 budget proposal by Malacanang could be re-channeled to meet the shortages in teacher positions, classroom, textbooks, chairs, and laboratories in public school, Representative Teddy Casino said at the minority’s weekly news conference.

Casino’s proposal directly runs counter with the earlier proposal of Sorsogon Representative Jose Solis to increase the PDAF of each lawmaker by P30 million.

Each congressman receives P70 million and each senator gets P200 million under the current budget.

Casino said increasing lawmakers’ pork barrel allocation increases the risk of government money being spent for the 2010 elections.

He said lawmakers can instead propose projects under line items of departments under the proposed budget.

“The threat of one-peso budget has always been used by Congress to get what it wants from an agency. Perhaps it is time congressmen get a taste of their own medicine,” he said.

“Let’s allocate one peso for the pork barrel and let the various nominated projects of congressmen undergo line item budgeting and the public scrutiny it deserves,” he added.

(Comment: This is precisely the one item in my candidacy to be implemented. Matagal ko ng minumungkahi ito or better yet NO PORK BARREL sa lahat ng mga lawmakers ng bansa para matigil na ang corruption na sanhi nito. There is no law in the country that says that these corrupt lawmakers (karamihan, hindi lahat) should receive pork barrel. Pansariling kapritso lang naman nila ito and this has been going on for years and years. Imbis na magamit ang mga perang ito sa tamang ahensiya o proyekto ng bansa, napupunta lamang ito sa bulsa ng mga corrupt officials na ito. Matagal na tayong niloloko at pinagnanakawan, naka smile pa rin tayo! Common on, Filipino lawmakers, huwag na tayong maglokohan! Alam na ng maraming Pilipino ito kaya kung hindi kayo mabubuhay dahil walang pork barrel, magsialisan na lang kayo sa puwesto n'yo and let new and young Filipino politicians do your jobs para umasenso na ang bayan natin. Kung ayaw n'yo ng ganitong arrangement, sa Mars na lang kayo tumira kasama ang mga alipores n'yo at kapwa corrupt officials!).

For Lapid, service sucks at Le Cirque

2009-08-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

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!)

New York dinner, Pinoy hunger

2009-08-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

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).

I have never profited from my office - GMA

2009-08-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

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!)

Arroyo announces P500M for repair of schools

2009-08-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

By Tonette Orejas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MACABEBE, PAMPANGA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday announced the allocation of P500 million to repair school buildings that were destroyed or damaged by floods and typhoons in the country.

Of the amount, P110 million will go to the second district, where the President’s elder son Juan Miguel or “Mikey” is congressman, and to the fourth district.

Ms Arroyo made known the fund allocation in a program at Macabebe East Central School in Barangay San Roque here. It was her 21st visit to Pampanga since February and her first out-of-town trip after arriving from a working visit to the United States. She also visited Pampanga a few hours before leaving for the US.

As in her previous visits, Ms Arroyo did not announce her political plans after her term ends in June 2010. At least 19 of the 21 visits were to Pampanga’s second district, fueling the belief that she might run for its congressional seat next year.

Rep. Anna York Bondoc (fourth district) thanked the President for approving the allotment and Representative Arroyo for sharing at least P50.43 million with her district.

Bondoc said she would use the money to repair 45 flooded schools in Apalit, Masantol, Macabebe, Sto. Tomas, San Simon, San Luis and Candaba towns.

At the same school, Ms Arroyo inspected the repair of two buildings submerged under two feet of water.

In Sasmuan town, Ms Arroyo awarded 40 certificates of lots to families relocated to a housing site in Barangay San Antonio.

Despite the strong rain, the President proceeded to Barangay Sta. Monica to lead groundbreaking rites for a bridge, inspected a road in Barangay San Pedro, observed the cleanup of a creek in Barangay San Nicolas I, and opened a road in San Nicolas II.

In Barangay Sto. Tomas, she inspected the repair of a school and witnessed a government service caravan.

(Comment: Why only now? Kasi malapit na ang 2010? Ang tagal na nitong kailangan hindi lamang sa lugar nila kundi sa buong bansa!)

Kris, Noynoy now critical force in 2010

2009-08-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

By Leila Salaverria, Marinel Cruz
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — When Kris Aquino and her brother Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III take up where their parents left off, they could be a force to reckon with, according to a lawmaker.

The way former President Corazon Aquino’s children comported themselves after her death, coupled with the overwhelming outpouring of affection and gratitude for her, boosted the family’s political stock, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez said yesterday.

“They have ascended to a higher plane as far as the political climate is concerned. Because of this, Sen. Noynoy Aquino is going to play a critical role in the 2010 elections. Inevitably, the Aquino family is going to play a critical role because of the great outpouring of love and affection for the former President and the Aquino family,” Golez said.

The Aquino children are also the logical heirs to the legacy that the former President left behind.

“The bigger question now is who would be the heir to the Cory legacy. Of course, the first claimants to that are those who are part of the bloodline,” Golez said at the Serye forum.

As she bade farewell to her mother on Wednesday, Kris, Aquino’s youngest daughter and a well-known show biz personality, indicated that she might join her brother in politics to continue their parents’ work.

“Like the promise left by dad and mom to our country, Noy, you and I are in the position to continue what they have started,” Kris said Wednesday after the Requiem Mass at Manila Cathedral.

Loud applause greeted Kris’ statement. She also promised to support her brother, the only Aquino child to have embarked on a political career so far.

Thousands, if not millions, have commiserated with the former President’s children and loved ones after her death on Aug. 1 following a bout with colon cancer.

Many have showed up for her wake and funeral, invoking memories of the massive turnout that also marked the funeral of her assassinated husband, Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.

(Comment: There goes another trapo trying to giving a food-for-thought (a typical makalumang style na naman ng lumang politiko) that the Aquino kids may run and win in 2010. If this happens, it will be the same thing all over again for Filipinos. With respect to Ninoy and Cory Aquino, Kris has no political agenda for the poor masses of Filipinos and neither Nonoy III. This is a typical Filipino style political cycle that should now be stopped in Philippine politics. Dahil mga anak ng dating politiko pwede nang tumakbo. Bilangin natin ang mga politikong anak ng mga dating politiko at sabihin natin kung me nagawa nga ang mga ito sa more than 50 years nang kahirapan sa bansa?? Aber?? We need new politicians. New minds. New energy and strategies to alleviate and change the lives of more than 90 million poor Filipinos! Not some emotional statements from old politicians who have nothing for us but old, outdated and unsuccessful strategies for the poor) Dapat tumahimik na lang 'tong si Rep. Golez at magretire na. Period.

FAMILY FEUDS

2009-08-03T20:29:00.001-07:00

Again, we are witnessing feuds from the small families running the Philippine politics. I suggest these people respect the wake of former President Cory Aquino and say their differences after the Mother of Philippine Democracy has been buried.

The Aquinos, Arroyos, Estradads, Enriles, Marcoses and a few other political players in Philippine politics are trying to show that the lives and future of more than 90 million Filipinos "depend" on them. Para bang nasa kanila na lamang ang pag-asa ng Pilipinas. Parang sila na lang ang tama.

Even the rich families in the country are but a handful. The whole 1,701 islands are owned or being ran by few families. The economy seems "dependent" on them too, while more than 12% of the population are out of the country trying to find a confortable living.

This is the grim scenario that our country now has. This has got to change. Politics should change. Politicians should be changed. The rich has to share their wealth by creating more opportunities to the poor majority of the people. Politicial dynasties should be abolished all together while the people should be brave enough to choose honest and responsible leaders. Leaders that mind its people. Leaders that think nothing but the good of its constituents and not for themselves only and their cronies. Oras na para wasakin natin ang ganitong kaisipan. Panahon na para baguhin nating lahat ang kaisipang ang ilang pamilya lang na ito at mayayamang ito nakasalalay ang ating kinabukasan.

Again, the obvious is being highlighted because of Tita Cory's passing. Panahon na! Sobra na! Palitan na! Battlecries that toppled the Marcoses to power. This time let justice be done.

Again, Ninoy was right; the Filipino is worth dying for.

Let go of corruption. Jail the corrupt. Let justice and equality reign.

Sa darating na election, piliin natin ang may malasakit sa atin, sa ating mga kapatid, kapinsanan, kamag-anakan at kaibigan.

A successful leader is not always the one that is the strongest, but the one that cares for his people.

Some senators slam President’s report

2009-07-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

The staunch critics of President Arroyo at the Senate were disappointed over her supposed final State of the Nation Address (SoNA) Monday.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. said Mrs. Arroyo’s ninth and final speech before Congress was a “total waste of time.”

“For people to have been fooled before by the promises of a good SoNA was plain stupidity. To be fooled the ninth time around is utter insanity, total waste of time, and unforgivable,” Pimentel said in a text message to reporters.

Sen. Francis Escudero said he is disappointed that she “did not say goodbye” to the people which they have all been waiting to hear from her.

“I’m disappointed she did not clarify her stand on Charter change and her 2010 plans,” Escudero said.

Escudero also said it was a “glass half-filled” speech with scant mention of the “glass half-empty” part of the picture.

“There was no mention of corruption in government and the human rights situation. I would have wanted a more balanced presentation to complete the picture of the true state of the nation,” Escudero said.

“I seriously doubt and will check her figures on the construction of 95,000 classrooms, 60,000 teachers, eight million jobs, and two million hectares of irrigated lands. I disagree with still ‘reactionary’ policies regarding Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs),” he added.

But Escudero said he noted Mrs. Arroyo made some good points in her speech. “I agree though with the following: condonation of P42 billion in obligations of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) beneficiaries; continuation of the hunger mitigation program; concentrating on revenue collection efficiency; a knowledge-based economy as the way of the future; and exploring the settlement of conflicts via talks instead of bullets, with exception of terrorists,” Escudero said.

“To be fair, masipag naman talaga siya. Kung saan nga lang ginagamit ang sipag, ibang usapan na iyon. And I hope her last line meant goodbye,” he said.
Other senators said President Arroyo merely used the SoNA as an avenue for critic-bashing.

“Hindi ko pinagpapansin ang mga ganyang banat, ang pinapansin ko ay ang hinaing ng ating mga kababayan,” Sen. Manuel Roxas II who was alluded to by the President on the Cheaper Medicines Bill.

Roxas is author of the Senate version of the bill that seeks to lower the price of medicines. He is also a staunch critic of the Arroyo administration. He declined to attend the SoNA and instead joined street protesters in Quezon City.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon also said he was waiting to hear from Mrs. Arroyo a specific program for national unity but was upset by what he heard.

“I wanted to hear what should be done to end this insurgency (in Mindanao) in 11 months. Nobody is arguing about that we need a government-initiated peace process, but how do we end the insurgency? I did not hear it on her presentation,” Biazon pointed out.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, for his part, said Mrs. Arroyo deserves the “best actress award for portraying a good, honest, and productive president.”

“(There is) major disconnect between PGMA’s speech and the reality being experienced by the Filipino people. Like a student being kicked out of school for failing too many subjects giving a speech at the graduation claiming to be an honor student!” Cayetano said.

Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said notwithstanding the absence of a formal farewell, he said the people will have to simply bring her to the door come the May, 2010, elections so as to ensure her exit.

Sen. Loren Legarda, said the SoNA did not “reach the stomachs of hungry Filipinos.”
The President’s SoNA, while having less gimmicky compared to those of previous years, continued to be a hit-and-miss affair, she said.

Earlier, at the opening of the new session of the Senate, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile led the senators in warning the House of Representatives that they would shoot down any move to convert Congress into a Constituent Assembly to amend the Constitution.

Visit To Manila

2009-07-25T21:25:00.001-07:00

I got a chance visiting Manila last week and guess what I saw from TVs and heard from radios? Yes, advertisements "paid by friends" daw of Sens. Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, and even Mr. Puno. Even national papers are heralding full pages of political parties specifically that of the majority block dead-ma lang ang dating, but clearly promoting it to the public.

Now we know that formal political campaigns by law are allowed only in February 2010. It's not even November yet (the month for presidentiables to file for candidacy). Malayo pa ang kampanya pero naglabasan na ang mga "paid by friends" ads ng mga aspirants na 'to. We know that they have the money to do it, but this does not give any of them the right to banner their ads even paid by their friends.

Now we know exactly kung sino ang kurap at bumabalga ng batas! Ipinakikilala lang nila this early kung sino ang mandaraya at gustong magkaroon ng advantage over the other candidates. Ngayon pa nga lang nag-i-invest na ng mahal tong mga ito, papaano pa kaya kung manalo ang mga ito dahil sa pandaraya? Tayo na naman ang kawawa. Ngayon pa lang eh hindi na sumusunod ang mga ito sa guidelines ng COMELEC. Papaano pa kaya kung manalo ang mga ito? Sino ang babawian at kukunan ng kanilang itinaya this early? Lumang strategy na to ng mga TRAPO na ginagawa pa nila. Huwag na kasing botohan ang mga 'to. Magbago na tayo. Ngayon computerized na ang election, patalsikin na natin 'tong mga obvious na trapo para magkaroon ng totoong pagbabago ang ating bansa!

‘Narration of lies’—Estrada

2009-07-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

BAGUIO CITY – Former president Joseph Estrada, convicted of plunder and freed by presidential pardon, said here on Friday that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) tomorrow would be “nothing but a narration of lies and corruption in her years of being the nation’s leader.”

“On Monday, GMA’s Sona will be anything like in the past, a litany of lies, so be pro-active and make your voices be heard,” he told a youth forum at the University of the Cordilleras here.

“We need real leaders who are transparent, honest and sincere. For someone who wants to be a president, my advice is do not lie, cheat or steal,” said Estrada, who was jailed for receiving millions of pesos in kickbacks from the illegal numbers game jueteng.

Estrada, ousted in a military-backed uprising, was also found to have used an alias when he opened a bank account.

Estrada, who insists he was wrongly convicted, criticized the Arroyo administration for having the most scams involving her Cabinet. He claimed that none of his Cabinet members were involved in scandals during his term as president.

Quoting a World Bank study, Estrada said the Philippines was one of the most corrupt countries in the world as a result of bad governance.

During his trip here, Estrada distributed T-shirts, cellular phones and P30,000 in cash to students who attended the forum.

He later joined a motorcade on Session Road.

Estrada calls his sorties a campaign to explain to the people that he did not commit the crimes which he was convicted of, but many in his camp said it was the ex-President’s way of preparing for a return to power through the 2010 elections.

During his abbreviated term, various scandals also rocked the government, including accusations that government funds were used to raise the value of shares of stock of one of Estrada’s closest friends.

Estrada was also linked to the murders of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, but he repeatedly denied it. Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
(Comment: This is another nonsense news. GMA is corrupt being criticized by Erap who got jailed for corruption. Waste of time 'to).

Sa Mga Maagang Election Banners O Posters ng mga Politiko sa Bansa

2009-05-30T20:51:00.001-07:00

Naglipana na ang mga banners ng mga kandidato sa bansa at napakarami pa sa mga kandidatong ito ay ikinabit pa sa mga linya ng kuryetnte ang kanilang mga mukha; mga kandidatong tatakbo sa susunod na eleksiyon. Ngayon pa lamang, alam na kaagad natin kung sino sa mga kandidato ang me masamang intentisyon na makalamang sa ibang kandidato dahil ilang buwan pa bago nila pwedeng ikabit ang kanilang mga anunsiyo at banners o posters. Alam na kaagad natin kung sino ang mga mandaraya, mga corrupt, at mga gagawa ng hindi mabuti para sa taong bayan. Ngayon pa nga lang eh binabalga na nila ang batas o hindi sumusunod sa batas, papaano pa kaya pagkatapos ng eleksiyon kapag nanalo ang mga ito? Hay, nakakasuka na talaga ang mga ito!

On The Lakas-CMD and Kampi Merger

2009-05-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

"Ramos, Lakas’ founding chair emeritus, snubbed the ceremony to mark the merger of the Ramos, Lakas’ founding chair emeritus, snubbed the ceremony to mark the merger of the Lakas-CMD and Kampi last Thursday, where he was supposed to have delivered an inspirational message. He called a press conference the next day to denounce the “undue haste” with which the merger was done and the “dictation” and lack of consultation."

Comment: Kahit pagsama-samahin pa ang lahat na mga partido sa Pilipinas bilang iisang mega partido, wala pa ring saysay o meaning ito dahil karamihan pa rin naman sa mga members nito ay puro corrupt. Taghirap pa rin ang bansa pagkatapos ng eleksiyon (taga gobyerno corrupt, oposisyon corrupt din talagang walang patutunguhan ang bansa dahil walang agenda ang mga ito para sa Pilipino).

MY AGENDA FOR THE PHILIPPINES

2009-05-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

Dahil parami na ng parami ang nagtatanong sa akin tungkol sa magagawa ko sa bayan if elected, so here's a summary of my plans for the country including Filipnos abroad (my email address is now being clogged by hundreds of responses from the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Canada, U.S.A. [pinakamarami from Filipinos overseas], the Midle East like Kingdon of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, parts of Europe, islands of Palau, Guam, Hawaii, including emails from Africa and Russia. Please read on and read my thoughts and give me comments. Salamat po)

ENRIQUE R. SADIOSA FOR PRESIDENT 2010

13 POINTS AGENDA TO CHANGE THE COUNTRY

(Many, if not all, presidentiables DO NOT HAVE any plan for the Filipinos per se as a nation. Dahil popular lang sila kaya tatakbo. Wala namang plano para sa bayan. Pagkatapos ng halalan, taghirap pa rin ang sambayanan. Balik sa dating gawi. Balik corruption. Balik hirap ang tao)

13 points to do during my 6-year term that would bring impactful changes in our country (of course, without the use of guns, goons and ammos):

1. Double the salary of our, teachers, policemen, soldiers, nurses and civil servants. This will give them dignity as civil servants and improve their services. Them and the people will start trusting the government again. Of course, controlling the prices of basic commodities should be prioritized and make them affordable to all. The money saved from corruption is more than enough to double the pay of all our civil servants including funds for other major projects to benefit the poor and the unemployed. It is only by doubling the salary of our people to be able to cope with the real inflation in the country.

2. Control or curtail corruption - if we cannot eradicate it 100%.. We should create a special task force or a commission such as a real Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to run after corrupt officials and businesses that sabotage our economy. No one is exempted from the ICAC. The Bureau of Customs and the Department of Public Works and Highways should be given priority to be raided by this agency.

3. Curtail RED TAPES and BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE to speed up everything from a simple filing of income tax returns (magbabayad ka na nga lang ng tax, kasalanan mo pa!) to business registrations, court assistance and results, registrations of registrations, and the like. Red tapes already made our country the slowest in business and everything that should be moved to bolster economic development! This is so shameful and disgusting. Red tapes are a major source of corruption in the country.

4. No pork barrel. Civil servants (including the President, senators, governors, mayors, barangay captains should make their living via government salary and benefits ONLY. Political parties will receive nothing from the government but from their own initiatives only -- such as money from sponsors and donors or other sources only. With no pork barrel, no politician can afford to buy votes or to hire private armies to intimidate the voters. They will have no money to corrupt other corrupt officials and individuals. Them and their children (or cronies) will have no means to boast of their ill-gotten wealth. They will no longer be untouchables. We need highly-respected government officials to achieve change. We don't vote for these public servants to bully us in the end. Public servants are not gods. They are only public servants hired by the people to keep the country strong and in order.

5. Controlling government money (peoples’ money) and spending it accordingly: to education, health, infrastructures (roads, clinics, etc). Education means scholarships, modern schools with facilities (including additional support to government subsidized schools to modern equipment and building facilities, high quality teachers, etc. Health means health insurance for government servants including free hospitalization, modern hospitals, cheaper medicines (made locally), high pensions, etc. Infrastructures also means road and farm (or sea)-to-market roads, garbage disposal equipment, modern air and seaports, access to clean drinking water, new clean public toilets, improved postal services, more lamp posts, etc.

6. Building factories, roads, hospitals and other government projects to create more jobs and stimulate economic activities. This includes building them in provinces to enahnce employment and economic opportunities. This in a way will discourage many not to migrate to cities already over-crowded and polluted.

7. Creating income-generating projects such as loans to support small and medium entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and compete. Support business organizations to again stimulate the economy. More money circulating, more businesses, more production, more employment, higher income. Create Economic Zones to provincial areas to discourage migration of workers to cities. Economic Zones provide jobs in the provinces and further stimulate economic activities, thus developing the countrysides (provinces).

8. Self-sufficiency in food supply by supporting local farmers (both sea farming and land farming) to have access to modern equipment, raw materials for planting and good training. This is 100% possible. Farm projects including equipment and raw material support to farmers will be monitored to ensure success.

9. Self-sufficiency in raw materials not by importing but by developing our own resources (machines, equipment, tools, etc) to produce high quality products. This will improve the quality of our local products which in time will qualify for local consumption and exportation.

10. Self-sufficiency in defense, including security of our territorial waters. This means modernization of our national defense. By improving its budget, we can acquire good training and good equipment to boost the morale of our men in uniform. We will professionalize our servicemen and women by increasing their salaries and benefits, including health and housing. By giving respect to our military personnel, they become dignified and respectful to the people they protect.

Having modernized weaponry increase the effectivity of our men in uniform. By controlling corruption, we can have real funds to do this. This way, even the Spratley Islands, which are being "invaded" and claimed by China, Taiwan (only recently), Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei will have a different outcome when we fly our modern jets and hi-tech navy around these island which is geographically within the 200-mile territory of the country. Wala tayong magarang armas kaya binu-bully tayo ng mga bansang ito ngayon. 30 years ago, not one among these countries has any claim on the Spratleys because these islands were being used as target practice by our navy and the US navy. Having more than 1,700 islands it should be a prerogative of our government to have a strong navy to guard our sea. Otherwise, we will have no idea how much of our tuna and other marine products are lost to illegal fishing by foreign pouchers. This is also a perfect way to control terrorists and other illegal actitivies to ply our shores.

Lastly, we should have a strong I.D. System in the country. This will not only stop corrupt officials to profit from conniving or assisting scrupolous syndicates that bring illegal aliens, but also discourage illegal aliens to enter the country without proper documentation and taxation. This means one ID that we can use for all personal and business transacti0ns. Illegal aliens steal our jobs and transact businesses in the country without benefit to the government. A strong ID system will help facilitate our travels faster without the use of forms and other documents that create delays and discouragement to tourism.

11. Local and international promotion of the country as tourist destination where tourists are secured and satisfied with our infrastructure and services. Filipinos are good at this. Learning from the success of other countries will not really affect our egos. But this we can only be successful if we have strong image abroad that we don't have kidnappings and high crime rate in our country. We should give focus on the hygiene of our local destinations with clean public toilets (ni tissue paper wala!), availability of efficient transportation, communication, clean food, cheap hotels and other amenities expected by our local and international visitors. Again, having controlled corruption means having the funds to do this.

For OFWS and Filipinos Overseas

They should retire here! (OFWs and Filipino residents abroad including foreigners)
Filipinos who have been overseas, either working or staying permanently, should think of the Philippines as their own and should retire and enjoy their waning years here. But whose idiotic OFW or immigrant Filipino will do this if the country is riddled with corruption, hunger, violence, and disease? We should first fix and clean our homes and backyards before accepting visitors and guests. This is very basic. Failure of having simple conveniences in the country WILL NEVER bring our kababayan back to our country. They'll never even think of doing this in the first place if our infrastructures are in shambles. This is basic.

12. Reduce importation of raw materials, finished products, but support projects that will improve our own production. Importation drains our national reserves and local businessmen become dependent of producers overseas. Importation kills our local manufacturers. We become dumping grounds of cheap foreign products. We should support our farmers, toolmakers, local manufacturers, etc.

Support them, finance them

We should support our Filipino inventors and innovators. They will give us better economic opportunities in the long run. Filipino scientists and innovators, like those developing engines that run NOT BY GASOLINE but other energies like water, electricity, or alternative energy (clean and green power). They SHOULD BE given priorities. This will stop our dependency on foreign oil which has been stalking the nation for more than 50 years! Yet our leaders NEVER learned from this! This will sound bad for oil companies (local and foreign) in the Philippines. BUT our priority is for the benefit of the GREATER good.

That Filipino politician from Laguna (?) who innovated the first "e-tricycle" which runs by electricity should be given funds to develop it and make it available to the nation. He said that the "e-tricycle" only uses P20 worth of electricity for a whole day's operation! Tanga lang ang presidenteng di ito susuportahan! (unless naba-bribe siya ng mga malalaking oil companies s atin).

13. Professionally imposing the laws of the land; meaning, a powerful judiciary, controlling nepotism, cronyism, red-tape, padrino system, etc. This also applies to implementing a real LAND REFORM so that many Filipinos would have lands to till and live. If I have the money saved from corruption, I can build more jails to discipline the corrupt, the criminals, and the pasaways! (this includes members of my family, friends, colleagues and classmates. If they too are corrupt, they land in jail. No exceptions).

Executing the laws of the land include correct accounting of taxes from all sectors of the country (personal income, business income, customs, exports, etc.). We know already that ours is country of many thousand certified accountants who do not know how to count. "Doctorism" will not be allowed anymore, unless our prisons need certified accountants too. No one will be REALLY above the law. This kind of action needs political will - and only an uncorrupt President can execute it.Support from the U.S. and other countries

The OBAMA government hates corruption. The new American government has repeatedly snubbed the Arroyo government and our government is aware of this. When US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton made courtesy calls to America's ALLIES in Asia early this year, she snubbed the Philippines -- a supposed ally in its war on terror. She instead visited Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, etc... The Obama government knows that the Philippines, now the 'most corrupt' country in the world, cannot be relied upon, unstable, "balimbing", no political will, and an untrusted ally. Our country’s image had sunk to its deepest level during the current government. Again, IMAGE! IMAGE! IMAGE! Pangalagaan natin!

Yes, the Americans had seen the Filipinos fighting the Japanese with them. But that was more than 60 years ago! Those were the days of gallant Filipinos, dignified Filipinos, brave, Filipinos, trusted Filipinos!

Now the Americans see corrupt Filipino leaders (most of them in the country), unrealiable, easily bribed, undependable, untrustable, coward, poor, deceitful Filipino leaders who cannot make sacrifices in times of war and crisis. Americans see a country riddled with nepotism, connivance, cronyism, bribed judges and policemen, corrupt politicians and government officials who spend their time enriching themselves out of peoples' money, custom officials and tax collectors rigging everything and conniving with local businessmen, politicians personally fighting among themselves (clan wars and political dynasty wars), a country of strong poverty and low moral, unemployed masses, a country that survives in doles and loans from other countries (which, again, are pocketed by corrupt leaders).

Corruption and in-transparency (sorry for the misuse of the word) have mained and crippled our leaders' determination and determination to stay firm and strong in times of difficulties. This is how our allies see us. It's embarassing, disgusting, frustrating and deceitful. From the eyes of our neighbors and allies, we are plain traitors.

This means the current Philippine government and those who will be running it after the current one WILL HAVE NO SUPPORT from the U.S. government (or its allies), unless they are not corrupt. Now, take a look at the line-up of presidentiables in 2010 (both form the ruling party and the opposition). Most, if not all, of these candidates are coming from old political parties and groups (many tainted and riddled with corruption scandals) or are part of them or a product of a mix of all these parties. Puro balimbing kasi. Walang isang salita ang mga 'yan!

Do we really think that the U.S. government (or other generous countries) will continue to help the Philippines if anyone of these tainted presidentiables (senators, other politikos) become the next Filipino president or leaders in 2010? Even rich countries will start to have second thoughts of helping the country when they know that the aid they will send for the poor people will only end up inside the pockets of corrupt Filipino officials. Magsasawa din sila sa kapapa-utang sa atin. They know it and they are not stupid.

If I am president, I start from scratch - by improving our own and developing our own resources and by investing on our own people. Support for our businessmen, farmers, students, soldiers, health care, insurance, infrastructures, tourism, diplomacy (local and abroad), science and engineering, research, medicine and the like which will make our people really proud and our country strong. We have to make our base really strong. Again, this can only be done by eradicating corruption and transparency. This will create patriots and people who are proud of their country.

Slow down on colonial mentality and dependency

If we want to change our country, we have to discourage colonial mentality and dependency. Change should start from within us. Then this change will open new doors and perspectives, new alternatives on how we can run our business.

We have to promote our own and support our own. This way, we stop looking at other nations treating us as second-class citizens or worst, treating us like shit. When we have made our country truly strong and independent, then nations will come to us and respect us. When this thing happens, development is on the horizon. And the time to do this is NOW!

My term is just a precedent; There to do the job and nothing else!

My term will only be a precedent to the next leader, a preparation for the next President in 2016. Like John The Baptist of old, I will only prepare the way for the next President to continue the accomplishments and achievements that we as a country have made during my term. It is only a 6 years' sacrifice. After that, I'll go back to my private life but continue to promote the country as a decent, clean, and honest destination where there is security and smiling people.

Democracy is not cheap

Putting our country on the right track will need no people power, revolutions, or civil wars. It only needs a leader who is honest, transparent, and how knows how to execute laws. Someone who knows how to whip bad peoples' asses. Ours is a budding democracy, and democracy is not cheap! It needs responsible and matured people (not matured politicians who laugh from their mistakes and stupidity and easily forgiven by "religious" Filipinos). We need strong-willed Filipinos to guard our freedom. We need Filipinos who value the sacrifices of our forefathers to become an independent nation. We need Filipinos who know how to make good laws and executive them too.

This will make the country strong, better, more stable, create a more disciplined citizenry to be aligned among the rich countries like Japan, Singapore, China, UK, or the USA.

Leading by example

After my term, the people will clamour for the next President who will also lead and worked like I did. This will also be required by the people in choosing the next senators, governors, mayors or barangay captains - to lead by example! Nakita na nila ang resulta ng may malinis na leader. Hahanapin din nila ito sa mga susunod na lider ng bansa. Hahanapin nila ang lider who leads by example!

Dignity and honor to OFWs; Back to the Philippines - JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!

This is also the best way to bring back our OFWs and highly skilled Filipinos to work in the country and help restore our dignity, creativity, and respect as a nation. Having our highly skilled kababayans back into our country will bring enormous benefits to our economy, science, engineering, and the like. Though it is everyone's right to work or travel abroad, we will do our utmost to compete with the salaries and benefits abroad to discourage our professionals to give their services to foreign lands. Working overseas would still be allowed for everyone. But priorities should be given to having decent jobs in the country!

Putting the country in order and on the right track - up and running again!

When a country is in order, there is no need to invite foreign investors to invest in our country. They will come and invest because this is good and profitable for them. The country has the best natural resources in the region. Can we inagine our 1,700 islands all filled with resorts and tourists? Can we imagine the exploding economic activities and the amount of benefits they bring to our people? Employment and other opportunities always tag along with strong tourism.

My work and business in and around Asia gave me the understanding that the Philippines has the most a country can offer among all the other countries around it. The good thing about it is that I have understood how the Asian mind operate and work, what they need, or what else can give them a win-win advantage over other Asian competitors. I know how they do business, what they require to do business with, and how both can profit so that everybody will be happy. Ours is the best country for them to retire and enjoy the profits of their labor -- this holds also true to overseas Filipinos in the region.

Sadly, many of our leaders ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS because they are so tied up with infighting, pa-pogi points, corrupting the government. Our leaders do not mingle with other Asian business leaders. They have no experience of how is it to sell the country's products overseas. They have no idea on how businessmen and business leaders operate to create a win-win environment to benefit their people. OFWs are better off since we have lived with foreigners and we know their habits, characters, weaknesses, strengths. Can we imagine if OFWs are the ones running the country now? No one will leave the country anymore to clean the asses (I mean toilet sits) of our employers! OFWs are typically disciplined, trustworthy, honest (we don't steal from our employers), hardworking, aware of what is happening around us and always ready to save anyone from a burning building.

Our politicians do not have the experience of what I am saying here becasue they are so regional that they never mixed or lived with foreigners whom they are inviting to do business in the country. What our local leaders know is how to corrupt the country and focus their attention on government money (the peoples' money) and don't give a shit on what is happening around the world. They focus more on their party first, then the country second, thus, the poverty and chaos in the country.

MY CHECKS AND BALANCES LIST FOR A GOOD PRESIDENT

How will Filipinos know that I will not become a corrupt public servant or will not end like the corrupt ones? TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, STRONG POLITICAL WILL and HONESTY are in my game plans:

1. ONE BANK ACCOUNT - I will only have one (1) bank account and any Filipino can call my bank and ask for my bank balance 24/7. Having two (2) bank accounts will mean my immediate resignation. No impeachment is necessary. This account will be my only bank account during my 6 years in office which is subject to government audit life-style check every month. All my financial dealings are open to the public for scrutiny and audited by independent representatives from various sectors of the society. Any Filipino can call my bank and inquire my bank balance.

2. ANTI-NEPOTISM -- If anyone of my relatives, friends or colleagues was able to enter Malacanang unofficially or any government post will mean my immediate resignation. No impeachment necessary.

3. SEEN BY PEOPLE 24/7 -- I will be in front of the camera during my official working time as an employee of the people, 24/7. Any official deals done off-camera will mean my resignation. All contracts and laws signed by me are all under the camera. Failure of doing this will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.

4. BONDY CLOCK AT MALACANANG -- I will install a bondy clock in Malacanang. This means everyone working there as public servants, including myself, will time in and out - just like a regular government worker. If I miss registering my entry even for a single day will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary. This is a simple way to tell everyone that the president is not above the law.

5. NO VIP TREATMENT -- No VIP treatment, except official visits in and out of the country. No helicopters, SUVs, yachts, golf meetings, etc. Having used any of these toys will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.

6. PRO-MASSES, FRIENDLY TO BUSINESSES -- Neglecting the poor Filipinos and not supporting business will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.

7. EMPOWERING THE PESO -- If I was not able to uplift or increase the purchasing power of Filipinos (including additional employment and development of the economic status of government servants) after my first year in office, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.

8. NO RELIGION -- I will have NO religion during my term. If the problem in Mindanao is not resolved or at least see any light at the end of the tunnel in two years, I will resign. No impeachment necessary. As President, I will not be a respecter of persons. This means, I will have NO religion during my term. All religions will be treated equal.

9. IMPROVE IMAGE -- If the country has not achieved anything in improving its facilities and image abroad after my first year, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.

10. REGULAR LIFESTYLE CHECK --If I am richer than what I am supposed to receive during my first, second, third till sixth year, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.

11. DEDICATION TO WORK ONLY -- There to do the job and nothing else. My six years will only be focused on rebuilding the country: bringing back the trust of the people to the government, increasing employment and production, peace and order, health, education, diplomacy, income, creating opportunities in business, science, politics, etc. This is only for 6 years so that no doubts and malicious issues will affect my term. This is to show how sincere I am in this business.

12. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! BUSINESS! BUSINESS! BUSINESS! -- My failure to create more jobs for the people means my resignation. No impeachment necessary. Eradicating corruption means opening of new investments and businesses. This means more jobs to our people. No corruption means very good business too. Having a fair business environment brings a lot of opportunities, wealth and security to the people.

Note: These 12 Check and Balance conditions shall be signed by me in front of the camera and witnesses and copies of this document shall be posted to all schools, colleges and universities in the country to remind our young generations of Filipinos that nothing beats transparency and honesty in public service.

Any Philippine politician who can do my 12 Check and Balance list will have my honest VOTE!

+++***+++

Political philosophy (what I thought are sensible and practical to the country and its people):

It is my belief that the President of the land is just a caretaker of the people and not a god or someone who is untouchable. The president is worthy of respect because of the office, not to be treated as someone who is high up there who's unreacheable. Suweldohan lang siya ng tao para mamahala sa kapakanan ng tao. For 6 years, dito lang dapat naka-focus ang attention ng Presidente at wala ng iba. Ang isang sundalo ng pamahalaan ay kagaya lamang ng Presidente na parehong suweldohan at wala ng iba.

Hindi dapat abusuhin ng lider ang taong bayan sa maraming pamamaraan lalo na ang dayain sila. Sagrado ang boto ng tao na dapat pangalagaan ng bawat mamamayan--- kasama na ang Presidente.Karapatan ng mamamayan na patalsikin ang isang lider na corrupt at sinungaling sa bayan. Kaya nga dapat lahat ng lider sa bansa ay transparent para maalis ang duda at kutya ng tao sa kanila. Ito lang ang paraan para respetuhin silang muli at manumbalik ang kaayusan sa bansa.

Kapag mahirap ang bansa, hindi maaalis ang corruption at pandaraya. Kapag corrupt ang lider, corrupt din and mga followers. Kawawa ang mamamayan. (When corrupt leaders reign, the people suffer).

Leading by example is always the best barometer for an effective leader. Nothing beats honesty and sincerity to the people. The more transparent we are to our constituents, the better they respect us and follow our orders. The will love the leader and never ask him/her to leave the office.

There is no need to cheat the constitution just to stay in power. Honest and transparent leaders last longer and their legacy treasured by the people. They even teach this legacy in schools to be emulated by the next generations.

Please tell me what you think (email me at rsadiosa@yahoo.com). Thank you.

'P50-billion road fund misused'

2009-05-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines - At least 15 congressmen are seeking an investigation into the alleged misuse of more than P50 billion in funds for road maintenance, road safety and pollution control.
Representatives Abraham Mitra of Palawan, Paul Daza of Northern Samar, Marc Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Niel Tupas Jr. of Iloilo and Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya sought the inquiry in separate manifestations they made at recent House hearings.

Eight other congressmen led by Deputy Speaker Eric Singson of Ilocos Sur filed a resolution also proposing an investigation. The congressmen said a large part of the money goes to the pockets of corrupt officials and contractors.

The funds whose use or misuse they want the House to look into are collections from the so-called motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC), otherwise known as the road user’s tax.

This is a levy Congress imposed six or seven years ago on owners of all motor vehicles, whose annual registration fees were increased by 100 percent over a four-year period.

The collections go to a special fund administered by an agency called the Road Board, which the secretary of public works and highways chairs and which is attached to his department.
More than P50 billion in MVUV taxes have been collected. Annual collections now reach P10 billion to P11 billion.

Most of the funds go to road maintenance and safety projects such as the installation of catch eye markers and guard rails. A portion goes to pollution control. Mitra said despite insistent prodding from him and his colleagues, the House committee on public works chaired by Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado has not conducted a hearing on the misuse and misallocation of MVUC funds.

Mitra has filed a resolution that seeks to abolish the Road Board and to use MVUC collections to support the annual budget instead of the money going to a special fund outside the control of the Department of Budget and Management and being dissipated.

Padilla complained that projects funded by more than P400 million in road maintenance and road safety money allocated to his province four years ago could not be found. “The projects and the money have vanished,” he said.

There were complaints of missing funds in other provinces as well. In Eastern Samar, road signs and guard rails worth P350 million could not be located.

“What we need here are roads, not catch eye markers and guard rails,” one local official said.
Many congressmen complain of inequitable distribution of funds. For instance, in the past two years, Nueva Ecija was given about P2 billion in MVUC money.

More than P1 billion of the projects in Nueva Ecija were given to a newly formed company called Meditech Trade and Development Corp. The company has also won contracts in Laguna.

Nueva Ecija officials said they could hardly find the P2 billion projects in their province.

Rep. Rodriguez, who belongs to the opposition bloc in the House, complained of politics in the allocation of MVUC money.

He said his district was not given funds, while other districts received tens of millions and even hundreds of millions.

In their resolution, Singson and his seven other colleagues, all belonging to the Northern Luzon bloc of congressmen, said the House should revisit the MVUC tax.

Despite the collection and expenditure of more than P50 billion, they said many roads are still in a state of disrepair and are not safe to travel.

They said people need roads, not luminous signs and markers and guard rails.

They stressed that the bulk of the money is just being dissipated for projects that the public does not really need.

(Comments: Nagpapogi na naman ang mga corrupt congressmen na ito. Kunwari pa silang magrereport ng kurapsiyon ng iba... nagturo ng mga kurap, eh sila din mas kurap! Hay naku, talaga. Baka naman napilitan lang silang magreport ng kurapsiyon dahil hindi sila nabigyan ng 'tong' sa mga projects na ito? O, baka naman kasi malapit na ang eleksiyon kaya nagkukunwari na naman ang mga congreemen na ito na magmalinis ng kanilang papel na singputi ng ulap sa langit? Lumang istorya na ito. Style bulok na! Kelangan na nating mag-aksiyon, mga kababayan. Palitan na ng mga bagong Pilipino ang liderato sa Malacanang, sa senado, sa kongreso, mga governors, mayors, even barangay captain. Palitan na rin ang mga government civil servants (military, civil, etc.) na corrupt din. Kailangan ng overhauling ang ating bansa. Parang kotseng ii-overhaul. Kelangan ibaba ang makina, buksan, change oil, etc.. para mabago ang sistema at makinabang na ang nakararami).

'Balikatan funds misused'

2009-05-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

By Jaime Laude, Philstar

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of National Defense has confirmed an ongoing probe into the alleged misuse of some P46 million for the 2007 RP-US Balikatan exercises, but said it is keeping its hands off the case of the whistle-blower – a female Navy officer – who is reportedly facing summary dismissal proceedings for another offense.

“I understand that she is now facing an investigation before the Philippine Navy’s Efficiency and Separation Board (ESB) and I will have to wait for the results of this probe before taking any action,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said.

Teodoro was referring to the case of Lt. Senior Grade Nancy Gadian, who is under investigation for alleged insubordination and for lavish spending during her term as head of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom)’s Civil Military Operations based in Zamboanga City.
Gadian had claimed that her then immediate commander, former Westmincom chief retired Gen. Eugenio Cedo, misused the P46 million provided by the United States for the Balikatan exercises.

She claimed that of the amount only P2.7 million went to Balikatan’s CMO projects.
But Cedo, in an interview over radio dzRH yesterday, belied the allegations, saying he never benefited from the funds and instead accused Gadian of trying to get back at him because he ordered her investigated for her failure to account for the Balikatan funds in her care. Cedo retired in 2007.

However, military records showed that Gadian had been cleared of any accountability by the military’s internal audit on Balikatan funds, except for an unaccounted P2,500 in hotel expenses.

The charges of insubordination reportedly stemmed from her refusal to face a probe for her lavish spending in a hotel in Zamboanga City. It was not clear if the investigators were referring to the P2,500 unaccounted hotel expenses.

On the other hand, the Navy urged Gadian to formalize her charges of corruption against Cedo.
Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo asked Gadian to support her allegations against Cedo by filing appropriate charges.

“We urge her to come out in the open, formalize her complaint, adduce evidence by attaching documents that would substantiate her complaint or her claims of corruption and then the Navy is willing to help her clear her name,” he said.

“We are not saying that she is right or wrong. What is important here is for her to formalize her complaint because we will not conduct investigation based on mere allegations,” Arevalo added.
“It is also important for us to protect the name and integrity of one of our colleagues in the Navy,” he said, referring to Gadian.

“What we were saying is she is an officer. She has served the Navy for 12 years, so being an officer, we know that she understands what she is saying and she knows, she appreciates the repercussions of what she’s saying, so we urge her to come out in the open,” Arevalo added.
Arevalo maintained that the junior officer is still a member of the Navy, despite having filed her resignation last April 16, because her papers have yet to be evaluated.

He admitted that Gadian might also be held liable for airing her charges in public and not going through the Navy’s internal grievance mechanism.

(Comment: Hay, corruption everywhere! Filipinos, if we will not do anything with the deep corruption in the country, our future will be dark and dreary. There will be more sufferings, tag-gutom at tag-tuyo. There will be chaos if we can no longer afford to buy basic food, shelter, clothing or even send our kids to school. Without the OFW remittances, the country will be 'fed to the dogs!' Only the strong will surive).

Teachers to get P6,500 pay hike

2009-05-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

By Jess Diaz, Philstar

MANILA, Philippines – Public school teachers will receive a P6,500 salary increase under the compensation adjustment program that the House of Representatives was scheduled to approve last night.

The program calls for increasing the teachers’ basic monthly pay to P18,549 over four years from the present P12,000.

The first installment of the adjustment would be paid on July 1 this year. Teachers’ groups are demanding an immediate increase of P3,000.

For Representatives Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya and Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, P6,500 spread over four years is not enough. “This is not equal pay for work of equal value,” Padilla said, noting that teachers, unlike desk-bound bureaucrats, work long hours.
And yet, high-ranking bureaucrats such as undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors will get an increase of 100 percent of their basic pay, excluding allowances, he said.
Unlike teachers, he said these officials receive additional compensation in the form of fat allowances.

Padilla proposed that teachers who hold salary grade 10 under the 33-grade government compensation scheme should be adjusted to grade 15 with a monthly salary of P24,878.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, took up the cudgels for the more than 100,000 soldiers.
He said under the proposed pay adjustment program, soldiers would receive an additional P4,000 over four years, or P1,000 a year.

Since the first installment would be given on July 1, the lowest-paid members of the Armed Forces would be getting only P500 for this year, he said. He said soldiers, like teachers, work long hours and can even be considered as working 24 hours a day.

Under the proposed program, the President would have a salary of P120,000, up 100 percent from P60,000; while the Vice President would receive P103,000, which also represents a 100-percent increase.

Members of Congress would double their salaries to P90,000. Other bureaucrats getting substantial increases are undersecretaries, whose basic pay would be adjusted to P78,946; assistant secretaries, P73,099; and directors, P67,684.

The pay adjustment program is contained in Joint Resolution 36, which President Arroyo certified as urgent last Tuesday. The certification will enable the House to speed up its approval, which was expected to take place late last night.

(Comments:
Una: Like I mentioned in this blog, kayang madoble ang sweldo ng ating mga guro, sundalo, kapulisan, at iba pang kawani ng gobyerno sa buong Pilipinas kung masusugpo nating ang graft and corruption sa bansa. Bakit kailangan doblehin ang suweldo ng matataas sa gobyerno at hindi at par sa naninilbihan sa ibaba? Ang mga teachers, sundalo, pulis, etc. ang araw-araw na nasa front line at marami sa kanila ang overworked pa. Nararapat lamang na bigyan sila ng health insurance, free housing, other benefits na hindi maibigay ng gobyerno dahil sa kawalan ng pera sa kaban dahil sa corruption. Panahon na para baguhin natin ang mabahong practice at sistemang ito na ninuno pa natin sa ilang dekadang pandaraya at panglilinglang sa mga civil servants.

Panagalwa: Tingnan natin kung magkano ang tamang suweldo ng ating top officials ayon sa balitang ito:

"The President would have a salary of P120,000, up 100 percent from P60,000; while the Vice President would receive P103,000, which also represents a 100-percent increase.
Members of Congress would double their salaries to P90,000. Other bureaucrats getting substantial increases are undersecretaries, whose basic pay would be adjusted to P78,946; assistant secretaries, P73,099; and directors, P67,684."

Question: Kung P60,000 lang ang suweldo ng Presidente na dodoblehing 100% (P120,000), congressmen P45,000 (up to P90,000), others at P78,946, kung ganito lang ang suweldo ng mga top officials sa ating bansa, bakit nakakagastos sila ng milyon-milyon sa araw ng eleksiyon? Kahit governors, mayors, barngay captain election sa atin, ganoon din! Mlion ang ginagasta nila para tumakbo. Where do they get the money? At bakit tintudo nilang itaya ang ilang milyon para manalo? Sagot: Kasi alam nila na mas malaki ang babalik sa kanila kapag sila na ang nasa puwesto! Saan galing ang kikitain nilang pera? Sa corruption! Gising na, kabayan!)

Problem is pork, not more solons

2009-04-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

Problem is pork, not more solons
By Mr. de Quiros, Philstar

Several lawmakers have long wished to raise the number of seats in the House of Reps. So when the Supreme Court ruled last week to include 33 more party-list reps to the present 22, they took it as a cue. A bill came up in the Senate proposing a hundred additional seats to the present 238, while a House counterpart would make it an even 300.

The Constitution requires 20 percent of House seats allocated to the party list. So Speaker Prospero Nograles says 300 suits the Tribunal’s new seating of 55 party-list reps, as 20 percent of 300 is 60. Actually the Charter also sets the number of House seats at 250, subject to increase by Congress. But with 250 total, party-list seats would be limited to 50, five short of the Court’s new ruling. Nograles’s 300 is just about right.

At once critics howled. Allegedly it would only be wasting taxpayer money to add 33 new party-list reps, or make the total seats 300. At least P35,000 a month will be spent for each one’s salary, plus P300,000 for field office rent, utilities, representation, travel, staffing, etc. Better to lessen the number of reps or abolish the House altogether, they hooted.

The outcry is understandable. Citizens increasingly are spending on a Congress that is churning out less and less laws. And the laws of late have been of poor quality. Pending in both Senate and House, for one, is a right-of-reply bill that illegally would curb press freedom. Despite worsening poverty, legislators would be unable to point out even just one law passed recently to uplift Filipinos.

But the critics are barking up the wrong tree. It’s not bad to raise the number of reps. In theory the more reps putting their heads together, the better their output. The US has 435 reps for its 303-million population. India has 544 members of parliament for its billion people. Britain, where modern parliament evolved, has 646 MPs for 61 million people.

It’s also time to reapportion the elective congressional districts, by breaking up giant ones. The Constitution promotes one district for every 250,000 population. Too, new districts may be formed within three years of the last census. But Congress has never re-districted since the 1987 Charter ratification; new districts have been created only because of births of new cities and provinces. One district long begging to be broken up into six is Quezon City’s 2nd, consisting of 1.6 million residents and 600,000 voters. That would mean less moneyed candidates able to run against zillionaires. (This is not to push the splitting of Camarines Sur’s 2nd district. It is being done only to accommodate a presidential son and a returning ally, but the resulting districts would have less than the required 250,000 residents.)

What should be removed is the pork barrel: P70 million a year per congressman, P200 million a year per senator. Pork is the root of corruption in Congress. It is the reason why candidates overspend by the hundreds of millions of pesos, cheat and kill during election campaigns. From the pork crooked legislators pocket 20-25 percent. One greedier senator demands 55-percent cut from his pork projects: 50 percent for himself, 5 percent for his chief of staff. And yet the pork has no constitutional basis.

Just imagine if congressional pork were eliminated. Only candidates who sincerely want to serve the people would be left.

(Comment: Agree! There are few hundred corrupt government officials and a handful of good ones in our government. Sadly, most of our people have no BALLS to kick them out from office and help better their lives. Hay, kelan pa kaya tayo magkakalakas loob na baguhin ito?)

Supreme Court chief to Filipinos: Fight government corruption

2009-04-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – As the nation enters the Holy Week, Chief Justice Reynato Puno yesterday reiterated his call for a moral force and asked Filipinos to work together to combat widespread corruption in the government.

Some Supreme Court justices who support Puno in this initiative are expected to name before Thursday members of an advisory council that would push for the movement toward moral transformation in government.

Speaking at the launching of the moral force movement of the Manila Episcopal Area (MEA) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the Philippines of which he is a member, Puno lamented how the country is now perceived in the world as a “moral pariah.”

He said Filipinos have witnessed moral decadence and leprosy, referring to corruption in government that he likened to the corruption in England at the time when John Wesley founded their church in the 1700s.

“We are cast as a moral pariah. What a tragic social landscape for the only Christian country in Southeast Asia,” he said.

“Corruption in the country has been deforming all its institutions, undermining our stability and security and preventing our socio-economic development. We can arrest this social decadence through a moral force,” said Puno.

Other religious groups, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, the Philippine Bible Society and the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, expressed solidarity with the Methodist Church in Manila at its launch.

“They are part of the moral force movement,” Puno said of the Catholic hierarchy, adding that there were CBCP representatives during the launch.

“However, I expect the CBCP will have its own brand of moral force movement,” he added, referring to a similar activity at which Catholic leaders would launch their own moral force initiative.

Bishop Lito Cabacungan Tangonan led UMC Manila Episcopal Area’s launch of the moral force at the Central United Methodist Church in Manila.

“We see the moral force as prophets of our time – people who feel the urge to expose and denounce the debilitating ills in our society, especially those generated by the structural system that promotes, breeds and spawns corruption,” read the UMC-MEA’s handout on its area-wide moral force movement.

Puno said yesterday’s activity in Manila wasn’t the first launch of a moral force movement.
The Chief Justice earlier called for a moral force movement nationwide to arrest corruption in the country while maintaining an apolitical stance, saying a council should be formed to spearhead the campaign.

Members of the moral force council would include credible leaders from “business, church groups, youth and the media.”

The core group would “set parameters for the moral force movement with the purpose of making the people aware of what’s been happening and to do something about it.”
Puno earlier vowed that the movement would not be anti-administration or pro-opposition but rather “a positive-neutral constructive” force.

(Comment: The government, being corruption itself, will have no BALLS or political will to fight and stop corruption. It is powerless to stop these bad apples since since many of these corrupt officials are part of even the instigators of graft. Puno alone and as a judge and those advocating to fight corruption will have no BALLS too to do so. Many Filipinos, tired of being impartial and biased to the many ills in the Philippine society, are no longer interested to fight corruption since those who are caught of corruption have "powers" to bribe judges, policemen, government officials and other authorities. They and other criminals remain on the streets devouring the country like hungry cannibals.

If I am president, I'll immediately form a task force (such as an independent commission against corruption) to arrest and jail these corrupt scalawags and build additional prisons to accommodate them. "Them" include corrupt politicians, judges, soldiers and policemen, actors, priests and religious leaders, cousins and family members, pretenders, balimbings, and many other leeches in the society that destroy our moral values. No one will be above the law including myself. We need a leader-president who has BALLS to throw all of them into prisons, yet a leader-president who lets justice and equality reign. We need a leader who can execute the laws of the land and has time to run after corrupt Filipinos. A leader who can encourage other leaders to do their jobs and clean up the whole country.

The Philippines is like an over-loaded 747 and ready to take off a long time ago, but it could not take off because of the existence of these corrupt officials and their cohorts.

BUT in order to stop graft and corruption, we need the help of the people to execute justice and the laws of the land). It's either the bad guys or us. No in between.

On Hong Kong's Chip Tsao's Racial Slur vs. Filipinos

2009-03-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

HK magazine regrets columnist’s racial slur By Jerome AningPhilippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) Publishers and editors of a Hong Kong magazine apologized on Monday for an article that labeled the Philippines "a nation of servants" and which said that the Philippines could not afford to pursue its claim to the disputed Spratly Islands.

The apology was issued by Asia City Publishing Group (ACPG), publisher of the HK Magazine's print and online editions, which carried on March 27, an article by Chip Tsao titled "The War at Home" which has been scored by Filipino groups in Hong Kong, the Philippines and other parts of the world.

"The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any offense that may have been caused by Chip Tsao's column date March 27. HK Magazine has long championed the rights of Filipinos working in Hong Kong. We note that Filipinos have often been unfairly treated in Hong Kong, and that they make an important contribution to this community," ACPG said.

"As a magazine, we would never want to say anything that would negate that belief," it added.
Copies of the apology were distributed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.A copy was also posted in the agency's website (http://www.dfa.gov.ph/).

The Philippine consulate general in Hong Kong joined politicians and migrant and labor groups in demanding for a public apology from Tsao and the publishers. ACPG, however, noted that the Tsao's column was satirical and the comments it expressed were not intentional.

"One aspect of a satire is that it can at times be read in different ways. In this particular case, many people have read meanings into this column that were never actually intended," the publishing company said.

"We wish to assure our readers that we have nothing but respect for Filipinos, both living in Hong Kong and abroad," it added.

The Philippine Consul General said Tsao’s article was a huge miscalculation. "While Mr. Tsao may have intended his column to be a piece of satire, he has miserably miscalculated in this endeavor," said Philippine deputy consul general Kira Dangan, in a statement issued by the DFA in Manila.

She demanded for an apology for the "grave disrespect" they have shown to the Filipinos in Hong Kong.

"Fortunately, their views are not shared by the larger society in Hong Kong," she added.
According to her, it was "unfortunate" that such an article "could be published in a city that prides itself as a progressive society, that has achieved milestones in multicultural harmony, and whose very character is defined by the presence of people from all corners of the globe."
Dangan noted that Filipinos contributions to Hong Kong’s achievements were "undeniable," adding, "Their work is a noble and dignified one."

Despite the incident, Dangan said that the "long-standing friendship and mutual respect" being enjoyed by the Filipino community and the Hong Kong society would remain. The Hong Kong magazine made the apology as Tsao’s article received an avalanche of condemnation from Filipino groups.

Migrante-Hong Kong and its Manila-based central organization, Migrante International, denounced Tsao’s "insulting wit" and called on the Philippine government to declare him "persona non grata."

"For the mockery and ridicule we are subjected to and for the license given to treat domestic workers harshly, we demand no less than a public apology from Mr. Tsao," Migrante-HK chair Dolores Balladares said in a statement emailed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She said the group hoped Tsao would be "civilized and humble enough to admit that his column was way out of line."

"Such contemptuous regard for migrant workers is unconscionable," she added. In Manila, Migrante-International secretary-general Gina Esguerra called the column "the most racist, insulting and demeaning attack yet against Filipino domestic helpers."

“The article smacks of unqualified racial bias that vilifies the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in Hong Kong and puts them in danger of persecution and harm. We demand no less than a public apology from Mr. Tsao and from the Hong Kong Magazine for allowing this bigoted garbage to appear on its pages,” she said.

Esguerra said Tsao’s diatribes were “a cause for alarm for overseas Filipinos and their families, especially in this time of intensifying global financial crisis where bigotry and racial intolerance are customarily whipped up by host governments in a desperate attempt to evade responsibility on the crisis and to use the army of migrant workers as their convenient scapegoats.”

Before the issuance of a public apology by the Hong Kong magazine, DFA acting spokesman Ed Malaya criticized Tsao for his "condescending attitude" towards Filipino domestics and added that the article was made "not in the best light" and was "uncalled for."

Malaya said that while Tsao, a best selling author and former British Broadcasting Co. reporter, was merely expressing an opinion, the consulate was taking "appropriate action" upon consultation with the Filipino community in the Chinese special administrative region. Tsao's article has been pulled out of the HK Online website. As of 4 p.m., the Inquirer checked the March 27 article entitled “The War At Home” by columnist Chip Tsao and found its URL or Web address (http://hk-magazine.com/feature/war-home) no longer active, with the reader directed to the main Features page. No explanation was provided by the publisher.

A check made on the site around 2 p.m. showed that the article generated at least four pages of comments from readers, mostly denouncing Tsao for being racist and insulting to Filipino domestics, with a few defending him and saying that the article was a satire and should be taken tongue-in-cheek.

Balladares said Filipino domestics in Hong Kong were hurt by the article for using them in the discussion of the Spratlys issue.

She said Tsao’s article not only failed to shed "intelligent light" on the Spratlys issue, but became "a cheap shot, distasteful and demeaning of domestic workers who are already under extreme working and living conditions here."

"In his failed attempt to be witty, Mr. Tsao regrettably trivialized the very serious domestic workers’ situation in Hong Kong society. Such an article to appear publicly is very dangerous for it projects that it can be socially-permissible to treat domestic workers as no more than slaves ready to be lectured, ordered around, easily threatened with termination, and made to jump at every whim of employers," she added.

Balladares said the article could not be labeled as a satire, explaining: "Political satire as a journalistic device is used to challenge or even make fun of authorities and the status quo. Mr. Tsao did not do so in his latest column. Instead, he further beats up the already low and downtrodden."

"Behind such lines that Mr. Tsao may likely but wrongly justify as satire, there lies the precarious reinforcement of the master-slave treatment of domestic workers. Mr. Tsao makes it appear that it is alright to denigrate us and take potshots at us," she added.

Tsao wrote that the Philippines, as "a nation of servants" should not "flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter," referring to the more than 130,000 Filipino domestics earning HK$3,850 monthly in the territory.

He wrote that he summoned Louisa, his domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, and gave her "a harsh lecture."

He said he warned her that if she wanted her wages to increase, she would better tell other domestics that the Spratlys belonged to China and that if war broke out over it, he would have to terminate her "because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day."

He said that the taxes of Louisa's wage could go to the Philippine government, which might use it to fund a navy to invade Chinese territory.

With an earlier report Erwin Oliva from INQUIRER.net

+++++++++++++++ ******** +++++++++++++++++

(Comments)

Note: I personally wrote two (2) replies against Mr. Tsao’s dangerous article which I reprinted below. I was in HK when I emailed these replies.

My magalang na reply (not published by HK Mag, cc'd to Ms Balladares of UNIFIL):

Dear Editors,

Truly Mr. Tsao's latest article which you've allowed published online has created bad sentiments and ugly image to your publication. It was poorly written, discriminatory, of poor taste, irresponsible, and degrading not only to Filipinos but to all honest migrant workers in Hong Kong. If your intention of publishing Mr. Tsao's article online is just to increase traffic, or add fame or whatever mileage you people think would benefit your outfit, then you are dead wrong.

In this regard, I am calling many of our friends, associations, colleagues including business associates to stop supporting your outfit and remove their advertisements on your publications. We are emailing and forwarding emails to all your advertisers and pick-up outlets in Hong Kong to stop supporting your publications both paper and online.We are also forming an advocacy group to call on all Hong Kong maids including their associations to inform their English-speaking employers to BOYCOTT your publication until a formal apology of both you (editors and Mr. Tsao's) is published online.We shall continue to forward this cause until your apology is published.

By the way, your forum warning in RED color at the top of the forum section is meant to censor reactions from your readers. We think it's too late for that now since the damage has been done:"The War At Home --Please refrain from using profanity or making inappropriate comments. Comments will be disabled if profane or inappropriate comments continue. Please don't ruin the discussion for everyone."

You of all people should have thought it over before allowing a low-life, sick writer Mr. Tsao to unleash his damning article through your outfit. We are forwarding this same email to a lot of good people in Hong Kong including concerned groups and NGO's.

Ricky Rueda Sadiosa
Presidential Candidate 2010

My censored and angry reply (not published by HK Mag – my nose and ears fuming, so pardon the bad words—for adults only. HK Mag is being read by many foreign expats in HK, so there goes my street lingo):

All these Chinese crap and an asshole mathafucker called Tsao
Submitted by rickyrueda on Mon, 30/03/2009 - 11:22.

Facts:

There are more than 10,000,000 chinese and Chinese-Filipinos in the Philippines. Let's massacre them all!

There are 1,000,000 Chinese and Chinese-Americans in the U.S. Let's massacre them all too.

Let's BOYCOTT HK Magazine and tell all our english-speaking friends and employers not to read this crappy cheap mag. Just use them as sheets to clean our windows and dripping walls. This is because this mag thinks and allows mothafuckers like Tsao to use its pages to mock not only Filipinos but other maid nationals in HK... that this mag thinks that it's cool to insult people through its pages. This is very irresponsible and stupid-- f_cking editors and publisher(s) of HK mag. This mag thinks that all these are just for fun to entertain its readers. Perhaps we can visit this mag's office and give its owners and writers a nice pat on the head.

Let's all visit Mr. Tsao's office and give him a nice pat in the head too.

Did I get your attention? Pardon the extremes of my invite to kill Chinese – though this is just a hyperbole for HK mag and Chip Tsao to notice my email from the deluge of emails coming from Filipinos and non-Filipinos all over the world condemning this malicious and racist article!

HK, when still being ruled by the Brits, was just a piece of rock filled with Chinese prostitutes back in the 60's and 70's. People here were as poor as sh_t (like the Philippines now). Back then Filipino tourists did not even consider walking the streets in HK because the territory was filled with triads, narcotics, beggars and prostitutes. It was a very dangerous piece of sh_t back then. So, I guess Mr Tsao forgot this piece of HK history because he was too busy sucking d_cks (yes, this stupid writer Tsao's a foggot) of his classmates while his school teacher was teaching him history.

Again, the people of HK and this foggot Tsao should not brag about Filipinos being a "country of servants" because his grandparent's asses were also poor as rats in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Even my late uncle, who was a small time mayor in our province back in the 60's, has welcomed Chinese migrants in the his home in our province to work as amahs. He had 3 chinese amahs then. I still have that black and white photo with his Chinese maids (who ran away from Amoy and sought refuge in the philippines), standing on both ends of the family clan reunion photo in the 60's all having long pony tails and wearing traditional Chinese dresses.

Ngayon lang kayo yumaman, yumabang na kayo! Mga p_tang-ina n'yo! Galing din naman kayo sa wala, ah! Pwe! (For chinese racists, go and ask your Filipino maids to translate what I've written here in Tagalog and savour the sweet smell of its meaning).

So this BBC-kicked out irresponsible and idiotic journalist Tsao should better read the correct version of Chinese history and be humbled by their true history. I guess he grew up and learned his education from fake Chinese teachers (China is the most notorious product fakers in the world) who, like desperate chinese historians, wanted to present an immaculate history of how China became a superpower - and trying to change and rewrite the not-so-pretty history of their country from the inhuman astrocities during the building of the Great Wall to the Communist Cultural Revolution in the 50's-70's down to the country's persecution of the fa lung gongs of modern china.

"Long live Mao" is Tsao's desperate act of swallowing the errors committed by the former mass murderer of China. During Mao's leadership, more than 30,000,000 chinese died, including many of those who escaped in HK, the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Mr Tsao and HK Mag should really apologize. Tsao should be greatful that without the Philippine's hospitable policy of welcoming Chinese escapees and refugeees during their worst political nightmares, there will be no SM's, Cojuangcos, Tans and more than 10,000,000 Chinese and Filipino-Chinese who now are controlling the Philippine economy with the connivance of few Filipino as_holes in the country.

Finally, HK will not be as pretty and clean these days without the "130,000 Filipino slave workers" as this as_hole Tsao has written in his damning article! This alleged bestseller (my ass), self-proclaimed writer should be crucified and ass-kicked from HK Mag -- and this mag finally padlocked!

Enrique Sadiosa
Presidential Candidate 2010

(Comment #2)

In the light of this racist slurs and controversy, our government and past governments should be party blamed for allowing its people to work like slaves in foreign countries. I remember this policy of sending OFWs was a temporary "cure" for the worsening unemployment during the waning Marcos years. It was the former Blas Ople who helped chart the policy of sending OFWs back then to temporary "solve" unemployment.

Now, this policy became a hanapbuhay of the government to earn precious dollars to continue their corruption and neglect of the Filipino people at their expense. Results: Millions of Filipinos today are "motherless and fatherless", many workers are in foreign jails due to various "offences and stupidities" as their foreign host countries charge them. How many Filipinos suffered psychological traumas, physical abuses, some even left on the sidewalks to die like pests, how many thousands are suffering from various mental syndromes far worst than those being suffered by servicemen in their battle against terrorism?

All these because of the Philippine government's neglect and corruption. Do we OFWs really think that we are the "modern heroes" these corrupt officials and their cohorts are labelling us to be? At least, my book "Mga Bagong Bayani" has documented more than 200 of them toiling overseas. But these alleged "protectors of migrant workers" made OFWs as the modern milking cows just for the country to stay afloat. Without the annual OFWS remittances of US$8 billion, the country has already fell into civil war because of hunger!

I say we start changing our impressions and images of our politicians. For more than 40+ years, most of our politicians have had struggled but failed in making the country strong and stable. They failed to uplift our way of life, failed to strenghten our industry, failed to improve the image of the country abroad, failed to stop kdnappings, failed to give solution to the Mindanao problem, hasn't stopped the NPAs from roaming our hills, failed even to produce rice for our people, or even give solution to the traffic-pollution-garbage-over population of Metro Manila, failed to control infaltion, and thousands of other simple problems of the country? 40+ years, mga kababayan! Walang nagawa ang mga sweet-talkers na mga 'to! Plakda pa rin ang bayan!

So, why choose politician candidates to run our lives for the next 6 years again in 2010? Some of these corrupt officials are even sons and daughter of former corrupt politicians posing as "opposition" candidates. One of them even is a son of a former action-movie star-turned president and was convicted of economic plunder and got jailed for it! Now, both him and his dad are running for president! Sonnavabitch! Saan na tayo papunta, mga kababayan?

Can we not understand that the country is only being ran by political families and dynasties which actually brought the country to poverty and hunger? They fight amongst themsleves. They throw accusations among themselves as being corrupt, magnanakaw, mangagnahoy, mamamatay-tao, kidnappers, hamletters, vigilantes, kick-backers and all sorts of degrading insults. They fight among themselves for personal gains in the senate and congress at the expense of our money, time, and efforts. While they insult and fight in the senate and congress, they waste their time, money and efforts while we pay our precious taxes so that they can feed their families, buy their expeditions, villas, resorts, travel abroad, or finance their private armies. And mind you, these are in billions of pesos!

If I am president, this will stop and rechannel these monies to infrastructures, hospitals, schools, health, additional salaries, sound government projects to create jobs, jobs nad more jobs!

I suggest we start rethinking of our choices, our decisions to elect non-politicians or individuals who can present and deliver better solutions to our economic woes and dificulties. Honest candidates who can give "lights at the end of the tunnel" to our suffering 88 million people.

Politicians will NOT give solutions to our current problems. Period! Choose people who have good connections abroad, good business know-how, candidates who knows how to deliver solutions to the economy, who has a heart for OFWs and Filipinos seeking for better lives. Kandidatong me pakiramdam at malasakit sa kapakan ng nakararami (hindi sa iilang mayayaman at kilala na na ang tanging layunin ay isahan ka para lalo silang yumaman).

Lets choose candidates who can teach our people how to create their own businesses and support them too. Candidates who knows how to control the people's money and invest them locally -- invest on their people. Candidates who can network the country to other countries through sound trading where both are winners through import and export of goods. Candidates who aim to see the country becoming industrialized, a country capable of producing its own food and raw materials and process them to benefit the many and earn dollars not by exporting its people, but exporting its products that can compete worldwide.

Let's change ourselves and we can change the country.

Palace reminds Erap, Binay they are not above the law

2009-03-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

(Kasi sila sa Palace eh above the law?)

SAN JUAN, Batangas , Philippines – Malacañang yesterday reminded pardoned former President Joseph Estrada and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay that they are not above the law and that they should be responsible for their actions.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde was commenting on the complaints of Estrada and Binay that they are being harassed after Philippine National Police (PNP) officials said they would be investigated for violating a law banning the display and possession of real-looking firearms.
The two opposition leaders were seen riding a restored World War II US army jeep with a mounted .30 caliber machine gun replica during their “Lakbay Pasasalamat” tour in Cebu last March 4. “Officials in the administration of President Arroyo, the sitting President, when going around the provinces, do not ride vehicles with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on them,” Remonde said in a radio interview.

He said Binay and Estrada should explain their actions instead of crying political harassment.
PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa has said that authorities are investigating if charges can be filed against the two. Verzosa said the Central Visayas Police Office (Region 7) in Cebu had confiscated the machine gun replica. Police revealed that the restored army jeep is owned by the husband of Carmen Mayor Sonia Pua and had recently won in a vintage car show in Cebu.
Verzosa directed PNP-Civil Security Group director Chief Superintendent Ireneo Bacolod to monitor the investigation of the incident. Bacolod said Estrada’s group might have violated Letter of Instruction (LOI) 1264, signed by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1982, that bans the import, sale and public display of gun replicas.

He said a technical working group would discuss the issue of gun replicas as part of the effort to amend the law on controlling firearms. The PNP has decided to regulate the proliferation of gun replicas, which are sometimes used by criminals in carrying out illegal activities, including bank robbery.

A case of ‘serious sunstroke’

However, Binay said Malacañang is just suffering from “serious sunstroke” and that it is not in a position to give him a lecture on respect for the law. “There are far larger violations of the law that have been committed right inside Malacañang. Yet they choose to hang us for riding a jeep with a replica machine gun,” he said. The feisty local executive said he is ready to face the charges in court, and even dared Mrs. Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel and other Palace allies to do the same for violations of the law. Binay had earlier dismissed the “gun toting” charges as absurd and ridiculous. “These allegations should be ignored but under Mrs. Arroyo, the absurd and ridiculous are used as evidence in court cases against the opposition,” he said, adding the administration has started its demolition job on them.Estrada, on the other hand, challenged the PNP to file the charges in court, saying its officials are “a bunch of ignoramus.”

(Comments: Hay naku, nag-away ang dalawang grupo ng mga corrupt! Nagtapunan ng parehong baho ang mga kulugo! Waste of ime, money, and effort lang ito. Kapag ang dalawang parehong me baho ay nagsalubong, siguradong wala bangong maibibigay ang mga ito sa mga tao. I suggest na huwag na nating botohan ang lahat na mga kandidatong nanggagaling sa malalaking partido at oposisyon (kuno) since pareho namang mga corrupt ang mga ito. Vote for independent candidates who have no parties, no huge amount to bribe the voters, at saka dahil lamang sa kilala at sikat ang mga ito (dating mga artista). Putulin na rin natin ang pagboboto sa mga kandidatong anak ng dating politiko at galing sa pamilya ng mga politiko dahil wala rin namang plano ang mga ito sa mga Pilipino. Inuuna pa nila ang pansariling interes bago ang mamayan. For more than 40 years, ganito na ng ganito sa bansa. Hindi pa rin ba tayo nagsasawa? Hindi na ba natin mahal ang puturo ng mga anak natin ngayon sa mga magigi nilang mga anak? Kung ang sagot n'yo ay "Oo", then botohan 'nyo ang mga ito.

Hindi pa ba natin napapansin na kahit na sinong politiko ang umupo sa puwesto, wala pa rin tayong asenso. For so many years now, political dynasties had brought no richness and development to the country except corruption, extortion, cheating, embarassment to the people, killings of media practitioners, bad image to the country, insensitivity to the real needs of the poor, unemployment, widening war and misunderstanding in Mindanao, loss of respect of the people to the government (so, the government people just steal their money), illiteracy of the masses, cultural and religious divisions, high prices and inflation, and countless sufferings of the people. Four decades ago, the Philippines is the envy of Asians. Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and even China were all looking up to us as the future competitor of Japan. Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea were just pieces of rocks. Isang malaking pantalan lang ang Hong Kong at Singapore. Pero dahil binigyan nila ng halaga ang kanilang puturo, ang kanilang boto, naging maunlad silang pareho. Ngayon, tayo ang mga alila nito. Now, all these countries (and even other western and eastern countries are looking down at us like shit (and these "S.O.Bs" in the government (and many of their cohorts don't even give a damn about it! As long as they can squeeze zillions of cash from the people - including OFWs - they are happy and can sleep well at night. What if we, OFWs, exchange positions with these dirty politicians? Let them come to Hong Kong or Saudi or America to work as amahs and engineers or musicians working 12-18 hours a day with no protection or securities or being paid less than what they are supposed to earn? Or being kicked, slapped or dumped in jails because their employers do not like their smell? Can you imagine Mrs. Arroyo being kicked or spat upon in her face by her Chinese employer here in Hong Kong because she can't iron their clothings well? Or Erap, Mar Roxas, Nograles, or Chiz Escudero receiving 12 lashes per day for 4 weeks in a Saudi jail because they're being accused of stealing from their employers? Can we imagine Mr. Enrile or Manny Villar working in Hong Kong as drivers and are asked to clean their employers' swimming pools, scrubbing their toilet bowls or washing their cars or being insulted by their "amos" calling them stupid because their government cannot provide decent jobs for them in the country? Can we imagine Meriam Defensor being scolded and hout upon while removing the shit-filled bed pan of her senile employer? Ano kaya kung sila ang magtrabaho sa abroad and mga OFWs ang umupo sa kanilang puwesto? Finally, siguradong lilinis ang gobyerno natin! Kung talagang nasa puso ng mga lider natin na tawagin tayong mga bagong bayani, sana matagal na nilang binigyang pansin kung papaano tayo makakauwi sa ating mga mahal sa buhay dahil mas mahalaga sa ating mga Pilipino ang pamilya kaysa kita sa malalayong bansa.

Sana matagal na nilang ginamit ang kinurakot na pera sa pagbukas ng mga negosyo para magbigay ng trabaho sa mga OFWs. Ilang milyong kabataan ngayon sa bansa ang nagsilaking walang ama at ina? Marami ang naging mga drug addict, prostitutes, walang natapos at nalulong sa mga sindikato. Sa Hong Kong lang ako nakakita ng tatlong henerasyong lahat naging katulong: yung lola, ina, at babaing anak puro katulong ang kinahitnan dito. Sigurado akong ang magiging anak ng babaing anak na ito ay magiging katulong din pagkatapos nitong mag-aral. Kailan pa natin puputulin ang katarantaduhang ito dahil walang magawang solusyon ang gobyerno ngayon--- at ang magiging kapalit nito kung hindi natin ihahalal ang may tama at tunay na hangarin para sa 88 milyong Pilipino? Gising na, kababayan ko!

Ano nga ba talaga ang nagawa ng maraming politikong naka-upo ngayon sa ating mga Pilipino at sa mga politkong nakaraan na sa ating ekonomiya? Sa ating image sa abroad? Sa ating employment? Sa ating security? Sa ating environment? Sa ating health protections? Sa ating mga paaralan na delapidated na? Sa ating mga public infrastructures? Basura pa lamang sa Metro Manila eh hindi nila mabigyan ng tamang solusyon! Kidnapping na walang katapusan! Gutom! Marami ang namamatay dahil mahal ang hospital at medisina! Maraming kababayan natin ang pumapatol na lamang sa kung sino-sinong banyaga makaahon lamang sa gutom. Marami ang inililibing na walang tamang respeto dahil walang pambayad? Maraming Pilipino ang mistulang tulala at magpakumbaba dahil lumaki silang "sir" at "mam" ang tawag sa mga taong umaabuso naman sa kanilang kahinaan. Tingnan na lamang natin ang simpleng problema sa mga "casual" workers sa bansa. Dahil marami ang walang trabaho, tyaga na lamang sila sa pagiging "casual" kahit college graduate naman ang mga ito. Kaso, inaabuso naman sila ng mga malalaking shopping malls at ibang negosyo sa bansa. Bakit hindi natin baguhin ang sistemang ito? Lalong yumayaman ang mga mayayaman at lalong naghihirap ang maraming mahihirap.

Nasaan na ang ating national pride, mga kapatid? Where is our diginity? Matuto na tayo, mga kababayan ko! Let's clean and make good changes in the country for the benefit of our posterity!

DPWH executives in World Bank mess face raps - Ombudsman

2009-03-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines - Former secretary Florante Soriquez and 16 other officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are facing charges of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and other offenses after the Office of the Ombudsman found documentary evidence linking them to alleged anomalous biddings for World Bank-funded road projects.

Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni told The STAR the anti-graft agency and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will jointly probe alleged collusion between private contractors and government officials in the supposed anomaly. The investigation of their Field Investigation Office (FIO) covers only the first phase of the fact-finding process since the Office of the Ombudsman does not have jurisdiction over private contractors, he added. Jalandoni said First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo was implicated in the alleged bid-rigging in a World Bank report based on alleged interviews with unnamed witnesses.

Mr. Arroyo can only be probed based on the testimonies of private contractors in the Senate hearings since the witnesses were never named, and the report was confidential, he added.
Jalandoni said their FIO tried to make use of the copies of the testimonies sent to them by the Senate by asking the World Bank to authenticate them. However, the World Bank refused their request, he added. The joint probe with the NBI will have to again call on the witnesses and have them testify on Mr. Arroyo’s supposed involvement in the anomaly, as well as other government officials mentioned in the Senate hearings, he said. Jalandoni said Soriquez, now a DPWH undersecretary, leads the list of officials who are being charged for grave misconduct, dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service, and neglect of duty based on provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees before the Office of the Ombudsman’s Preliminary Investigation and Administrative Adjudication and Monitoring Office.

Soriquez, as acting DPWH secretary when the biddings were held, should have rejected all bids that went beyond the approved budget for the contract, he added. The strongest evidence against the respondents are documented bidding records that show supposed irregularities or anomalies in the process, he said. Jalandoni said the World Bank rejected all three winning bidders due to findings that the detailed analysis of the original bids themselves reveal clear patterns of collusions among the bidders, and that in all three occasions, the lowest bids are some 15 percent higher than the estimate cost, which is indicative of alleged bid-rigging.
Graft investigators found sufficient documentary evidence to show that a violation of the Procurement Law has been committed, he added.

All 17 DPWH officials are being charged for approving bids that went beyond the approved budget of the $150-million National Road Improvement and Management Project-Phase 1, Jalandoni said. Charged with Soriquez were Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan as chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Visayas and Mindanao projects; BAC Assistant Secretaries Bashir D. Rasuman, Salvador Pleyto, Juanito Abergas as BAC members; Mocamad M. Raki-in Sr., as Vice Chairman for the Mindanao area; and Rafel C. Yabut as Vice Chairman for Operations for Area III. The anti-graft agency’s investigators also found sufficient grounds to charge BAC members Emerson L. Benitez, who is also a Project Manager III and head of the BAC-Technical Working Group; Baliame P. Mamainte, project director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development-Project Management Office (IBRD-PMO); Lope S. Adriano, the project director of the IBRB-PMO; lawyer Joel I Jacob, officer-in-charge (OIC) of the legal service; Camilo G. Foronda, OIC of the Comptrollership and Financial Management Services; Director Walter R. Ocampo of the Bureau of Construction; and Florencio I. Aricheta, a representative of the National Constructors Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Construction Association.

Part of the World Bank-funded project covers the rehabilitation of the Marihatag-Barobo/Tagbina-Hinatuan section of the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road Contract Package, according to Jalandoni. A bidding was held on Nov. 20, 2002 wherein the BAC recommended the awarding of the project to China Geo Engineering Corporation which had a bid that was 15.59 percent higher than the approved budget for the contract (ABC) worth P967,012,362.15.
The second part of the NRIMP-1 covers the rehabilitation of the Kabankalan-Basay/ San Enrique-Vallehermoso Road Hinobaan-Basay/La Castellana-Canlaon Section Contract Package or CW-RU-1.6, which was later split into two projects as CW-RU-1.6A and CW-RU-1.6B.
For CW-RU-1.6A, a bidding was held on Aug. 8, 2006 wherein the BAC recommended that the project be awarded to the China Road and Bridge Corporation which had a bid that was 13.38 percent higher than the ABC of P682,396,537.65, according to graft investigators.
For CW-RU-1.6B, a bidding was also held wherein the BAC recommended that the project be awarded to China Wuyi Co. Ltd., which again had a bid that was 16.85 percent higher than the ABC worth P640,574,987.79.

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez was not present during yesterday’s presentation of the initial findings on the World Bank case as she was allegedly out attending to other matters.

(Comments: Hay, grabe na 'to, nakakahiya na talaga. Halos lahat na yata ng departamento ng gobyerno sa atin ay corrupt! Again, pera ng tao ito at pera ng mga gustong magpahiram sa atin para maibsan ang kahirapan -- na ninanakaw naman ng mga corrupt officials sa atin na kasabwat ng mga taong kasama sa anomalous bidding na ito. Kelan pa natin susugpuin ang salot na ito, kababayan? Lately lang, 'nabigyan' ng bagong award ang ating bayan na pinaka-corrupt na bansa sa buong mundo!)

Plunder raps filed vs National Printing Office officials

2009-03-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

By Rainier Allan Ronda, Philstar

MANILA, Philippines - The owner of a private printing firm filed plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against officials of the National Printing Office (NPO) for the alleged anomalous biddings of an estimated P141-million worth of contracts for the printing of official forms of various government agencies and local government units last January and February.
Guillermo Sylianteng Jr., general manager of Ready Form, Inc., filed charges of plunder, dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the civil service against former acting NPO director Enrique Agana; NPO officer-in-charge Dionisia Valbuena; Miguel Arcadio, chairman of the NPO’s Bids and Awards Committee; and BAC members Eddie Vista, Florencia Reyes, Federico Ramos, Elsa Calma, and Sol Tamayo.

Charges were also filed against Evelyn Perlado, chief of the NPO’s Production, Planning and Control Division; and legal consultant Phio Viovicente. Private printers who participated and bagged contracts in the three public biddings were also included among those charged as private respondents. In his plunder complaint filed before the Ombudsman last Feb. 13, Sylianteng accused the NPO officials of presiding over three alleged “fixed biddings” on Jan. 13 and 19 and Feb. 6 to award multi-million peso printing contracts to produce the standard and official accountable forms of different national government agencies and LGUs.

Sylianteng said that during the Jan. 13 and 19 bidding during which Agana was still the NPO acting director, there was no public notice made of the bidding. In the secret biddings, only the “pre-selected and invited” private printers were able to participate and bag the printing contracts. Among the agencies that gave the NPO their printing contracts were the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and many others.

Sylianteng said that the officials had falsified bidding documents to make it appear that the two biddings were conducted on Dec. 24, 2008. He said the NPO held the two biddings secretly after he notified the agency that subcontracting of government printing contracts to favored private printers is illegal. The NPO resorts to subcontracting the printing of government forms if the printing agency cannot accommodate more printing jobs for government agencies. The Jan. 13 bidding involved an estimated P50-million worth of contracts of 11 government agencies including the LBP, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Western Visayas State University, Baguio City Hall, Pasig City Hall, and the province of Mindoro Oriental.

The Jan. 19 bidding reportedly involved P60-million worth of printing contracts of about 23 agencies including the LBP, the MIAA, the SBMA, the Philippine National Police, the provincial governments of Aklan, Bukidnon, Negros Occidental, and Antique, the National Children’s Hospital, and many others. After Agana was relieved from the NPO, the agency, then headed by Valbuena as OIC, again held another subcontract public bidding for 61 printing jobs referred to them by other government agencies. The Feb. 6 public bidding involved some P31-million worth of printing contracts. The STAR could not contact Valbuena to get her comment on the plunder charges filed against her and her colleagues. Valbuena stepped down as OIC and resumed her previous post as deputy director last Monday to give way to recently appointed NPO director, retired police general Servando Hizon.

Sylianteng said that the government agencies were prevented from getting cheaper printing services due to the rigged biddings. He cited Executive Order 378 issued by President Arroyo on Oct. 25, 2004 that took away the NPO’s exclusive jurisdiction over the printing of official accountable and standard forms of government agencies. Last Feb. 24, Malacanang’s legal office, through Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Manuel Gaite, issued a legal opinion declaring that the NPO should no longer conduct such “sub-contract” public biddings of multi-million peso printing contracts. Gaite said that E.O. 378 was issued to ensure that government “benefits from the best services available from the market at the best price.” “Clearly, the NPO no longer has exclusive jurisdiction over the printing service requirement of the government over standard and accountable forms. In fact, it has to compete with the private sector, except in the printing of election paraphernalia which could be shared with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” said Gaite, who was recently appointed as commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The legal opinion was sought by the Department of Finance’s Bureau of Local Government Finance, which has complained of delays in the delivery of vital forms such as official receipts by the NPO’s contracted private printers. Currently, many government agencies still go to the NPO for the printing of official accountable forms such as official receipts printed despite E. O. 387.
Due to its lack of modern printing facilities, the NPO merely farms out these contracts by holding public biddings wherein they select the private printers that will undertake the printing of government forms. The NPO charges the government agency a 15 percent “service fee” for the supposed printing of the forms that was actually undertaken by a winning private printer.

The NPO, it was learned, has around 33 “accredited” private printers that could bid for the subcontracted printing jobs. Official accountable forms are those which the printing office and government agencies have to strictly keep track of and account for, such as official receipts and registration documents such as those issued by the Land Transportation Office for motor vehicle registration and driver’s licenses, money order forms issued by the Philippine Postal Corporation, and the official receipts issued by local city and municipal treasurers to payers of local taxes such as real property taxes, and the receipts and other forms issued by government banks such as the Land Bank of the Philippines.

(Comment: Hay naku... sinabi ko na, kapag corrupt sa taas, corrupt din sa ibaba! At the expense of poor Filipinos, these people in the government treat their jobs as their own business na. Wala ng delikadesa, wala pang kahiya-hiya. Lantarang pang-aabuso sa pera ng tao na para bang isang napakalaking sindikato na ang ating gobyerno. Again, when corrupt leaders govern, the people suffers. I suggest a strong leadership with strong political will will finally eradicate corruption in the country and finally put these corrupt officials into JAIL!)

'Arroyo behind charter change - de Venceia'

2009-03-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is behind a move to amend the Constitution that is being pushed by her son in Congress. Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo attempted but failed to enlist the support of Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia in exchange for his reinstatement as House Speaker, the former Congress leader said. De Venecia on Wednesday said that Representatives Arroyo and Martin Romualdez came to his office two days before the House adjourned for a Lenten break March 5 to request him to shepherd the passage of the draft resolution calling for a constituent assembly (Con-ass). In return, De Venecia said he was offered back the speakership stripped from him in what was described as a “political assassination” after his namesake son exposed the NBN-ZTE deal with China. Mikey and his brother-congressman, Dato, engineered the ouster.

“I preempted them by saying ‘no,’” De Venecia told reporters. “I turned down the request for me to help because they are not telling the Filipino people the truth,” he said, pointing to the obvious motive of Con-ass—“so that Gloria’s term can be extended.” De Venecia said as long as administration allies could muster the 197 votes in the House and get the Supreme Court to uphold their move, “there will be no stopping Cha-cha.” Mikey denied De Venecia’s allegation. “I never offered him the speakership,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net). “What will I offer him? He’s the one who volunteered to help.” “All these people crucifying this resolution must have first the decency to read the resolution. It hasn’t even been filed yet,” Mikey said, adding that the measure neither calls for scuttling next year’s balloting nor extending the term of sitting elective officials.

Malacañang also scoffed at claims that the administration was bent on amending the Constitution ahead of the 2010 elections to pave the way for a parliamentary form of government. Secretary Gabriel Claudio, presidential political adviser, said that Malacañang, which approved the P11.3-billion budget for poll automation on Monday, was all psyched up for the May 2010 elections.

Palace on election mode

Claudio said the Commission on Elections had gone “full blast” preparing for the first nationwide computerized elections, even as the administration coalition “is pursuing its selection process in earnest.” “The whole country, the administration included, is on election mode,” he said.
“I can feel that they still need 20 votes to obtain the required 197 votes,” De Venecia said, referring to the magic number which represents three-fourths of the combined Senate and House membership to effect any changes in the 1987 Constitution. Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte has said the House could push through Con-ass despite the Senate’s strong objection if it could get 197 signatures. Villafuerte disputes the contention that the Constitution provides a two-thirds vote of members of the House and the Senate, voting separately, was needed to call a Con-ass.

Hopeless proposition

De Venecia stressed that even the separate Cha-cha resolution filed by Speaker Prospero Nograles was only a “decoy,” pointing out that limiting amendments to purely economic provisions was a “hopeless” proposition. “The Nograles resolution is just a decoy and the Villafuerte resolution does not say anything, except to get the Supreme Court to rule favorably on a constituent assembly,” De Venecia said.

Afraid of plunder cases

“They will buy her (Ms Arroyo) immunity. They are afraid of the plunder cases to be filed against them. If the Cha-cha move has no go-signal from the President, will they get 177 votes?” De Venecia said. He was referring to reported Palace efforts to keep Ms Arroyo as transition president or prime minister if the move to abolish the presidential system to pave the way for parliamentary or federal system pushes through. As of February, 180 congressmen had signed the Con-ass resolution, other Congress sources said. Should the Con-ass bid succeed, De Venecia said Congress could then push for a transition period that would extend the terms of all elected officials by one or two years after 2010 to allow the Con-ass to revise the Constitution.
Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Francis Pangilinan called on Ms Arroyo to break her silence on Con-ass. They said her unclear position was only fueling rumors that she really wanted to stay on as President beyond June 30, 2010. Cayetano said that after years of “undeclared strong-arm rule, many still can’t believe that she will simply leave in 2010 without a Plan A and C in place.”

Cha-cha is Plan A

“Everyone knows that Cha-cha is Plan A, emergency rule is Plan B and support for a candidate or an opposition Trojan horse is Plan C,” Cayetano said. “They are playing with fire and making a costly mistake if they think they can ram Cha-cha down the throats of people already sick and tired of abuses and corruption in government,” Pangilinan said. He said administration officials were afraid they would lose their immunity after the 2010 elections and face “a string of nonbailable plunder cases and jail.” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. said that the off-and-on move of Malacañang and its allies to revive Cha-cha was an exercise in futility “because the means with which they are pushing for it is unconstitutional.”

No time left

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said there was no time for Charter change. “It’s difficult to go through that. We don’t even know how it will be done. They are quarreling in the House if it will be treated like an ordinary bill or it will be separately done,” Enrile said in an interview.
Even if Charter change proponents get the required number, it will face rough-sailing, he said.
“If they will disregard the Senate, it will have to go to the Supreme Court. They have to remember that we’re a bicameral Congress. The House of Representative is not the Congress of the Philippines, neither is the Senate,” Enrile said. “And my guess as a lawyer … they will lose if they will do it alone. The Supreme Court cannot skirt the issue. Once you are appointed as a member of the Supreme Court, you are only beholden to your conscience, to God and to history,” Enrile stressed.

Plebiscite needs funding

The Senate president said that funding a plebiscite to ratify the new Constitution also needed the support of the Senate because it would entail appropriation. “If the plan is to bypass the Senate, then I will be the first to challenge it before the Supreme Court,” said Sen. Francis Escudero, who is the chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of laws. “If by any chance it passes the Supreme Court, then I am sure that the people will reject it,” Escudero added. Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guingona III said that Ms Arroyo should come clean on the Con-ass by asking her son to withdraw his support from the draft resolution to parry charges of “collusion” between mother and son. “If they have the chutzpah to assume that they can violate the rules of the House, our laws and the Constitution so they can push for Con-ass, then they should at least have the guts to come out,” Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel said.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, president of the United Opposition, said Ms Arroyo’s failure to make a categorical statement that she would step aside in 2010 meant she was endorsing Charter change. “Ms Arroyo is feeding their optimism by not publicly disavowing any plan to stay in power beyond 2010,” he said.

Arroyo’s men unfazed

But the President’s allies stood firm. “The House is mandated to act and decide on any Cha-cha proposal after it has been filed. The Palace has nothing to do with our action or decision on any Cha-cha proposal,” said House Deputy Speaker Simeon Datumanong. With reports from Leila B. Salaverria, TJ Burgonio and Allison W. Lopez

(Comment: Hay naku, taghirap na nga ang mga kababayan natin, patuloy pa rin ang CIRCUS at SARSWELA ng mga politiko! Ang kapal na talaga ng mga mukha ng mga ito. Everyone is trying to hold on to power and everyone is 'screwing' everyone just to stay on top. KASO, naiiwan ang taong bayan na naka-tanga sa kahirapan at kawalang direksiyon! Sa akin lang, wala pa sa 500 katao itong mga nasa puwesto na parang mga batang naghaharutan at nag-aaway-away to the expense of the hungry Filipinos! I say we kick the hell many of these corrupt officials and elect young, vibrant, and idealistic Filipinos whose loyalty is to the country first, then to their parties second).

2 Alabang kids snatched; P1.5M ransom paid

2009-03-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines—Two brothers, both high school students, were kidnapped on March 19 and were released five days later upon their parents’ payment of P1.5 million in ransom, according to police sources.

Teresita Ang-See of the Citizens’ Action Against Crime and Corruption (CAACC) Wednesday confirmed the kidnapping, saying it was only one of a series of abductions that suddenly became frequent in the first quarter of the year.

Ang-See said the boys—one studying at the Beacon School and the other at the British School of Manila, both located in Taguig City—were released on Tuesday afternoon. Police sources said the brothers were abducted by armed men while they were on their way to school between 6 and 7 a.m. on Thursday from their residence in Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City.
The kidnappers were said to have originally demanded ransom of $2 million in the belief that the parents, both currency traders, could afford it.

Pure Filipinos

Ang-See said the kidnappers eventually settled for P1.5 million, after the parents swore that the amount was all the money they could raise in cash at the moment. “The parents tried taking out a bank loan, but practically all their money had gone to the construction of a big house, and the kidnappers wanted cash quick,” Ang-See said. She said she was not able to talk to the family, but added that the brothers were pure Filipinos and not Chinese-Filipinos—the usual targets of kidnapping-for-ransom syndicates. The family did not report the kidnapping to the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER), the Philippine National Police’s special anti-kidnapping unit, and personally handled the negotiation for the boys’ release, police sources said.

P24M in 3 months

According to information gathered by the CAACC, there were 17 kidnap victims in January, 20 in February and 12 in March, including the two brothers. All of the victims were released after payment of ransom, and the CAACC monitored more than P24 million paid to various crime syndicates in the last three months. “We are really very bothered that there’s a sudden escalation of kidnapping incidents in the first quarter of this year. In the last two years, there was none. It was quiet. Now the kidnappers are hungry,” Ang-See lamented. She said there was not a single kidnapping case in the last two years, particularly because of the Chinese-Filipino community’s vigilance and continuous cooperation and dialogue with PACER. But according to the PACER chief, Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina, only four kidnapping-for-ransom cases had been reported since January.

Twelve such cases were reported to PACER last year, Espina said. The figure excludes terror-related abduction cases in Mindanao, which the PNP accounts for separately, he said.
“I can say that the situation in the first quarter of 2009 is pretty much the same in 2008 in terms of the situation on kidnapping-for-ransom syndicates ... There are only a few groups now,” Espina said.

Of the four cases, one has been solved. PACER is building up cases against the suspects tagged in the three other incidents and has intensified “coordination with territorial police units where these cases happened,” he said.

Different style

Ang-See said the current modus operandi was to hold the victims for only five to seven days and release them for any amount offered by their families. “Now the kidnappers’ style is different—fast, no protracted negotiation, quick payment of ransom,” she said. The ransom demand is initially high but the actual amount paid ranges from P500,000 or P800,000 to P1 million, Ang-See said. She observed that among the kidnapping cases in Metro Manila and Luzon, the ransom paid for the brothers released on Tuesday was the highest. “Times are hard. The families of kidnap victims can no longer afford to meet big ransom demands,” she said.

Espina made a similar remark, saying the kidnapping trend had developed into smaller-time, quick-money abduction schemes pulled off by maids or even gang members holding children and demanding a release fee of as low as P2,000. “That’s what is increasing the figures. There are many cases not perpetrated by syndicates but by maids, relatives, friends and the like out to make money from their friends or relatives,” he said. Ang-See said that with the similar modus operandi in the cases monitored by the CAACC, the kidnappings could have been pulled off by just one group.

Admit the problem

She said she was not discounting the possibility that this group was being protected by corrupt police and military personnel, whether active or retired. Citing earlier arrests made by PACER, Ang-See said former police and military officers were behind kidnapping-for-ransom activities. She said that in one such case, an active member of the PNP Special Action Force was among those arrested.

But Ang-See expressed confidence in the capability of PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa and PACER to identify and arrest the groups behind the sudden escalation of kidnappings, especially in Metro Manila. She said stamping out kidnapping for ransom should start with the first step—“to admit that there is a problem.” With a report from Tarra Quismundo

(Comment: How can we invite investors and tourists to visit our country if our authorities can't even handle kidnappers and corrupt authorities? Sinabi ko na long before that corruption means hardships to our people (including authorities). No amount of pa-pogi points will eradicate these bad elements in our society when we have a weak government with no political will.) Hindi nila masupil and corruption kasi sila corrupt din.

SAY ANALYSTS: Money, loyal network will decide 2010 polls

2009-03-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—The presidential election next year will be won by the candidate who has the biggest campaign budget and ground-level network, analysts said Thursday.

About a half-dozen candidates are expected to be in the fray for the May 2010 presidential election to replace President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and lead the country for the next six years.

“This is going to be one of the closest political contests in Philippine history,” said Earl Parreño, an analyst at the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms.

“Based on initial public opinion polls, we don’t really see any runaway candidate. Next year’s contest might be decided by less than one million votes [out of a 40-million electorate] so the candidate with vast resources and network would really have a clear edge.”

The likely candidates are:

Sen. Manuel Villar. Perhaps the best placed in terms of money, he is a self-made billionaire and controls real estate firm Vista Land and Lifescapes. In politics for 17 years, he says his experience in running a company will be key to a successful presidency.

Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. Called the intelligent man’s candidate, Roxas is a former Wall Street banker and the grandson of a former president. He has served as trade secretary in two Cabinets. No slouch in the money department either, his mother belongs to the wealthy Araneta clan, which owns a large chunk of Manila real estate.

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero. Not yet 40, he qualifies to run for president only in October. He is frequently compared with US President Barack Obama and is banking on his charisma and the large number of young voters to win. He is seeking the backing of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, headed by San Miguel Corp. chair Eduardo Cojuangco, one of the wealthiest individuals in the country.

Sen. Loren Legarda. The only woman among likely candidates, she won the biggest number of votes in the senatorial elections in 2007, a good indicator of national appeal. A former cover girl and television news reader, she wants to be the country’s first “green” president. May be hampered by a lack of funds and doubts whether another woman would be able to win after Ms Arroyo, whose popularity is currently low.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. Says he is waiting for Ms Arroyo’s approval. If he gets that, he will get the support of the powerful Lakas-Kampi ruling coalition’s electoral machine, but may also inherit Ms Arroyo’s unpopularity. Teodoro is also a nephew of former President Corazon Aquino and of Cojuangco, and the latter could end up supporting him.

Vice President Manuel “Noli” de Castro. Consistently high in opinion polls, but has refused to indicate whether he will be a candidate. Has rarely spoken publicly about serious issues, but enjoys wide popularity because of his career as a radio and television news anchor.

Parties don’t matter

Analysts say a good campaign could cost P3 billion to P4 billion and a loyal network will be essential for a candidate looking to win.

“Parties do not really matter, because at the end of the day politicians will choose the one with the biggest chance,” said political analyst Antonio Gatmaitan.

Local politicians, from governors down to mayors, were expected to cross party lines and loyalties to support the candidate perceived to have the highest chance to win, he said.
“The candidate is the party,” Gatmaitan said.

By the end of this year, perhaps only four serious candidates will be left, analysts said.
“By then, the major political forces would have chosen their bets,” Gatmaitan said. “It’s totally a free-for-all contest,” he added.

(Comments: Hmmm.. sounds like the election is a done deal? Well, choosing any of these politikos tantamounts to saying that the country will stay the same for the next 6 years! Let us remember that our barometer for choosing the next president should be: transparency, honesty, anti-corruption, anti-nepotism, anti-cronyism, pro-poor (where majority of our kababayans are really poor in the country), focused on the country's economic development and prosperity and not "the party first" mentality, credibility, one with a strong political will to send the corrupt to prison, and one who leads by example. Anything or anyone short of this is NOT qaulified to run. Now, go over those presidentiables again above and check for yourselves if these candidates qualify at all...Hay... di na talaga ba tayo nagsasawa sa mga taong ito? Di na tayo natuto o nadadala. We Filipinos never and want to learn from history. Ang dali nating makalimot at magpatawad. Tayo rin and binabalikan! Aba'y maawa naman tayo sa mga susunod na henerasyon! Huwah tayong selfish. Nothing's new, nothing will change).

'P50-billion road fund misused'

2009-03-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

By Jess Diaz. Philstar

MANILA, Philippines - At least 15 congressmen are seeking an investigation into the alleged misuse of more than P50 billion in funds for road maintenance, road safety and pollution control.
Representatives Abraham Mitra of Palawan, Paul Daza of Northern Samar, Marc Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Niel Tupas Jr. of Iloilo and Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya sought the inquiry in separate manifestations they made at recent House hearings.

Eight other congressmen led by Deputy Speaker Eric Singson of Ilocos Sur filed a resolution also proposing an investigation.

The congressmen said a large part of the money goes to the pockets of corrupt officials and contractors.

The funds whose use or misuse they want the House to look into are collections from the so-called motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC), otherwise known as the road user’s tax.
This is a levy Congress imposed six or seven years ago on owners of all motor vehicles, whose annual registration fees were increased by 100 percent over a four-year period.
The collections go to a special fund administered by an agency called the Road Board, which the secretary of public works and highways chairs and which is attached to his department.
More than P50 billion in MVUV taxes have been collected. Annual collections now reach P10 billion to P11 billion.

Most of the funds go to road maintenance and safety projects such as the installation of catch eye markers and guard rails. A portion goes to pollution control.

Mitra said despite insistent prodding from him and his colleagues, the House committee on public works chaired by Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado has not conducted a hearing on the misuse and misallocation of MVUC funds.

Mitra has filed a resolution that seeks to abolish the Road Board and to use MVUC collections to support the annual budget instead of the money going to a special fund outside the control of the Department of Budget and Management and being dissipated.

Padilla complained that projects funded by more than P400 million in road maintenance and road safety money allocated to his province four years ago could not be found.
“The projects and the money have vanished,” he said.

There were complaints of missing funds in other provinces as well.

In Eastern Samar, road signs and guard rails worth P350 million could not be located.
“What we need here are roads, not catch eye markers and guard rails,” one local official said.
Many congressmen complain of inequitable distribution of funds. For instance, in the past two years, Nueva Ecija was given about P2 billion in MVUC money.

More than P1 billion of the projects in Nueva Ecija were given to a newly formed company called Meditech Trade and Development Corp. The company has also won contracts in Laguna. Nueva Ecija officials said they could hardly find the P2 billion projects in their province. Rep. Rodriguez, who belongs to the opposition bloc in the House, complained of politics in the allocation of MVUC money.

He said his district was not given funds, while other districts received tens of millions and even hundreds of millions.

In their resolution, Singson and his seven other colleagues, all belonging to the Northern Luzon bloc of congressmen, said the House should revisit the MVUC tax.

Despite the collection and expenditure of more than P50 billion, they said many roads are still in a state of disrepair and are not safe to travel.

They said people need roads, not luminous signs and markers and guard rails.

They stressed that the bulk of the money is just being dissipated for projects that the public does not really need.

US report: RP judiciary corrupt, inefficient

2009-02-26T23:43:00.000-08:00

By PIA LEE-BRAGO, Philstar

MANILA, Philippines - A US State Department report said corruption and inefficiency in the judicial system have undermined human rights in the Philippines and caused “widespread skepticism” of due process.

“The law provides for an independent judiciary; however, the judicial system suffered from corruption and inefficiency,” the State Department’s 2008 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in the Philippines released yesterday said.

“Personal ties and sometimes bribery resulted in impunity for some wealthy or influential offenders and contributed to widespread skepticism that the judicial process could ensure due process and equal justice,” the report said.

“Trials were delayed, and procedures were prolonged. Corruption was a problem throughout the criminal justice system,” the report said.

The report also said political killings and disappearances “dropped dramatically” in recent years “following increased domestic and international scrutiny.”

But the report said some members of the security forces continued to abuse detainees physically and psychologically and there were instances of torture.

Prisoners awaiting trial and those already convicted were often held under primitive conditions, the report said.

Leftwing and human rights activists were often subjected to harassment by local security forces. Problems such as violence against women, abuse of children, child prostitution, trafficking in persons, child labor, and ineffective enforcement of workers’ rights were common, the report also said.

The report also cited abuses by the New People’s Army, particularly its liquidation of government officials and perceived civilian enemies.

The rebel group’s recruitment of child soldiers was also noted in the report. The use of children for combat or auxiliary roles was also common in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and in the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

The report also cited inroads in judicial reforms initiated by the Supreme Court.
It mentioned, for example, the dismissal in September of a Court of Appeals justice and the disciplining of four others for their roles in a bribery scandal. In October the high court denied the motions for reconsideration filed by these justices.

The report also said time limits for the resolution of cases appeared ineffective.
The law provides that cases should be resolved within set time limits once submitted for decision – 24 months for the Supreme Court, 12 months for the Court of Appeals and three months for the lower courts.

“However, these time limits were not mandatory and, in effect, there were no time limits for trials. Lengthy pretrial detention remained a problem. Anecdotal evidence suggested that, in practice, trials can take six years or more,” the US report said.

Cheating seen without automation budget

2009-02-26T01:29:00.000-08:00

By Thea AlbertoINQUIRER.netMANILA, Philippines --

The president of the United Opposition (UNO) warned of massive cheating in the 2010 elections if the poll automation budget is not immediately approved by the House of Representatives.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay said a manual or even a hybrid system will only benefit candidates identified with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was accused of rigging the 2004 elections.

Retaining the manual system, or even a combination of manual and automated counting, will favor the administration candidate,” Binay said Thursday, as a proposed P11-billion supplemental budget for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) appeared to stall at the House, where it has been approved at the committee level but has yet to get the nod of the plenary.

Binay lamented that there has been "no serious effort to reform the election system" since the controversial "Hello Garci" tapes, purported wiretaps, made public in 2005, of phone conversations between Arroyo and then election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, in which they allegedly discuss cheating.

"Unless we fully automate in 2010, we will be playing with practically the same rules that led to the fraud-ridden election of Mrs. Arroyo in 2004,” Binay, who has declared plans to seek the presidency in 2010, said.Binay said cheating would be massive because Arroyo would have to keep her allies in power. And although Garcillano has retired, "his network is still intact."

“There are bigger stakes for Mrs. Arroyo in 2010. She doesn’t want to go to jail. Mrs. Arroyo and her allies are afraid that justice will finally catch up with them should a genuine opposition candidate get elected,” he said.If Congress fails to pass the supplemental budget before going on recess in March, the Comelec might not be able to implement automated vote counting.

Poll automation bill ‘urgent’—Palace

By Joel GuintoINQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang reminded lawmakers that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo certified as urgent a bill appropriating P11.3 billion to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to automate the 2010 polls.

“I think we have sent a lot of signals already. That is the strongest signal that the Palace can send on that issue,” deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said, referring to the urgent certification.

“Members of Congress are aware of the deadline set by the Comelec. They are aware of that. Everybody is working hard to reach that point,” he said.

The Palace supports the poll body’s position that eradicating cheating “will entail full automation,” he said.

Comelec Chairman Jose Melo had raised concerns that a “hybrid” election in 2010, or a combination of manual and automated systems, could pave the way for a repeat of massive cheating that allegedly occurred in the last general election in 2004.

Arroyo was an alleged beneficiary of the poll fraud, which enabled her to win a fresh six-year term over popular movie actor Fernando Poe Jr., who died in 2005.

(Comments: Hay naku! I told you so...)

World Bank meets with senators, stands firm on findings

2009-02-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

By Aurea Calica Updated February 25, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - World Bank officials led by country director Bert Hofman told lawmakers yesterday that it was up to authorities to prosecute contractors the bank had banned for collusion in bidding for road projects.

Hofman said the lending institution welcomed a Senate inquiry into the case and was working closely with the government to improve procurement systems.

He presented bidding documents that formed the basis for the debarment of seven contractors as he stood firm on the Bank’s findings of collusion.

The World Bank brought up the issue of collusion in a Referral Report that it relayed inNovember 2007 to the Department of Finance and the Office of the Ombudsman. The WB had briefed the Ombudsman about the case as early as May 2006.

“It’s the discretion of the Philippine authorities to pursue or not to pursue anything that we referred to them in the Referral Report,” Hofman said in a press conference after briefing the senators about the report.

“It does not mean that since it is confidential, it cannot be used,” Hofman said, apparently referring to Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez’s explanation for not investigating the allegations contained in the report early enough. Gutierrez was present at the briefing.
Hofman welcomed Gutierrez’s assurance that her office would come up with its own findings by the first week of March.

“We’re looking forward to that,” Hofman said.

The bank had earlier blacklisted several Chinese and Filipino firms it said colluded in the bidding for a $33-million road rehabilitation project.

Hofman said the World Bank was mandated to make sure that its funds are used properly, stressing that its internal investigations and sanctions “ultimately protect the taxpayers’ money” of member countries.

(Comment: Hay naku, collusion with co-businessmen or c0-politicians is old story in the country. This is a real old bad habit of cabals with the intent of cheating and corrupting just to win government and non-government projects. Lumang tugtugin an ito! Harapin na lamang ng mga contractors na ito ang katotohanan na nabuking sila at napahiya! The World Bank officers who busted them are not STUPID that think like them. Blacklisting them is just right and they should accept the consequences. HIHIRIT PA KASI, eh! Hay naku talaga!!!! Just shut the f_ck up and fade away. Kung talagang nandaya kayo, aba'y saluhin n'yo ang consequences nito. Magpaka lalaki kayo. Nakakahiya na talaga).

Comelec worried over possible manual system in 2010 polls

2009-02-24T17:17:00.000-08:00

By Sheila Crisostomo. Philstar

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expressed apprehensions yesterday that elections might revert back to the manual system with the failure of Congress to pass the P11.3-billion supplemental budget for automated polls for 2010.

According to Comelec Chairman Jose Melo, there is a snowballing proposal in the House of Representatives to use a “hybrid” of manual and automated systems.

He said deliberations on this proposal could further delay the release of the budget. “It’s been three weeks since the House began deliberating on our supplemental budget. Everything was all right until a certain congressman raised questions regarding a provision in Republic Act 9369 about manual voting,” Melo said, referring to Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez.

Golez had proposed to Comelec not to totally abandon the use of the manual system in the 2010 elections.

Golez pointed out the use of manual conduct of the elections is mandated in RA 9369. Golez led lawmakers in proposing that the local elections – from councilors to congressmen – should be done manually while those for national elective positions should be automated. To automate next year’s polls, the lawmakers wanted to amend the provisions of RA 9369 before allocating a separate budget to be used by Comelec.

“We are a little bit disappointed. I don’t think there is still time to pass the new law because Congress will be on recess (next week). We are in a quandary … we might end up doing it manually if we don’t get the budget soon enough,” Melo stressed.

Melo expressed concerns that another scandal-ridden elections like what happened during the 2004 presidential polls could occur anew if the 2010 exercise is done manually.

“If we go manual all the way, it would allow another Garci and that is the great danger,” Melo said, referring to former elections official Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano who was widely believed to have been responsible for rigging the results in Mindanao during the 2004 presidential elections.
National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting chairman Henrietta de Villa echoed similar concerns of manual elections next year.

“We are really disappointed. They (congressmen) should have raised it a long time ago when they were still deliberating on RA 9369,” De Villa said.

(Comment: Hay naku, DELIBERATE and INTENTIONAL neglect na naman ito ng mga congressmen - who are, by the way, majority loyal to the administration - not to pass this law of automating the election. Nakakahiya na! This is really shameful and a total embarassment on the part of our our corrupt lawmakers who will do their utmost to CHEAT and WIN the coming election in 2010. I am sure there will be another GARCI next year - 101%! We are the only alleged 'democracy' in this world manually counting the ballots because of the blatant neglect of these sonsofbitches in the government. These corrupt officials not only can cheat the upcoming election, but also save the budget for automation and POCKET the budget in various 'hidden' means. It's time to kick them out of the government. Let us remember that these assholes are mere government servants and not gods and untouchables. The people now should be the ones to throw them out of office by not electing them. They rigged elections and corrupt the money. So, let us kick them out in embarassing manners so that their families and children will not have the face to continue their bad names). Hay, di natuto ang Pilipino! If we want to continue suffering hardships and injustices for the next 10 years, go ahead and choose these assholes! But don't blame me for it - Melo is right and Golez is thinking very shortsightedly - I already told you so!

'Danny LIm' ad 1st salvo for Senate run

2009-02-23T20:42:00.000-08:00

By Jocelyn UyPhilippine Daily Inquirer, MANILA, Philippines

—It isn't a call to arms, but a signal to the people that they want a "moral leader" in the halls of power, installed not by extralegal means but through the 2010 elections.

That was how a reformist bloc composed of civilian professionals and active and retired military officers Monday explained the full-page advertisement that appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday declaring they were united "under the leadership" of detained Army Brig. Gen. Danilo "Danny" Lim.

"We are telling the people that they should consider Danny Lim as an emerging new leader, which will not be attained through extralegal means," Ernesto Macahiya, president of one of the groups, the Guardians Nationalist of the Philippines (Ganap), said on the phone.

"We intend to nominate him for senator either with the opposition or to run as an independent," said Macahiya, who described himself as a "retired banker."

Lim, detained since 2006 for alleged involvement in plots to unseat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is "entertaining that suggestion," according to his lawyer, Vicente Verdadero.

In a statement sent through Verdadero, Lim said: "Not one to shirk away from challenges and responsibilities, I accept the mantle of leadership bestowed upon me."

Malacañang probe

Verdadero said the advertisement came as a surprise to Lim. "He was not aware that there was an initiative of this kind," he said.

The signatories in the ad included detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy officer.
The signatories in the ad – which cost P176,229 to put out – included active officers linked to the Oakwood Mutiny in July 2003, the Marine standoff in February 2006 and the Peninsula Manila hotel siege in November 2007, who are now held at Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame.

The ad has spurred an investigation by Malacañang.

Lorelei Fajardo, deputy presidential spokesperson, said a legal team was particularly checking if military officers on active duty were involved in the statement of support for Lim.
Not a threat

Fajardo said the Palace investigation would determine possible cases that could be filed against signatories who are still members of the armed forces.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said he was not considering the supposed statement of support for Lim as a "threat to the unity of the Armed Forces behind the chain of command."
"We have proven the unity of the Armed Forces behind the chain of command," Teodoro told reporters.

"What's important to us is that no military personnel in active duty is supporting him," he said.
"(The ad) is a political statement coming from some groups that have the freedom to express their sentiments."

Gomez disowns ad

One of the supposed signatories, retired Maj. Gen. Johnny Gomez, Monday sent to Hermogenes Esperon, presidential management staff chief, a text message denying any hand in the advertisement.

"Be informed that I have not joined the group of Danny Lim nor am I one of those who officially declared that 'we are formally united under the leadership of B/Gen. Danilo 'Danny' Lim," a Malacañang statement quoted Gomez as saying.

In the paid advertisement, the signatories said they had agreed to unite under Lim's leadership for his "impeccable character."

"He has the essential leadership qualities to steer us towards our vision; he has consistently displayed uncommon valor and patriotism in the face of extremely difficult situations," according to the ad.

Fed up with 'trapos'

The ad was initiated by several reformist groups including the Guardians, Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabayan (RAM), Bagong Katipunan, the Magdalo and the Samahang Magdalo group, Macahiya said.

"We all look up to him as the moral leader who was not corrupted by this regime," Capt. Ruben Guinolbay said, responding to written questions. He is currently detained at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.

Lt. Col. Achilles Segumalian, a former battalion commander deployed in Mindanao, said what the country needed in the coming elections was an honest leader like Lim.

"We are supporting him because we're fed up with traditional politicians who only work for their personal desires," Scout Ranger Maj. Jason Aquino, another signatory, said.

Segumalian and Aquino, both detained at Camp Aguinaldo, spoke through lawyer Trixie Angeles.

Other retired officers who signified their support for Lim included Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, former Northern Luzon commanding general.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, a former Armed Forces chief of staff, said he had heard as early as two weeks ago from young military officers that Lim was running for the Senate in 2010.

He said it was Lim's right to run for office if he wanted to.

"But he has to make a lot of noise to get attention,” Biazon said.

With reports from Christian V. Espiritu, Christine O. Avendano, and Leila B. Salaverria.

(Comment: I still prefer a civilian President than someone who comes from the military. This issue is very sensitive to Filipinos. Mr. Lim should run as my vice-president instead. Though I personally advocate for a strong military, I am not sold out to a military personality to run the government).

The Kind of Leader we need for 2010

2009-02-23T20:35:00.000-08:00

By Harvey S. KehContributor

THE past weeks we have seen yet again another controversy involving the first family particularly first gentleman Mike Arroyo. According to an alleged report by the World Bank, the Arroyo has been at the receiving end of bribes given by contractors who aim to corner infrastructure projects run by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and primarily funded by the World Bank. As a result of this report, the World Bank has decided to suspend and ban these contractors from taking part I any future biddings for their projects. This issue has since elicited various reactions from our political leaders. Our Congressmen and Senators have since began their own investigations regarding this matter with even one congressman saying that it should be the World Bank and not Arroyo who should be investigated. Up until now, Arroyo continuous to create all sorts of excuses just to be able to avoid being called and asked by Senators who are trying to get to the bottom of yet another corruption scandal that has been an all too often refrain in this present administration.

What is primarily lacking in our present government and leaders is transparency and accountability. Sadly, our President didn’t even help as she even took out a right to information clause in our National Budget which would’ve made it easier for ordinary Filipinos to ask where our money is going. We have also seen that prior corruption and political scandals have died a natural death not because they were resolved but simply because the attention of media has been shifted to other equally pressing and important matters. Up until today, we still haven’t heard Senator Manny Villar explain clearly about the budget insertions that he allegedly made that would favor his real estate company.

Last week, we celebrated the first year anniversary of Jun Lozada’s expose on the NBN-ZTE deal but up until now its alleged main perpetuators are still enjoying their lives playing golf. Finally, we will already be going to the 2010 national elections and even up to now, there is still no closure in the 2004 Hello Garci elections controversy.

Given the kind of government that we have had the past 8 years, we have seen it to be a government that has continued to condone and perpetuate graft and corruption at all levels. Several democratic institutions such as the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Office of the Ombudsman have also been compromised. Thus, while many of us are already starting to lose hope in our government and our political system, I believe that this kind of situation calls for us to be more vigilant to look for a leader that will first and foremost be God-fearing, ethical and morally-upright.

I have always believed in the saying that a great leader is a product of the need of his or her time. We have seen in the United States of America that they were able to elect a African-American President in Barack Obama simply because they wanted to see a drastic change in the way their country was being run.

As if on cue, one of Obama’s first Executive Orders was to ensure transparency and social accountability in his government by banning current lobbyists from serving in his government. Right now, I believe that our country needs a righteous leader more than a leader with a Doctorate in Public Administration. It seems that we have often looked at the competencies of the leaders we elect while failing to check whether or not they have a genuine heart to serve our countrymen. I am not saying that competencies and skills is not important but with the kind of situation that we are in right now, our next President should primarily have the strength of character and unceasing will to battle the growing corruption found in our government today. I have always believed that leadership skills can easily be learned but the character and principles of a leader whether good or bad cannot easily be changed.
Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com.

Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government

23 Years After EDSA, Marcos cronies are back!

2009-02-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc Updated February 23, 2009 12:00 AM

At first Malacañang declared there’d be no celebration this year of the People Power Revolt. But belatedly last Friday it suspended school today to mark the popular uprising’s 23rd anniversary. And hurriedly yesterday Gloria Macapagal Arroyo laid a commemorative wreath at Libingan ng mga Bayani. Yesterday’s ceremony and today’s special holiday are on the wrong venue and date. Past fetes have always been at the EDSA Memorial on Feb. 25, the day Ferdinand Marcos fell in 1986. The Arroyo admin seems averse to observing the EDSA Revolt. Any revelry would only point up the unpleasant truth. People Power brought down a dictator and his cronies; today Marcos’s confederates are back — as Arroyo cronies.

Juan Ponce Enrile had enforced Marcos’s martial law for 14 years, before a 1986 breakaway that sparked the civilian-backed military mutiny. As defense minister he muzzled the press and jailed dissenters. He also led the takeover of the coconut industry. Today Enrile is Senate President and one of Arroyo’s chief defenders against exposés of corruption and abuse.
Enrile and Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. were the only civilians among the “Rolex 12” plotters of military rule in 1972. They partnered to govern the coconut sector, from planting to harvesting, processing to trading. Using personal and public funds (coco levy) Cojuangco gained control of food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. in 1984. Ever loyal, he and his family flew with Marcos to exile in Hawaii in 1986. Cojuangco returned years later and formed the Nationalist People’s Coalition. Today the party has two senators, 63 congressmen, and dozens of local officials, all aligned with the Arroyo admin. Cojuangco continues to nurture assets in the police-military establishment; the present defense chief is his nephew.

Cojuangco regained SMC in 1998 and, with sidekick Ramon Ang, grew and diversified it into mining, utilities, and infrastructures. His recent foray into energy was most intriguing. In Oct. 2008, just weeks after Ang disavowed interest, SMC bought 27 percent of Meralco, RP’s largest electric utility. The block came from GSIS, the state employees’ pension fund run by Malacañang appointees. GSIS was already in talks with Metro Pacific to unload the shares for P26 billion cash, at least 50 percent more than its worth. Vivian Yuchengco reportedly got wind of it and, through close ties with golfing buddy First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, got GSIS to entertain SMC instead. GSIS relented, and SMC ended up buying the block for the same price, but at installment of three years.

Controversy didn’t end there. A nine-month-old firm called Global 5000 bought up another 10-percent block of Meralco held by other Palace-controlled agencies: SSS, Land Bank, and Development Bank of the Phils. Global 5000 is led by Cojuangco associates: former Marcos trade minister Roberto Ongpin, SMC board director Iñigo Zobel, and partner Joselito Campos (son of Marcos crony Jose Yao Campos). It is named after the long-range executive jet sent by Ang to pick up tummy-aching Mike Arroyo in Osaka, Japan, last Nov. Securities and Exchange Commission records show that Global 5000’s telephone is SMC’s trunk line. The outfit picked up the additional Meralco shares supposedly so Cojuangco can command a total of 37 percent. Market analysts say it is preparatory to wresting control from the Lopez family, which has 32 percent and whose ABS-CBN is a thorn on the Arroyo admin’s side. The separate purchase of the 27- and 10-percent blocks effectively skirted an SEC rule that any buyer of at least 35 percent of a listed firm must offer the same price to smaller shareholders. With Meralco shares trading below P60 in Oct. 2008, compliance would have cost SMC a heavy sum.

Ongpin’s role in the Meralco deal was a dead giveaway. Only weeks before he had paved the way for Cojuangco’s entry into petroleum. First, as agent of London-based Ashmore Group, he bought for $550 million Saudi Aramco’s 40-percent block in Petron, RP’s biggest oil refiner and distributor (42-percent market share). Government owned an equal 40-percent chunk through Phil. National Oil Co., but strangely relinquished the board to Ongpin’s group. Invoking right of first refusal, Ashmore then demanded that PNOC sell its block for the same price as Aramco’s. It was a distorted definition of the option. The proper procedure should have been for PNOC to publicly bid out its 40 percent. Fetching a higher tag than $550 million, it could have told Ashmore to match it, or else lose to the better bidder. As it happened, PNOC’s Malacañang gofers meekly accepted Ashmore’s price. At the time of sale the government even lost about P1.5 billion, due to a drop in the dollar value against the peso.

While all this was going on, Ashmore negotiated to sell to Cojuangco 50.1 percent of its Petron buildup. The final deal was for SMC to pay Ashmore in two years. But SMC gave up front $10 million “consideration”, by which Ashmore granted it seats in the Petron board. Business buzz is that the amount went to certain “coordinators”.

Cojuangco’s charge into Meralco and Petron followed an attempt to buy the state’s electric transmission lines. But the National Grid Corp. of the Phils., also close to Arroyo, had beat him to it. Arroyo’s party treasurer Ricky Razon and Endika Aboitiz, whom former economic secretary Romy Neri once described as “national oligarchs,” are part of NGCP. Critics have pointed out a breach of the law that bars electric distributors like Aboitiz from going into transmission. But regulators ignored them.

(Comment: Like I said, greedy Filipinos and their cohorts will hang to everything to survive or control anything and everything. Putting the welfare and benefits of the country and its people first would have given different twists for these things to happen. Perhaps many of these cronies and their cohorts would have landed in jail a long time ago should the succeeding leaders and the Filipinos as a whole (after Marcos) have done their part in prosecuting these cronies that had plundered the country. Nagpabaya tayo kaya nakawala ang mga ito. Ngayon, sila pa ang mayayaman at nagpapatakobo ng negosyo at gobyerno sa atin. This time, sa susunod ba eleksyon, matuto na tayo at pangalagaan ang boto. Maging responsableng mamamayan na nakikialam. Accountability and transparency should be on top of the agenda for the next leader of the country. Ipaimbistiga ang mga cronies at kapag guilty, ikalabuso!)

Colonial mentality

2009-02-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

Philippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 02:16:00 02/17/2009Filed Under: Foreign affairs & international relations, Subic rape case, Crime and Law and Justice, Veterans Affairs

That is one mental and psychological affliction that we as a people are still suffering from, more than a century after we won our independence from Spain and more than half a century after we regained it from the United States. And colonial mentality reared its ugly head again last week.

The first manifestation was when Philippine officials said they could not have US Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith, a convicted rapist, detained in a Philippine jail despite a ruling of the Supreme Court that he be kept in a Philippine-run facility, and not the US Embassy, while he awaits the result of his appeal.

The second manifestation occurred when many people, including government officials, jumped up and down like chimpanzees after the US Congress passed a stimulus bill that includes a provision granting Filipino veterans of World War II a $15,000 compensation each if they are living in the United States and $9,000 if they are in the Philippines.

Bayani Mangibin, spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said that any new negotiations on the custody of Smith would have to wait until the Americans are ready to talk. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the government could not start negotiations on the transfer of Smith to a Philippine jail because his conviction for rape is not final yet.
But the right approach to the issue was that suggested by retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban: Junk the Philippine-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and consider Smith like any other accused, whether Filipino or otherwise, and confine him in a Philippine jail immediately. That should have been the move taken by a self-respecting sovereign nation.
Administration Senators Joker Arroyo and Miriam Defensor-Santiago have also urged Malacañang to scrap the VFA and immediately take custody of Smith.

The Supreme Court has spoken: Smith has to be detained in a Philippine-run facility and not at the US Embassy, and yet the Executive Branch is hemming and hawing and awaiting word from the US Embassy. What are we, an independent, sovereign nation or a colony of the United States? Panganiban, Arroyo and Santiago have pointed the way to an honorable and self-respecting approach to the issue, and we hope Philippine officials will heed their advice and assert the sovereignty of the Philippines in this case.

On the matter of compensation for Filipino World War II veterans, Arroyo said it is “too little and too late.” The senator estimated that each Filipino veteran would get only P7,000 for each year of the 63 years that he waited, or a measly P600 per month. Filipinos now cannot help but suspect that the United States kept postponing the payment of compensation to Filipino veterans so that their number would be substantially reduced by death.

Is this any way to treat the surviving members of the army of nearly 200,000 Filipinos who were drafted to fight side by side with the soldiers of Gen. Douglas MacArthur? President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised to indemnify Filipinos to the last carabao they lost fighting the Japanese. But here we are not talking about carabaos being killed but about Filipino soldiers who risked their lives in fighting the Japanese.

Filipino soldiers risked their lives to defend not only their homeland but also America. Some historians said that the Filipinos’ valiant stand on Corregidor and Bataan upset the war timetable of the Japanese and thus they may have prevented a Japanese invasion of the United States. And for doing this, all they get is peanuts?

The $9,000 lump-sum compensation for the surviving Filipino veterans is a measly amount. Let us hope that our officials will lobby the US Congress for additional compensation, and for other benefits extended to US veterans, such as health care and insurance. The Filipino veterans of World War II deserve nothing less.

It’s time government officials and ordinary citizens shed their colonial mentality. It has been more than a century since the Philippines gained its freedom from Spain and more than half a century since it regained its independence from the United States. The government should stop acting as if the Philippines were still a US colony, assert the country’s sovereignty and stand up for the rights of its people.

(Comment: When are we Filipinos learn to accept the fact that Americans are Americans and Filipinos are Filipinos. When are we going to start learning to stop being dependent to the Americans? (With respect to our more than 2 million Filipino-Americans in and out of the U.S.) Though President Obama is the first U.S. colored president, still Filipinos - and other non-white Americans - are considered 2nd class citizens. That is a solid fact. Our American colonial mentality should stop NOW! Let us start thinking that Filipinos can do it too! That we can create our own, produce our own, and rule our own. Now that the U.S. is in deep recession, there is no way that the country can send aid to us or help us in future conflicts. We have to strengthen our own foundations by getting rid of corruption, cleaning the government, and bringing back the respect of our people. We should stand in our own two feet and we can only do this if we are united, are able to feed our people, and guard our own resources. Slowly but surely we can do many changes in our economy, way of thinking, attitudes, lifestyles, and discipline. These and other factors will surely make us independent and are able to revive our dignity and respect as a nation. There is no need to hate anybody or make war with somebody. Let's work together and help each other towards a common goal of developing ourselves.

1 M bond for candidates

2009-01-13T20:42:00.000-08:00

Nuisance candidates Peter Cayetano and Fernando Po may think twice before casting their lot in the forthcoming elections in 2010.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to impose a P1-million “campaign bond” to get rid of so-called nuisance candidates in the scheduled computerized elections.

“We are still looking at ways to do it, but we are toying with the idea of putting up a P1-million bond for those aspiring for national positions so we could easily purge our list of candidates,” Comelec Chairman Jose Melo disclosed.

Melo said there is a need for the Comelec to purge the list of candidates because it is costing the poll body a huge sum of money in the printing of ballots containing a long list of aspirants, including nuisance bets.
He said under the current regulations, almost any Filipino can comply with the existing requirements and file their candidacy for various national and local positions.

Melo noted that there are people who just file their certificates of candidacy just so they can see their names in the list of candidates while others do it to “break down” votes of well-known aspirants.

Comelec records showed that a certain Fernando Po has been consistently filing his certificate of candidacy every senatorial election for more than a decade, but usually he is removed from the list for being a nuisance bet.

A namesake of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano also filed his certificate of candidacy in the 2007 senatorial elections. He was eventually disqualified.

Melo said the Comelec hopes to purge not only the list of voters but also the list of candidates for national elections.

“Those who have the capacity to mount a national (campaign) must also be able to put a P1 million bond,” Melo said, adding the Comelec may also require the same for local candidates.

Melo added that the Comelec is also considering coming out with a resolution that would forfeit the P1 million in favor of the poll body for those national candidates who would not be able to obtain at least two percent of the votes.

Aside from national candidates, Melo said, the Comelec also intends to purge the participants in the party-list elections.

“The participants in the party-list elections have gotten out of hand, any small group just claims to be marginalized and run in the polls,” Melo pointed out.

Melo said there are over a hundred party-list groups in the Comelec list.

“This is just a side issue, but we will have to look into this,” Melo said.

Sen. Loren Legarda welcomed the plan of the Comelec to put up a P1-million bond for national candidates to deter nuisance candidates.

“It’s okay to make sure that there are no nuisance candidates. But what we must focus on is automation so we can prevent massive fraud as in the past,” Legarda said.

Legarda said poll automation would also discourage vote-buying.

As this developed, Sen. Richard Gordon said he expects Congress to act immediately on the supplemental budget for the automation of the May 2010 elections as soon as its members return from Christmas break on Jan. 19.

Gordon said the Department of Budget and Management had finally submitted P11.9-billion supplemental budget request for poll automation to the House committee on appropriations.

“Malacañang and the Comelec have finally done their part in the submission of the budget proposal. Now it is Congress’ turn to act with dispatch on the supplemental budget for the 2010 automated elections,” he said.

(This Comelec idea may disqualify me to run for president - in case this ruling is passed.. Comment - This idea will not only curtail our rights to suffrage or for any Filipino to run in office. All Filipinos of the right age can run for any office in the land, but not all good Filipinos with good intentions to fix the country can afford to put up 1 M because the COMELEC says so. If the COMELEC has the right automation to count the ballots, no matter how many nuisance candidates put their names on the ballot, the real elected officials will come out. It's not the number of nuisance candidates that matter. It's how they make a good program on the computer that will eliminate the nuisance candidates from making the poll ineffective). Independent candidates here are severely discriminated. Hay naku, will any smarter Filipino heads the COMELEC, please - before they start counting the ballots again.

'Fix-cal' problem? Pay them more

2009-01-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

By Artemio Dumlao, Philstar

BAGUIO CITY – Sen. Francis Pangilinan is urging Malacañang to immediately increase the pay of prosecutors or fiscals to reduce their vulnerability to bribes.

The senator said the government must push for the implementation of the salary standardization of government workers in order to discourage bribery and corruption in government.

“The important role of government prosecutors in the fight against criminality and lawlessness has been the main reason for the commission of bribery and corruption,” Pangilinan said.

According to the National Prosecution Service, an estimated 30 percent vacancy rate, or over 400 prosecutor positions, are vacant due to low compensation.

It is also reported that a janitor at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is paid more than a first level prosecutor at the DOJ.

“Government prosecutors are underpaid and overworked. Unless we raise the salaries of the prosecutors, bribery and corruption will continue to thrive in government. Keeping our prosecutors honest with their low pay is to prepare them for sainthood,” Pangilinan added.

Meanwhile, Speaker Prospero Nograles commended Marine Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, chief of the Special Enforcement Service of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) “for working with the system to correct its flaws.”

In line with this, Nograles has reportedly directed the House Oversight Committee on Drugs to probe the so-called “Alabang Boys” drug case.

He has recommended a full-blown review of the operational coordination between the DOJ and the country’s law enforcement agencies, especially those involved in the anti-drug campaign, Gil Bugaoisan, public relations officer of Nograles, said.

The Speaker also recommended that Marcelino be given full protection to ensure his safety during the course of the congressional inquiry.

“Major Marcelino is a rare breed of soldier. Unlike others who choose to attack and destroy the government on the basis of some allegations, he decided to work with the system in order to correct what is wrong with our government institutions,” he said.

Nograles insists that the people need not go out on the streets to join rallies or take over hotels and threaten to bring down the government to correct the flaws in government.

“We can work hand in hand with our government institutions to correct some of its flaws,” he said.

Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara seconded Nograles’ position, pointing out that the “Alabang Boys” controversy shows that public vigilance is the best security that laws are enforced without fear or favor.

“The government is not perfect and therefore we need the public to exercise continuing vigilance over our law enforcement and judicial agencies to make sure that criminal elements and lawbreakers do not escape prosecution and just punishment,” Angara said.

Nograles said the DOJ and law enforcement agencies need to establish more viable operational partnerships. “They should be complementing each other in combating the menace of narcotics trafficking,” he said.
While the bribery issue on the “Alabang Boys” controversy may be hard to establish without any money trail, Nograles believes that the circumstances leading to the dismissal of the case by the prosecution are highly questionable.

Scrooge of Congress? Joker retains title (This one's for the record-ERS)

2009-01-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

By Christina Mendez, Philstar

For 17 straight years, Sen. Joker Arroyo has remained the undisputed “Scrooge of Congress” for being the thriftiest, most frugal, tight-fisted, penny-pinching lawmaker.

The officially published Itemized List of Expenses of each senator for 2007 as audited by Commission on Audit (COA) showed that Arroyo had the lowest expenses for incumbent senators who served the full 12 months.

COA statistics showed that the senator incurred expenses of P12,293,084.06.

Only Sen. Manuel Villar came close, spending P12,442,323.98. Villar was ousted last November following speculations that he may have used his previous position as Senate President to pursue his presidential plans.
The COA report showed actors-turned-senators were the biggest spenders. Sen. Bong Revilla was on top with P15,889,626.66 followed by President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada with P15,449,229.69. Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s expenses amounted to P15,271,305.21 while Sen. Lito Lapid spent P15,103,242.15.
Pangilinan is the only non show-biz personality among the top four biggest spenders, although he is married to actress and mega star Sharon Cuneta.

When reached for comment by The STAR, Arroyo said he hopes to encourage his colleagues to be frugal in spending the people’s money. “I sacrificed for that. I deprived myself a few million pesos. I want to impress on my colleagues that we should try to be thrifty,” he said.

However, the senator expressed surprise when he learned that the newcomers in the Senate spent an average of P7 million for the first six months alone.

Seven senators who were elected in the May 2007 elections served only for six months in 2007 and therefore, their expenses should have only been half that of senators who served 12 months.
“Yet, their expenses are a revelation,” Arroyo said.

Records showed that it was detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who had spent the most among the newcomers.
Trillanes is barred from attending session and cannot perform his duties as senator because he is in a military stockade.

For six months from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2007, he spent P8,167,433.95, COA records showed.

Analysis on that data showed that if you double that amount to simulate a 12-month service, the former Oakwood mutineer would be spending P16,334,867.90, thereby making him the biggest spending legislator ever in the Senate.

The six other newly elected senators had a median expense from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2007 of P7,602,386.00 or the equivalent of P15,204,830.00 for a full year.

That places them in the high-spenders’ list.

In ascending order, their expenditures are: Sen. Noynoy Aquino, P7,233,950.09; Juan Miguel Zubiri, P7,486,542.34; Alan Peter Cayetano, P7,490,153.03; Loren Legarda, P7,511,829.43; Francis Escudero, P7,782,864.79; and Gringo Honasan, P8,109,000.39.

Meanwhile, the mid-range spenders who spent P13.5 million to P15 million in ascending order, from the lowest to the highest, were Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel, Edgardo Angara, Mar Roxas, Pia Cayetano, Jamby Madrigal, Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Rodolfo Biazon, and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Records revealed that Pimentel spent P13,452,506.50; Angara, P13,579,151.74; Roxas, P13,810,176.81; Pia Cayetano, P13,916,309.50; Madrigal, P14,305,778.16, Lacson, P14,456,161.38;
Gordon, P14,491,565.44; Santiago, P14,806,163.63; Biazon, P14,895,189.42 and Enrile, P14,993,705.40.
Arroyo’s frugality with legislative monies started in the House of Representatives where he had no staff, except for a driver and a utility man, doing his work as congressman all by himself, including making his own phone calls. He carried this work ethic to the Senate when he was elected in 2001 and had a skeletal staff of three.

Arroyo is also proud of his perfect attendance record for 17 years. It’s like not being absent from class even once from Grade 1 until you graduate from college, he said.

Since Arroyo joined the government in 1986 as Executive Secretary up to the present, he has never traveled on government money.

Arroyo chose not to chair any committee in the present 14th Congress although he was offered two prize committees.

In the 12th and 13th Congresses, he chaired the Blue Ribbon Committee, the Public Services Committee, and the Justice and Human Rights Committee and has always prepared a committee report or at least a disposition report for every referral to any committee he chairs.

Arroyo has no media officer, writes his own press statements, discusses only issues he considers important and avoids subjects that he feels are inanities, but occasionally drops by the media office after everyone has filed his story and enjoys bantering with media.

Reporters who covered Arroyo in the legislative beats know that he writes his own press releases by hand, and even faxes them to reporters. Arroyo keeps a small phonebook where he writes the contact numbers of media and political personalities.

'Arroyo allies in House have P20-B pork'

2009-01-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Allies of President Macapagal-Arroyo in the House of Representatives have built up a large pork barrel by diverting close to P20 billion in proposed spending this year from debt service and agrarian reform to increase allocations for public works, local governments and Congress, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday.

“Some congressmen are obviously more concerned with winning in 2010 than ensuring the economy’s survival this year,” Lacson told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II confirmed the dubious diversions.

“This is evidently a blatant attempt to raise funds for the Cha-cha (Charter change) and the elections. It is clear that the economy is the least of the President’s priority. She is bent on staying in power forever,” Roxas said.

Pork barrel finances the pet projects of legislators. Though the money is not directly released to senators and members of the House, pork barrel is believed to be a major source of kickbacks for lawmakers. The kickbacks come from contractors who bag the projects.

Lacson, a member of the bicameral conference committee, said the House version of the P1.415-trillion proposed budget for 2009 slashed P14.776 billion from debt service, P3.5 billion from miscellaneous personnel fund, and P1.3 billion from the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Public works

The cutbacks, totaling P19.576 billion, were allocated for the regional infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (P8.178 billion), additional spending money for local government units (P3.36 billion) and additional pork barrel for Congress (P1.46 billion).

A cutback of P6.578 billion has yet to be accounted for as this was most likely “inserted” in the 2009 budget.
The bicameral committee, tasked with reconciling the House and Senate versions of the proposed budget, is expected to resume its discussions with the resumption of sessions next week.

Bigger budget deficit

By cutting the proposed allocation for debt service, the House will be forcing government to borrow more, resulting in a bigger budget deficit, the member of the bicameral committee said.

The Arroyo administration has been urged to refocus the 2009 budget to make it more responsive to the country’s economic slowdown amid lower remittances from Filipino overseas workers and export earnings due to the deepening global recession.

Lacson said the members of the House wanted to redirect the funds to expense items controlled or influenced by them and local government officials to boost their political stock ahead of the 2010 elections.

Sweetener for Cha-cha

The senator said the fund diversion could be used as “sweeteners” to induce more lawmakers into supporting Charter change moves in the House.

Ms Arroyo’s allies in the House are pushing for a constituent assembly as a mode of amending the Constitution, which critics claim would extend the term of the President and other elected officials.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño said that allocating more money for regional projects of the public works department and the pork barrel of local government executives and House members showed that the proposed 2009 General Appropriations Act was an “election budget.”

“These funds should have been realigned to education, health, housing and social services,” Casiño said in a text message.

Earlier, senators were accused of making P20 billion in total insertions in the proposed 2009 budget that would benefit their pet projects.

Supplemental budget

House Speaker Prospero Nograles has pushed for the swift approval of the proposed P11.3-billion supplemental budget to ensure the automation of elections next year.

The budget covers the P1.3-billion budget for the preparations of the Commission on Elections and other government agencies, and P9.559 billion for the acquisition and deployment of poll counting machines.

Same Names, Same Politics, Same Poverty

2009-01-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

Posted under 2010 Elections, Governance, PDI, 12/23/08

Last Wednesday, I had the chance to meet with Yoly Ong, the President of Campaigns and Grey, one of the country’s top advertising companies. During our meeting, she showed me the latest Pulse Asia Survey which showed who were the top candidates for the 2010 Senatorial Elections and I was no longer surprised to see familiar family names dominating the survey and that most of the people who belonged to the Top 20 were either incumbents, former senators and their family members.

Although I expected this would be the case given that majority of our country still votes based on popularity, I was saddened with the thought that if we continue to elect many of these same politicians then naturally, we can expect the same kind of service that we have been getting these past 20 years.

Looking back at the past 20 years since the EDSA Revolution, millions of Filipinos continue to live with less than 100 pesos a day while many of these prominent government leaders continue to live lavish lifestyles. Yesterday, the Social Weather Station (SWS) released a survey wherein almost 25 percent of Filipinos or almost 20 million Filipinos have grown hungry these past months. Yes, I agree with the argument that not all of them are perpetuators of graft and corruption and that there are still those who continue to do a good job but I’d like to believe that it may be time for us to start looking for new faces which will bring new values, new politics and new ideas in our resolve to finally put an end to the poverty cycle in our country.

Also in the news these past weeks are pronouncements of deposed former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada that he is still interested in running for the Presidency despite being convicted already of plunder.

On the other side of the fence, we have our current President and her minions in the House of Representatives trying their best to perpetuate her reign beyond 2010. At the rate things are it would be sad if we would be left only with two choices in the 2010 national elections, a deposed former President or the anointed one of our very unpopular incumbent President.

The challenge for us is to go beyond our apathy and indifference to politics since if we continue to choose not to be active in looking for morally upright, effective and God-fearing leaders for our country, we will always be left to choose between who is the lesser evil. I think the Filipino deserves more than the kind of service that many of our current government leaders our giving. We have seen in Naga City through the leadership of multi-awarded Mayor Jesse Robredo that if you elect a good leader then the people can expect good governance which will translate into better delivery of basic services. Now, Naga City has been transformed from being a sleepy third class municipality to the premiere city of the Bicol Region.

Yet, amid all these problems in our country, there are still rays of hope such as the recently launched Movement for Good Governance (MGG) which aims to gather 10 million votes for a Presidential candidate that will represent the values of effective, principled and ethical leadership. This group led by civil society leaders such as former Finance Undersecretary Dr. Milwida Guevara and Ayala Foundation’s Bill Luz face a daunting task ahead but if every Filipino will join them then at least we can all hope that maybe 2010 will be the year where genuine change can finally reign in our country.

Merry Christmas to all! May the year 2009 be a more prosperous year to all of us!
For more information about MGG, you can send an email to mguevara@synergeia.org.ph.
Help promote Good Governance in our country by sending free Kaya Natin! Christmas and New Year E-cards at http://www.yehey.com/ecards/ .

Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government.

Snubs show OBAMA is no RP friend

2008-11-09T18:55:00.000-08:00

Analysis
By Amando DoronilaPhilippine Daily Inquirer

In the first blush of victory, US President-elect Barack Obama accepted congratulations from nine presidents and prime ministers and returned their calls. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, one of the numerous early callers, was not one of the chosen few.

The favored world leaders were Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

All are leaders of democracies known as important allies of the United States. Two are Asians—Aso and Lee; one is leader of the centerpiece of US policy in the Middle East, Olmert of Israel; Calderon heads Mexico, the most strategic US neighbor in Latin America; and the rest are leaders of Europe’s most important democracies.

Their talks ranged over a number of issues indicating the priorities of Obama as he moved swiftly to revamp the focus of US foreign policy, including the global financial crisis, the Afghanistan war, and the North Korean and Iranian nuclear crisis.

Sarkozy’s office said he and Obama spoke for 30 minutes, characterized as “extremely warm,” as they discussed the financial crisis and agreed to meet in the “quite near future.” It said they spoke about an international financial summit in Washington.

A second round of calls to world leaders quickly followed on Saturday when Obama spoke with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

After this second round, Ms Arroyo was pushed back on the queue of the waiting list. Malacañang has been waiting in vain for a return call. None, at the time of this writing, had been received.

Not on radar screen

These telephone chats over the past few days gave a first glimpse into the “world view” of the incoming administration—the countries that mattered to it, the countries Obama have downgraded and the issues that concern it most as he redefines US foreign policy in the post-Bush era.

From the looks of it, the Philippines is not on the Obama radar screen, no matter how our humiliated leaders on the waiting list claim our strategic importance is to the United Sates in the Asia-Pacific region and our historic ties with Washington.

Obama has barely a couple of years experience as junior senator from Illinois and has only a brushing acquaintance with foreign policy. It’s very likely the Philippines struck him as just a speck on the map.

And so, if his team received an early call from Ms Arroyo congratulating him for his election, one of his ignorant staff could have asked: “Where is the Philippines?”

American presidents take seriously countries whose leaders create trouble for the United States and who assail its authority as the lone superpower after the collapse of communism in the 1990s. They scorn obsequious vassal poor countries although they may have historical special relations with the United States.

Take Sarkozy. Amid the financial crisis of Wall Street in October, Sarkozy seized the Wall Street turmoil as an opening wedge to revamp the free-enterprise US model along the lines of the state-interventionist style of France. This has been seen in Washington as a revival of neo-Gaullism in France challenging the American model of capitalism.

The Canadian prime minister’s office said Obama and Harper emphasized there could be no closer friends and allies than the United States and Canada and vowed to strengthen their relationship.

President Calderon’s office said Obama pledged continued US support for Mexico’s fight against organized crime and drug trafficking. The office of Olmert said he and Obama “discussed the need to continue and advance the peace process, while maintaining Israel’s security.” Australian Prime Minister Rudd said he and Obama talked about national security and climate change.

Constructive interaction

In his conversation with Lee, Obama said the US-South Korean alliance was a “cornerstone” of Asia’s peace and stability and promised improved relations between the two countries.

In the second round of telephone talks, Obama and Russian President Medvedev “expressed the determination to create constructive interaction for the good of global stability,” and agreed their countries had common responsibility to address “serious problems of global nature.”

On Wednesday, after Obama’s election, Medvedev threatened to move short-range missiles on Russia’s borders with NATO allies, including Poland and the Czech Republic.

Obama’s talk with China’s Hu covered a range of issues, including the global financial turmoil and the sensitive issue of Taiwan. China opposes independence for Taiwan, saying that the proper handling of the issue was the key to good relations between Beijing and Washington.

‘Fairer’ Middle East policy

In his first foreign policy pronouncement as president-elect, Obama called for an international effort to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The pronouncement came a day after Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged Obama to implement a “fairer” policy in the Middle East.

Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama on his election—the first time an Iranian leader had offered such wishes to a US president-elect since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Obama acknowledged the letter, but said Iran’s development of nuclear weapons was “unacceptable” and Iran must end its “support of terrorist organizations.”

By contrast, the Philippines encountered a frosty reception from the incoming administration. Ms Arroyo put in a call to Obama at 2-3 a.m. to congratulate him, and Obama did not receive her call.

Instead, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney offered an explanation that failed to mask the snub. In Bacolod City, Kenney said Obama was “a fan of the Philippines,” and she expected the two countries to have “extraordinarily good relations” during the Obama presidency.

Kenney said she did not foresee any major changes in the security relations with the Philippines, where US Special Forces are training Filipino troops in fighting Moro rebels linked to Osama bin Laden’s terror network in Southeast Asia.

RP not in charmed circle

Kenney said the Philippines would continue to be a “strong ally” of the United States, and acknowledged that the Philippines increasingly had a “great regional role to play.”

She said that when Ms Arroyo put in a call to Obama, his team told her that the President’s call was one of “the first and most gracious calls,” and they were taking down names and numbers and they would “call back when they get a chance.”

They never did.

Kenney said it was not likely that Ms Arroyo would be able to meet Obama when she goes to the United States next week to attend a UN function.

“I think [an Obama-Arroyo] meeting is unlikely because the president-elect, as I understand it, is not yet meeting with foreign leaders. He is busy assembling his Cabinet,” the US ambassador said.

The sidelining of the Arroyo call gave a glimpse of the importance of the Philippines to the United States at a moment of change of administration.

It is clear that the Philippines stands on the outer perimeter of US concerns in world affairs.
The first telephone conversations reveal the Philippines is not within the charmed circles of the Obama administration. It is a leper outside looking in.

It is imperative that Manila should rearrange its priorities vis-à-vis Washington. Obama is not our friend.

This is definitely what other country leaders think of our country, its president, and our people if we do not have a strong political will and determination to become independent. We continue to kow-tow foreign "friends and allies" since we cannot stand in our own two feet! It's time to kill corruption and make our economic findamentals strong. Let's produce our own, take care of our own, and develop our industries and stop this cycle of misery and embarrassment. Nakakahiya na tayo na para bang maamong aso na sunod ng sunod sa puwet ng kanyang amo.

If our country is strong, other countries will respect us. Just take a look at China. During the 50's this country is so poor but after winning its war against the Nationalists (driven to Taiwan), it struggled on its own to survive. Theirs was a rough life for many years. Look at them now. They've just brought two people in space becoming the third nation after Russia and the US. They developed their own industries and have even catered to many multinationals even to date.

We should do the same. Now! So in 20-30 years, those new generations of Filipinos will not be kissing the asses of other nations begging for everything! Nakakahiya at nakaka-awa na tayo! Let's start killing corruption and putting corrupt officials to jail and start giving new faces to ourselves and be respected by foreign countries). GISING NA, BAYAN!

728-million fertilizer scam

2008-10-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

WHAT WENT BEFORE
728-million fertilizer scam, Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—In 2003, Marlene Esperat, then an employee of the Department of Agriculture’s resident ombudsman in Central Mindanao, filed a graft complaint against Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, then Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, and several others in connection with alleged irregularities in a P432-million fertilizer deal.

Esperat said the fertilizers bought were overpriced and procured through a negotiated contract instead of a public bidding.

Two months before the May 2004 presidential election, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a presidential candidate, accused President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, herself running for election, of “virtual vote-buying” by authorizing the release of P728 million to favored officials to buy farm inputs like fertilizer and pesticide for their constituents, as part of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani project.

Resignation

After the election, former Solicitor General Frank Chavez filed a plunder case against Ms Arroyo in connection with Lacson’s accusation. Chavez named Bolante as one of those who signed the papers for the release and disposition of the funds.

Bolante quit his post at the Department of Agriculture in September 2004, ostensibly because of his election as a director of Rotary Club International.

In the same month, the Ombudsman dropped Esperat’s graft charges against Yap, but declared as “sufficient in form and substance” the graft complaint against Bolante.

(Esperat, who later became a journalist, was shot dead in her home in Sultan Kudarat on March 24, 2005. Three men were convicted of her murder, but the suspected masterminds—officials of the agriculture department office in Central Mindanao already charged by the justice department—remain at large.)

In October 2005, the Senate committee on agriculture chaired by then Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. opened an inquiry into the fertilizer fund controversy. Bolante did not show up during the first hearing, and flew to Los Angeles hours before the second hearing on Oct. 26.

Magsaysay sought the help of the US Embassy and Rotary Club International in locating Bolante, who was also a no-show at the Nov. 17 and 24 hearings.

Bolante reportedly returned to the Philippines on Dec. 5, but was able to leave again on Dec. 11, days after the Bureau of Immigration put him on its watch list. He left on board a Cathay Pacific flight for Hong Kong en route to the United States.

Arrest order

On Dec. 13, the Senate cited Bolante for contempt and ordered his arrest.

In January 2006, he filed a petition to the Supreme Court through the Philippine Consul in Chicago, asking that the Senate be stopped from implementing the arrest order.

He said he was willing to attend the Senate inquiry, but again snubbed the Jan. 31 and Feb. 2 hearings.

In March, the Senate’s blue ribbon and agriculture committees released a report recommending the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Bolante and other agriculture officials.
The report also said Ms Arroyo should be “held accountable” for the mismanagement of the fertilizer fund.

On July 7, 2006, Bolante was detained on arrival at the Los Angeles International Airport on grounds of an invalid non-immigrant (B1/B2) visa. (A US court document given to the Philippine Daily Inquirer in September 2006 said the US Embassy in Manila cancelled Bolante’s visa upon the Senate’s request.)

Bolante was held at the San Pedro Detention Center on Terminal Island, 48 kilometers from Los Angeles, then transferred to the Kenosha Rehabilitation Center in Wisconsin.

Court battle

On Aug. 4, the LA-based federal judge reviewing Bolante’s asylum case granted his petition to transfer the case to an immigration court in Chicago.

Bolante testified before that court on Nov. 10, saying his life would be endangered if he returned to the Philippines.

It rejected his petition in February 2007, citing lack of proof that he was “suffering from a well-grounded fear of persecution.”

Bolante took the case to the US Court of Appeals, which also denied his petition on Aug. 27 this year.

He again experienced defeat on Sept. 3, when the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin dismissed his petition for habeas corpus.

On Oct. 23, the US Embassy confirmed that the US Department of Homeland Security had issued a “removal order” on Bolante, and that he could be deported anytime.

Bolante’s lawyer said his client had decided to yield to the order. Inquirer Research

Task Force 'Red plate" catches 15 gov't cars in Cenu

2008-10-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Mars Mosqueda, Manila Bulletin

CEBU CITY – Barely a week after the launching of Oplan Red Plate, authorities here have reported catching 15 government vehicles parked near malls and restaurants and believed to have been used for non-official purposes.

Oplan Red Plate, a campaign against the illegal use of government vehicles, was launched a few days after this was launched in Cebu by five agencies – the Office of the Ombudsman, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Commission on Audit (CoA) and the PNP.

Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol said he has already ordered the investigation team to visit the agencies to which the vehicles are issued to get supporting documents and determine if the cars were used for official purpose.

"We are sending the team to the agencies involved to hasten our investigation," said Apostol, adding that the team will also check the trip tickets of the apprehended vehicles.

Apostol said the official who will be proven to have used any government vehicle on a non-official trip could face at least six months suspension or dismissal from service depending on the gravity of the violation.

"We are urging the public to help us in this drive to make the campaign more effective," said Apostol.

The Task Force Red Plate has already distributed its hotline numbers to security guards in all the malls, restaurants, and public establishments around Cebu for them to immediately report presence of red-plated vehicles.

Oplan Red Plate is in line with Administrative Order No. 239 of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo prohibiting the use of government-issued vehicles for private purposes.

Administrative Order No. 239 signed by Pres. Arroyo last September 15 is aimed at preventing the use of government vehicles from abuse and its purpose solely for official business.

Uncontrolled corruption

2008-10-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

DPI, Editorial

It is not just a perception, it is the reality: The Philippines is one of the world’s most corrupt nations.

That is according to Justin Wood, director of the Southeast Asia Corporate Network of The Economist Intelligence Unit. “The Philippines is perceived as one of the most corrupt countries in the world,” Wood told the Business Roundtable in Makati City earlier this month, citing the results of the latest survey on corruption done by Transparency International. “The perception is very correct.”

In Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index, the Philippines was way down at 141 among the 180 countries surveyed. Its score of 2.3 (on a scale where 10 means perfectly clean), the lowest it has received since the survey was started in 1995, put the Philippines behind all of its neighbors in Southeast Asia.

Not surprisingly, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo disagrees. She told the same meeting that the perception of widespread corruption was the media’s creation. The people surveyed by Transparency International based their answers on what they read in the newspapers, she said, adding: “We have to remember that we have the freest media in the region... What would be on page 10 in some other countries would be banner headline in the Philippines. Even rumors and innuendos become fact when they are in the banner headline.”

But is corruption in the Philippines largely a figment of the imagination, as the President would like everyone to believe? Ms Arroyo herself seemed to implicitly acknowledge that there is (or was) a problem when she accepted a $21-million grant from the World Bank to fund programs to fight corruption. The Philippines Threshold Program, which was approved in 2006, was meant to strengthen the anti-corruption efforts of the Office of the Ombudsman and Department of Finance. Not only did the government accept the grant, it even matched the amount it got from the World Bank.

But with the program coming to an end in November, the World Bank has been forced to admit that it has been a dismal failure. In fact, during the two years the program has been running, “control of corruption” by the Philippine government was actually deteriorating. Thus, while the Philippines had a “control of corruption” score that was in the 76th percentile in 2006, this went down to the 57th percentile in 2007 and further down to the 47th percentile this year.
This was the first time the Philippines flunked the “control of corruption” indicator, prompting the World Bank to question the effectiveness of its threshold programs in combating corruption. In addition, this poor performance has virtually disqualified the country from availing itself of further grants from the Millennium Challenge Corp. “Control of corruption” is the only “hard hurdle” a country must pass to be eligible for funding assistance from the Millennium Challenge.
It is surely not just a coincidence that these independent findings about worsening corruption came at time when new and bigger corruption scandals, involving the country’s highest officials, erupted.

There was the NorthRail project and the National Broadband Network contract, to mention just two of them. These were not issues manufactured by the media. And if they became banner stories, it was not because the media wanted to sensationalize them. They were scandals of mind-boggling proportions, dwarfing other news in importance and impact.

But who cares if programs to combat corruption fail? The crooks in government are happiest to see anti-corruption drives falter, because they can continue their corrupt ways without fear of being caught and punished. And there are many of them in high and low places.

People who keep hoping for clean and honest government that uses taxpayers’ money wisely and well will have to wait for another administration. The President thinks corruption is not a problem or at least not the serious problem businessmen and other observers take it to be. Nothing, not even neutral surveys and studies, will change her mind. It would be pointless and futile to look up to her for a solution.

DoH's 'skewed' priority hit

2008-10-13T20:52:00.001-07:00

By Lira Dalangin-FernandezINQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines --As the House of Representatives deliberates on the proposed budget of the Department of Health (DoH) this Friday, a militant lawmaker criticized its "skewed" priority, which he said prioritized foreign patients.

Deputy Minority Floor Leader and Bayan Muna partylist Representative Satur Ocampo said the DoH budget showed a "skewed investment in government-sponsored medical tourism that targets foreign patients instead of millions of Filipinos who do not have access to quality government health care."

"The DoH should explain government's health priorities. They should tell Congress why healthcare is apparently being transformed by government into a money-making venture targeting foreign medical tourists over ordinary Filipinos in dire need of health care," Ocampo said in a statement.

The DoH has a proposed P27.803 billion allocation for 2009.

Citing a study of the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), Ocampo lamented that "past and current national health budgets under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program have not changed the general state of disrepair and lack of adequate facilities in public hospitals and government-run health facilities."

The program got P1.66 billion in 2008 – a whopping 822% increase from its 2007 P180 million allotment.

For 2009, the program will be getting P2.03 billion or a 22.29% increase, the lawmaker said.
"This Health Facilities Enhancement Program only aims to refurbish certain specialty hospitals for the government's medical tourism agenda. It has the highest appropriation compared to the potable water program (P1.5 billion) and the Tuberculosis Control Program (P1.3 billion) that will go directly to indigent Filipino patients," he added.

The HEAD study also noted that the 2009 national budget would only give substantial increases to specialty hospitals like the Lung Center of the Philippines (an additional P157.6 million), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (P185 million), Philippine Children's Medical Center (P236 million), and Philippine Heart Center (P185 million).

Ocampo said the DoH flagship hospital, the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila, is only getting P359 million in the 2009 budget. It is much worse for other public hospitals under the DoH, he added.

"Our government doctors and health professionals in HEAD aver that these are the same hospitals earmarked for integration as the 'Philippine Center for Specialized Healthcare' in line with the medical tourism program. If the Arroyo administration allocates hefty amounts to specialty hospitals, I do not see any reason why it should not give equal or greater budgets for government medical centers that cater to the general public and indigent Filipino patients," Ocampo said.

Too much pork in the budget

2008-10-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

From Cebu Daily News

The problem isn’t that the Constitution doesn’t need amending, because it does; rather, it is that the amendments of interest to those in a position to do something about it, immediately, aren’t of particular interest to the broader electorate. We view any officially-proposed effort to amend the Constitution with mistrust.

Nothing our officials do reduces this mistrust. House Speaker Prospero Nograles, for example, has tried to reassure the public by saying that while he’s convinced efforts to amend the Constitution will take place before the incumbent President’s term ends, Congress will tackle other pending legislative work first. First and foremost being the deliberations on the National Budget for 2009.

Former budget secretary Benjamin Diokno said that this year’s budget is actually more pork barrel-oriented than the 2007 budget. Now budgets for election years have traditionally been stuffed with all sorts of goodies for our elected officials. It’s how presidents and Congress provide funding for the sudden frenzy of public works and other activities to court the electorate’s support.

But why should the 2008 budget actually exceed the 2007 budget in terms of these political goodies? Normally, to prevent massive inflation and restore some fiscal order to the sorely-strained finances of the government, post-election budgets are leaner and less pork-filled. The reason for this, Diokno said, is that we have to realize the useful life of a budgetary item is not one, but two years. This means that if you stuff the 2008 budget now, it not only helps you in 2009, but all the way to the eve of the 2010 elections.

In other words, the 2007 election-oriented budget, bloated as it was, was bloated further because if you think the political funding required for a congressional election last year was big, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet: 2010 will either be a presidential election year, or the year the administration makes a last-ditch effort to campaign for, and win, a plebiscite changing the rules of the game.

So when the Speaker says don’t worry, while we fully intend to amend the Constitution, we will attend to our work first, we have to bear in mind that the two are connected and that the success of the latter depends on the passage of the former. The present budget is a campaign budget, not only providing for our government’s expenses for this year, but sinking funds into the administration campaign kitty for 2010.

Our leaders, ideally, should be stepping in to help form a national consensus so that we can find reforms on which we can agree. Instead, the proposals being floated officially simply aim to limit the electorate’s already limited ability to have a say in what officialdom does. We are increasingly at the mercy of all the sectors that view elections as a means of making a killing every three years, instead of selecting people who can be trusted with the stewardship of public office and public funds. — Manuel Quezon III, Inquirer

Teenager bodyguards

2008-10-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

Mindanao politicians use teenagers as bodyguards
By James Mananghaya, Philstar

Children between the ages of 12 and 14 act as armed bodyguards for politicians in Mindanao, a Muslim youth leader revealed yesterday.

“I went around one of the provinces in central Mindanao recently to look for a mosque to pray, and then I saw these armed children, mostly 12 to 14 years old, who are working for a local government official as bodyguards,” Revi Sani, a member of the Philippine karate team and a multi-awarded Muslim youth leader from Marawi City, told The STAR.

“Instead of being given proper education, these kids are being exposed to danger. Instead of holding pens and books, they are holding high-powered pistols and rifles. How can they match the police or the soldiers who are trained in combat? They should be saved otherwise they would die early.”

Sani, son of Sultan Punduma Sani, one of the founders of the Moro National Liberation Front in the 1970’s, said these children are being lured to work as bodyguards for politicians because of the lack of alternative channels where they could use their youthful energy.

“As young boys, we are naturally adventurous,” he said. “We only have to give them the right alternative such as sports.”

Sani, who was a recipient of the Outstanding Young Muslim Award from the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Center for Moderate Muslims in 2004 and 2005, said if these children are not given proper education, they would never realize that they have great potentials.
“They would be like eagle eggs that landed on the chicken’s nest,” he said.

“When they were hatched, they grew up as chickens. They never found out that they are eagles that can soar to great heights.”

Sani said part of the glorious tradition of Muslims in Mindanao is being a warrior, having fought the Spaniards.

“As a young boy, my father would tell me not to forget that I am a warrior,” he said.

“But he never encouraged me to be a warrior who uses violence,” he said of his father, who is now a professor at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City and a consultant at the Philippine Sports Commission.

He recalled a karate competition abroad when his first opponent was a Spaniard.
“I told myself that karate is the best way that I should fight him,” he said. “It was then that I realized that my own jihad can come in this form.” He said that as a sportsman who also advocates peace, he dreams of a day when there would be no more fighting in Mindanao.

“Why don’t they just compete in sports?” he said.

“Maybe they can think of having a sports fest between the armed forces and the MILF. That could put an end to fighting in Mindanao if they would not have to use their guns anymore.”
Troops ready for action

Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexander Yano ordered troops in parts of Mindanao to prepare for any attack from rogue bands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Armed Forces public affairs chief, said Yano gave this directive during a visit to troops in Sirawai, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro City the other day and yesterday.

“Troops there were given an instruction that while seemingly, there is a lull in combat operations in their area of operation, they have to be prepared just in case there would be an escalation of atrocities from nearby provinces,” he said.

Eight soldiers, including an officer, have been reported wounded when an improvised explosive went off following a clash with MILF rebels in Barangay Tukanalipao, in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao yesterday.

Maj. Armand Rico, Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command spokesman, identified the wounded soldiers as Lt. Edever Pulido, S/Sgt. Joseph Simangan, Sgt. Renato Roble; Corporals Ruben Nicolas; Roberto Anap, Jesus Alcoba; and Privates First Class Gilbert Garciano and Erwin Palencia.

“The wounded were evacuated to Tamundong Hospital and Isulan Hospital,” he said.
“They are all in stable condition.”

An MILF rebel was also reported killed and an undetermined number wounded in the fighting, he added. Rico said the soldiers, backed by two armored vehicles, fought for 15-minutes with about 60 rebels.

Meantime, Sen. Manuel Roxas II told the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) not to revive the agreement on ancestral domain since it was already a dead issue that “needs to rest in peace.”

Speaking to reporters in Zamboanga City yesterday, Roxas said the government has already junked the signing of the agreement for the creation of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

“Patay na ang MOA-AD, ilibing na natin ito at lagyan ng bato (The MOA-AD is dead, let’s bury it and put a gravestone). It’s a dead issue,” he said. – With Roel Pareño

V.I.P. Jail

2008-10-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Editorial
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines - If Rizal were alive today, and writing the “Fili,” he may well begin by describing the social hierarchy inside the National Bilibid Prisons. Here, truly, can be found the ship of state, run aground.

Some convicts, rich or well-connected or both, live in special housing of their own, markedly different from the rest; the rest, most of them poor, share wretched, even inhuman conditions. Above them all sits a compromised management, partial to the powerful and protected by partisan politicians.

One thing the controversial and rashly rationalized release of double-murderer Claudio Teehankee Jr. has done is to remind the public, all over again, that justice is all too often not blind, that all too often the administration of justice does not only recognize but actively reinforces the difference between rich prisoners and poor. When Teehankee served his double life sentence (he was released after about 14 years), he lived in a rich man’s “kubol”—a special, customized detention area—isolated from non-privileged prisoners.

In his last days in Bilibid, Teehankee moved into the special quarters built by ex-congressman Romeo Jalosjos, convicted of raping a child but now enjoying the privilege of “living out” of prison in preparation for his eventual release. The Jalosjos “kubol” features a queen-size bed, a refrigerator, a private bathroom with hot and cold water and, not least, a 42-inch LCD television set with cable service.

According to an Inquirer source, as many as 6,000 “kubols” were constructed inside the maximum security area over the years, “with the permission of the NBP superintendent.”
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez admits the practice is a problem, but telegraphs an unwillingness or an inability to do anything about it. Instead, he rationalized the practice in characteristically outrageous terms. “High-profile inmates have threats. It is also fair to give them some exceptional security,” he said. “It is a difficult situation to mix them up with the other inmates …. Inmates tend to kill each other.”

By that token, every prisoner should be in solitary confinement!

But of course all Gonzalez meant by “high-profile” is “rich.” Rich or powerful prisoners are the only ones who can afford to construct special quarters (or buy one, in the case of the Jalosjos “kubol,” after he was done with it). Indeed, and as Gonzalez should know all too well, most victims of intra-prison violence are those who are decidedly low-profile: gang members who ran out of luck or convicts who have no money to pay for protection.

Why shouldn’t the government “allow” these likely victims a measure of “exceptional security”? Because they cannot afford it. That is what makes the special-quarters practice offensive. It renders the administration of justice unfair, and makes the application of the law’s heavy hand self-evidently uneven.

The chair of the Commission on Human Rights, noted election lawyer Leila de Lima, acknowledged that there may be nothing illegal in allowing inmates to construct improvements inside prison. “Nothing can prevent them from improving the facilities in prison, like the sports facilities, or adding more cells or rooms, or starting livelihood [projects] for other inmates. They can do that. That is laudable, in fact. That is the primary duty of the government, but it just can’t afford it.”

But: “What makes it objectionable is when they [build] special quarters [for themselves] while others do not.” Or, because of financial circumstance, cannot.

Drugs, cell phones found in QC Jail

2008-10-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

Nancy C. Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—A surprise inspection of inmates’ cells at the Quezon City Jail Sunday morning yielded more than 200 sachets of drugs, drug paraphernalia, cell phones and deadly weapons.

The operation, which was ordered by Senior Supt. Emilio Culang, city jail warden, led to the seizure of at least 250 grams of dried marijuana leaves, 206 sachets which contained marijuana and shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), several bottles of solvent and paint thinner and drug paraphernalia.

Also confiscated were 70 cell phones, lewd magazines, playing cards, a bottle of wine and dozens of improvised deadly weapons.

These included spoons, forks, toothbrushes and pencils with sharpened points. There were also needles, lighters, belts, electrical wires, scissors, hammer, assorted ropes and nail cutters. Culang said he has ordered an investigation to determine how the contraband ended up inside the facility.

“There is money in this. I believe some jail personnel are involved in the operation,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net). According to him, a cell phone which is valued at only P500 outside the prison can fetch a sum of as much as P2,000 inside the facility.

“The price goes up in the jail,” Culang said.

The jail warden added that he plans to conduct an inspection of the city jail every month to discourage the entry of contraband. “Even if we could not totally eradicate the bringing in of contraband, we would at least reduce it,” Culang said. The move would also ensure the safety of prisoners, he added.

“The jail is overcrowded and the inmates do not stay and sleep inside their cells but in the yard of the prison compound which also serves as a basketball court,” Culang said. He explained that the jail has 2,800 inmates although it was built to accommodate only 1,000 detainees.

Sunday’s surprise inspection started at 7 a.m. and ended at around 12:30 p.m. It was carried out by dozens of jail guards, including trainees from the Jail National Training Institute, who were called in to augment the city jail personnel. Culang said the inmates were asked to step out of their cells and to stay in the yard of the compound during the duration of the operation. The prisoners were also asked to strip off their T-shirts to ensure that they were not hiding any contraband.

Culang said the inmates were cooperative and showed no resistance during the operation.
“They knew we would apply force to anyone who would try to cause trouble,” he said.

'Christmas in October for Arroyo Allies

2008-10-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

AFTER FILING OF IMPEACH RAP ‘Christmas in October’ for Arroyo allies
By Lira Dalangin-FernandezINQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- It will be "Christmas in October" for allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the House of Representative with bribe money expected to flow anew to quash the impeachment complaint against the President, one of the signatories said Monday.

Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico said that in fact, some members of the majority were "salivating" on the new impeachment complaint, filed by staunch Arroyo critics early in the day.

"Some quarters in the majority actually welcome the filing of the impeachment complaint. They are salivating on the prospects that the impeachment complaint will be filed against their boss because this would mean for them Christmas in October," Suplico told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.

He added, "This is the best Christmas they will have."

Suplico said a first-term congressman, whom he refused to identify, in fact told him that with the filing of the complaint, “the pot has been sweetened,” which he said was an expression in poker, a popular card game.

Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio in October 11 last year admitted receiving P500,000 contained in a bag as he was walking out of Malacañang.

The opposition alleged that Malacañang then distributed money to congressmen ranging from P200,000 to P500,000 in an attempt to quash the impeachment bid filed then against the President.

Several congressmen admitted receiving the money but said they would talk only in the proper forum.

Ex-customs official charged with graft

2008-10-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

By Edu Punay, Philstar

A former Customs police official faces criminal and administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for failing the government’s lifestyle check.

Chief Inspector Isabelo Tibayan is now detailed at the office of presidential adviser for revenue enhancement Narciso Santiago Jr.

In a 16-page complaint, the Revenue Integrity Protection Service of the Department of Finance (DOF-RIPS) accused Tibayan, former intelligence and operations chief of Customs Enforcement and Security Service, of violating of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), perjury and falsification of public documents.

He was also charged administratively for violating Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees). The DOF-RIPS sought the dismissal from government service of Tibayan, filing of criminal case against him before the Sandiganbayan and forfeiture of his properties in favor of the government as provided under Republic Act 1317.
The Office of the Ombudsman was also asked to place the respondent under preventive suspension while he is being investigated.

Investigation of the DOF-RIPS showed that the personal income of Tibayan grew 25 times in the last 19 years of his government service. Intelligence officers Troy Francis Pizarro, Reynaldo Uson, Reynalito Lazaro and Melchor Piol discovered some questionable real properties and several luxury vehicles.

It was found that Tibayan owns a house and lot in Parañaque, a lot and a condominium in Muntinlupa and four agricultural lands in Lemery, Batangas. His real properties amount to P13,684,105, according to graft investigators. Tibayan’s vehicles include a Mitsubishi Safari, three Ford Expedition vehicles, two Honda cars and a Mitsubishi L300 vehicle.

“Such astronomical growth in respondent’s personal wealth – a 25-fold increase over a 19-year period or, roughly, increments exceeding a hundred percent per year – cannot be justified and/or explained by respondent’s salary from the BOC, which at best, is only P142,044 per annum, before taxes, as confirmed by his Service Record,” read the complaint. The perjury and falsification charges against Tibayan pertained to his alleged manipulation of his Statements of Assets Liabilities and Networth.

“The aforesaid pattern of falsification, perjury and sundry deceits committed by respondent in relation to his SALNs – themselves substantive criminal offenses – are but necessarily corollaries to his main pursuit and preoccupation, through the years, of accumulating unexplained wealth grossly disproportionate to his means during his tenure with the BOC,” read the complaint.

Roll back oil prices or face windfall tax

2008-10-07T21:32:00.000-07:00

By Aurea Calica, Philstar

Calls for oil companies to roll back fuel prices mounted yesterday as Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile said these firms must be taxed for excess profits if they refuse to bring down prices.

The House of Representatives is also considering the imposition of a windfall profit tax on oil companies if they refuse to reduce pump prices. Oil prices fell below $90 a barrel on speculation that the spreading financial crisis would exacerbate a global economic slowdown and cut demand for crude oil. But until yesterday, oil companies could not commit to more price cuts. Enrile said the oil companies could not maintain the prices of fuel in the country on the basis of high crude prices.

“They have to scale down their retail price at this time. Otherwise, we will pass a law to see to it that we will get a portion of their huge profit if they are not going to scale down, because that means that if the cost of crude was down, then their margin will get bigger,” Enrile said. He warned he would sponsor a bill to impose an excess profit tax on oil companies. Enrile, chairman of the Senate finance committee, said the recent reimposition of the one-percent tariff on oil was not significant and should not be a reason to maintain high fuel prices.

“That is nothing, that is small. What is one percent of $83? It’s less than a dollar,” Enrile said.
He explained that only the government could pressure oil companies to bring down their prices, but lawmakers could file legislation to force them to give back their profits to the people. “We agree that business must make a profit, but not too much. A reasonable profit yes, but an excess profit can be subject to an excess profit tax… and then we will use that to help people that are suffering because of their refusal to scale down their retail price,” he said.

'Review or repeal law’

Enrile filed a bill to review or repeal the Oil Deregulation Law to prevent oil companies’ abuses.
He said he would also like to push for the anti-trust bill to prevent monopolies or cartels among industries, manipulation of prices of commodities, and price discrimination. He added that a lot of people would be “jailed” if this bill would be passed. He said a boycott of some oil firms would not make sense because it might affect all operations in the country.

But Sen. Francis Escudero, chairman of the Senate ways and means committee, said it would be better to revise or repeal the Oil Deregulation Law rather than impose a new tax on oil companies. “The problem is whatever tax, even on excess profit, will be hard to monitor. We might even give them a reason to further increase their prices,” Escudero said. “For me, the solution is to review or amend the Oil Deregulation Law to teach oil companies a lesson and provide more teeth for the government to sanction companies that do not follow right prices in the world market,” he said.

"Right now, the Department of Energy’s role is a barker and can not seem to guard public interest against the abuses of oil companies,” Escudero said. He said oil companies had been quick to increase their prices based on world market prices but are not as fast when prices are going down. He said it should not take months before oil companies could determine how much rollback must be done and that the DOE must make sure to break the cartel among oil companies. Under the current Oil Deregulation Law, companies could not be forced to scale down prices.

“There is a monopoly and oil companies connive with each other and so the government must have the right and the power to check on them. It should not be like the situation now where the government has to kneel or the President has to talk to oil companies for them to bring down prices,” Escudero said. Speaker Prospero Nograles said Congress would look at the possibility of imposing a windfall tax. “We join the senators’ call for oil companies to further reduce their selling prices,” he said.

Oil firms uncommitted

But oil companies have remained uncommitted on the prospects of another price rollback.
Shell companies in the Philippines country chairman Edgar Chua said most firms adopt a wait-and-see attitude on implementing a price rollback. Both major and new oil players said that the situation remains fluid, especially with the threat of a one- to five-percent import tariff.
Oil firms claimed that the ruling on the tariff on imported crude and refined petroleum products is flawed. Chua said that regulators forget to factor in the foreign exchange component in the trigger price for the level of the import oil tariff. Based on DOE circular 2008-01-0001, the trigger point or price for a one-percent tariff is $91.70 per barrel for Dubai crude and $113 for MOPS diesel. The trigger price for a two-percent tariff is $86.50 per barrel of Dubai crude and $100 for MOPS diesel. For a zero-tariff level, the trigger point is $103.50 per barrel for Dubai crude and $117 per barrel for diesel.

“What they forgot to include is the foreign exchange component,” Chua said at the sidelines of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) International CEO conference yesterday.
The recommendation for an amendment of Executive Order 691 must come from the DOE, which must be forwarded to the Department of Finance (DOF) and the National Economic and Development Authority. The DOF estimated that the one-percent tariff is roughly equivalent to P0.23 to P0.35 per liter for gasoline, and P0.46 per liter for diesel. The average price of Dubai crude for the month of September is $95.90 while the peso in the same period averaged P46.17.
For the month of October covering the period Oct. 1 to 6, Dubai price fell to $84.42 while the peso depreciated further to P47.19.

On Oct. 6 alone, Dubai weakened to $79.45 but the peso slumped further to P47.40. Chua admitted that their sales were lower by six to 10 percent compared to the same period last year.
It was Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. that categorically admitted that they would lower the pump price in selected stations located near stations of new oil players. Unioil Petroleum lowered prices of its petroleum products by P3 per liter last month at a time when the rest of the field reduced prices by P1 per liter. People flocked to the Unioil stations but supply quickly ran dry.
There are speculations that prices could go down to $50 per barrel due to slumping demand brought about by the global financial crisis and economic slowdown.

‘Implement substantial rollback’

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) also demanded that local oil companies immediately implement “substantial rollback” in pump prices, saying that not doing so is “glaring proof” that the Oil Deregulation Law has failed. The group said the drastic drop in oil prices worldwide "undoubtedly” warrants a pump price reduction of at least P7 per liter for diesel, P2.30 for gasoline, and P8 for kerosene. Based on the study by Bayan, oil companies should have already “implemented a major reduction in pump prices” since Sept. 26. It pointed out the steadily declining prices of Dubai crude as its benchmark for computing the price rollback and even factored in the weakening Philippine peso. “Even if the peso continues to weaken, and even if oil tariffs are restored, a substantial rollback can still take place. Having no rollback at all is totally unacceptable for consumers. That would be a gross injustice,” said Renato Reyes Jr., Bayan secretary-general.

Reyes said local oil firms should all the more implement a price cut since world oil prices are dipping below the $88 per barrel mark. “The trend in oil prices is that of a steady decline. The immediate P7 rollback may even be a conservative estimate in the light of even bigger drops in world oil prices. The previous oil price hikes were pushed by speculation. When the reality of the global economic slowdown set in, oil prices have been pushed down,” he said. Reyes criticized the DOE for “refusing to acknowledge and failing to understand that even if world oil prices go down, the power to lower pump prices of oil lies with the ‘cartel’ in the local oil industry.” Bayan insisted that the Oil Deregulation Law must be immediately scrapped.

“Government appears to be able to compute a price rollback yet (it) is powerless in the face of the deregulation law. Then why does government continue to uphold such a law?” Reyes said.
“It’s not about who can give the best sound bite. It’s about changing the policy. All your sound bites on the rollback are useless if you end up defending the Oil Deregulation Law,” he added. – With Katherine Adraneda, Jess Diaz

Moro war is about injustice

2008-10-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

By Fernando del Mundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

COTABATO CITY—Dr. Abas Candao says friends wonder why in spite of the over 10 years he had spent in Saudi Arabia he never learned to speak fluent Arabic. It’s because, says the anesthesiologist, “I put people to sleep.”

Today, the 60-year-old Candao is attempting to awaken a nation from a nightmare rooted in centuries-old resentments that erupted into a full-blown Moro separatist war four decades ago. "They say it’s just poverty and you solve poverty and there’s going to be peace,” says Candao, chair and CEO of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), which is charged under a tottering peace accord with overseeing the post-conflict, multidonor rehabilitation of Mindanao. "I think a lot of international donors have already realized that this is wrong,” says the silver-haired physician. “The center of all these things is injustice. The people are being impoverished because of injustice. So we have to solve this. We cannot just let injustice happen before our eyes.”

Candao says this all began when Spain ceded the Philippines along with vast tracks of Moro ancestral lands to the United States for $20 million under the 1898 Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American War. There’s the “brutality” of a government campaign to fill the region with Christian settlers and an “unjust public land law,” he says.

From Spain to the United States and later the Philippines, the strategy of colonial rule persisted, Candao says, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone without a trace of rancor or bitterness. Candao spoke to the Philippine Daily Inquirer at his austere office in a house of corrugated roof and thatched bamboo just before breaking fast a week before the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. He looked tired in his black shirt with “Café Cappuccino” inscribed on it, white pants and white slippers.

3 strands in peace package

An offshoot of the 2002 agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the BDA is the project implementing body that will take charge of relief, rehabilitation and development. The 2002 accord was the second of three strands in a peace package. The first was the 1997 ceasefire. The third was a deal on an expanded Bangsamoro homeland that the Supreme Court stopped in August amid fears its creation would lead to dismemberment.

MILF commanders, enraged at the delay, attacked Christian settlements, provoking a military backlash that is now on its second month. More than half a million people have been forced to flee their homes as a result. Candao says the BDA was conceptualized in Saudi Arabia, where he worked from 1980 to 1990 in a Jeddah hospital, in meetings he had with late MILF chair Hashim Salamat, who used to call professionals to discuss the problems of Mindanao.
Salamat was one of the founders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari that challenged President Ferdinand Marcos after martial law was declared in 1972.
Salamat had then just returned from al-Azhar University in Cairo, the Islamic world’s equivalent of Harvard, where he earned his doctorate in Islamic theology that would later make him an aleem, about the same rank as a Catholic archbishop.

He broke away from Misuari in 1978 and six years later established the MILF. The MILF puts much greater emphasis on Islam than the MNLF, and most of its leaders are Islamic scholars from traditional aristocratic and religious backgrounds. Salamat died in July 2003.

Roadmap to development

“Granting we get what we want, whether violently or through peaceful means, after that, what?” Candao says. “I think it is very important that we have some sort of a roadmap, a guide that would show us what to do.” In 2000-2001, Candao talked to a group of Moro professionals who later formed the core of what is now the BDA, which is working on a comprehensive development plan for Mindanao. “If we succeed in initiating a government, this government is going to make use of this comprehensive Bangsamoro development plan. Otherwise, we will suffer the same fate as the former group who signed an agreement (in September 1996) with the government without really knowing what to do after that,” Candao says. “They had a long period of inactivity because they didn’t know what to do. So I said we don’t want to suffer the same fate.”

He says the MNLF, mainly composed of Tausugs, is “very exclusive.” The MNLF insurgency led to the formation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 1990. But its critics say the ARMM, as with traditional politicians and warlords, did little to improve the lot of the Moros.
Most impoverished region
Official statistics show that the ARMM, of which Misuari was a former governor, remains the most impoverished region in the Philippines. It is also regarded as corrupt. The “Hello Garci” controversy, in which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was alleged to have stolen the 2004 presidential election—a charge she denies—took place in the ARMM.

Candao says the MILF will not repeat the mistakes of the past. “After a government is set up, it’s going to be able to work because it will know what to do. Having a plan will minimize graft and corruption. It will be able to maximize the use of funds. We will know what funds to use for where, how much. “It will also show sincerity on the part of the MILF leaders if they can show that they are planning for peace, for development. Otherwise, they will just be thinking about wars,” Candao says.

The World Bank-administered Mindanao Trust Fund was formed in 2005 to help the BDA in a two-phased development program that began with “capacity building”—a buzzword for training workers who will carry out the rebuilding of the South when peace finally comes. Projects are “community driven,” monitored and reviewed by donors and the respected auditing firm of SyCip, Gorres and Velayo.

Empowering people

“They (donors) find it an effective way of empowering people, teaching them how to do things by themselves, learning, managing, how to decide by themselves, how to work together,” Candao says. He says that about a year ago, he was able to convince the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)—the world’s largest source of bilateral development assistance—to help the BDA.
“JICA wanted a socio-economic development plan, not a comprehensive national development plan, and I agreed,” he says.

“They saw no existing data at the barangay level, so that’s what they decided to come up (as) the basis of subsequent planning. They also did maps and review of existing data on municipal, provincial, regional level and a review of all existing plans and programs in the area.

Bangsamoro perspectives

“There have been existing plans before but their objectives and direction were different. This is from our point of view. The previous plans were done from the point of view of government,” he says. He says government plans have always been for the benefit of regions other than Mindanao—the growth corridors and even the formulation that it is a “breadbasket” of the rest of the country. Candao says the BDA is making plans “from the point of view of the Bangsamoro.” “How do we become economically, politically, culturally at par with the rest of the country and the rest of the world. And because of our peculiarity as Muslims, we would like to see to it that we are able to live as Muslims.

“We would like to see Halal systems subsisting in our areas. We would like to see Islamic banking. We would like to see Islamic business thrive in our area. These are all part of this plan,” says Candao, who wrote “Bangsamoro” in the space for “nation” in his resumé.

Where does the 12,000-strong MILF come in the comprehensive development plan?

“We have to think about them. They should be part of the plan,” he says. Asked what’s the plan for the MILF’s military wing, Candao replies: “None yet.” He says the MILF has the right to claim that the BDA is its development arm. “And so, that’s what we are. For as long as we are serving the people, no problem. We are their baby,” he says.

Loyalty to our people

“Our loyalty is to our people. We hope that what we set out to accomplish will be accomplished. We’re helping people to build a nation. “Our people have long suffered and the earlier we are able to help extricate our people from this quagmire, the better, of course. We are aiming to build enlightened communities, in other words, peace, progress for our people,” he says.
Candao laments President Arroyo’s decision to cancel the peace talks with the MILF, disband her negotiating panel and introduce a new precondition for the resumption of talks: disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation (DDR).

“DDR should be there at the tail end, not the first thing to talk about” he says. “You don’t start by saying you part with your guns first. No. We talk about why there are fighting. They say it’s because of injustice. Then correct that injustice. And then when you remove the cause of this fighting then that’s the time to say you don’t have any use for these guns.”

In spite of these developments, Candao is upbeat. “You cannot lose hope. We must not lose hope,” he says. Acceptance of the deal on the expanded Moro homeland is a way forward—a chance for the government to show goodwill.