The Sabah Dilemma & Aquino’s Narcissist Response

Decades of bungled mishandling of the Sabah issue has contributed to the frustration of the Sulu Sultanate and the dimming of the prospect of ever reclaiming their territory. It does not help the effort of the Sultanate of Sulu and Borneo to get back their territory when politicians on both sides are fixated on seeing everything and anything to be about them. One thing is certain though is that Philippine and Malaysian politicians are both deluded with a mindset of a borderline fool if not already there thinking the world revolves around them. It does not matter that people are shedding blood and countless peoples’ lives disrupted with a huge number abused, discriminated and their rights trampled.

The uncanny similarities among the politicians are almost surreal that when you read their dailies there are times you might doubt if you are in the Philippines or Malaysia since there is almost no recognizable distinction that separates them. The narcissism is just unbelievable on both sides of the contested border that one is given the impression that without them the world will be on a standstill.

Not to disrespect the decision of the Raja Muda and his followers regarding their decision to resettle back to their Sabah homeland during election season of both countries, it is not the best of times to make a political statement of this magnitude. Unfortunately election season is the time when people mostly politicians suffer altered perception of reality. It is the time when narcissistic tendencies of the politicians gets full blown and see everything and anything no matter if it’s of historical or territorial significance delude themselves that it is all about them. Case in point is when Noynoy Aquino thinks that this is the handiwork of the political opposition particularly the camp of Gloria Arroyo to embarrass his administration. He sees the political action as a personal affront and an act of sabotage to derail the almost done deal peace agreement with the MILF. What is incredible or was it pathetic is when he also suspected his relatives particularly his uncle Peping and his Wife Tingting Cojoangco to be behind the plot but cleared them in the most laughable and ridiculous manner. Really, does he not realize that accusing his relatives only shows his lack of leadership and proving it only validates the his incompetency even more and further erodes his credibility as a leader?

Lately he is now “seriously” looking into the role of the “plotters” and intends to flush them out while at the same time mouthing the stand of Malaysia. I just don’t know if in his ignorance he is confusing the need for election rhetoric that will reverberate or get laugh at all the way to Malaysia since the Administration candidates in Malaysia are also mouthing the same plot pointing an accusatory finger at the Malaysian opposition. If they are correct which is really farfetched then it would mean that the opposition in the Philippines and Malaysia are in cahoots or conspiring together,  now that is definitely a gas, LOL.

Marvin Bionat of Philippine Update has this to say and an image to boot on Noynoy Aquino's embarrassing conduct on the Sabah standoff:

For siding with Malaysia in the continuing Sabah standoff, President Aquino has been conferred by his Malaysian handlers the title of "Datu." He is now to be addressed royally as Datu Puti P-Noy ...

Where in the world are the leaders of both countries bringing this issue when the Malaysian political clown’s errr parties are accusing each other of orchestrating the standoff that eventually led to the firefight that claimed the lives of 10 Tausugs and 4 wounded on the side of the Sultanate and two dead and 3 wounded on the Malaysian police side? While the Sultanate wants to elevate their grievance to the ICJ, the Malaysians refused it outright (we know why, isn’t it?) Aquino is still in the stage of studying the validity of the Sabah issue. With a president like that who needs a government when he helps derail the very issue that the Tausugs are bringing forward and even go to the extent of helping Malaysians throw your followers into the lions den?

Seriously people, how is it possible for 234 men and women with at least 30 of them armed to go on a suicide mission based on the mere prodding of the unseated out of power opposition? Are they seriously implying that a plunderer has that clout to “persuade” men and women to make a political statement that can cost them their lives? What about the Malaysian politicians of the administration and the opposition side, do they think these men and women who have a valid historical claim and birthright to Sabah will do the ultimate sacrifice just to help them get elected?

Why in the name of mentally challenge buffoons of a politician will they trivialize a serious valid issue into one of their deranged narcissistic conspiracy theories is just beyond me. The sad part is that in a society where lying has been transformed into an art form instead of treating it as a fraud that is against the law, opportunist dense people make a living muddling an issue like Sabah.

It does not help that we have vocal highly partisan characters that also sees everything according to their dog lineage errrr political loyalty based not on the party principles but personal loyalty to their patron saint errrr political dynasty patrons or bosses. Then it gets more pathetic and the issue gets sidelined because they act as if they are in corner sari-sari store gossip congregation insisting and shoving in your throats hearsay's as if it was the gospel of truth, LOL.

Instead of looking at the crisis from the vantage point of how both can come up with a win-win solution they would rather indulge in the most pathetic sidetracking of the issue that’s boils down to their selfish selves. If ever they veer away from themselves they pin the blame on other parties such as the MNLF, ArroyoI, Etc. instead of looking at the implications or how it will affect others. Are they even sane enough to look at the issue objectively from the vantage point of what is the greater good?

The biggest disappointment and loser here is none other than Noynoy Aquino because his landed gentry roots is showing and worse every time he intimidates and threatens Sultan Kiram III and his followers with criminal and constitutional violations he is being perceived as ignorant and worse as the present day Makapili collaborator. It is bad enough in the past Arroyo regime that we have allowed Malaysia as the arbiter when they are a party not just having a territorial dispute with us but actually had a role in the never ending Mindanao conflict. Just because we have an administration now that has straight narrow path as its slogan it does not mean that repeating the past mistake of collaboration with Malaysia as the peace broker make it right today, it is still grossly wrong on all levels.

The sad part is after his buddy or was it his boss Najib brags about talking to him on the phone giving the Sultan’s followers an ultimatum of surrender or face the consequence of its mighty military force he goes around issuing the same ultimatum to his own citizens that’s in dire situation now in Sabah. Genuine leader sees crisis as an opportunity to lead his people in tackling the problem as just a hurdle to lead his people out of that challenging times, and sadly Noynoy Aquino is truly a very disappointing one. 

What is puzzling is that Aquino seems to see the point of view of the Malaysian on the "intrusion" and yet failed to see the role of Malaysia in the never ending conflict in Mindanao that was supported and armed by the so-called peace broker. He does not see that Sabah when it comes to Muslim insurgents is a safe haven when they are being pursued by the Philippine military but intruders when they assert their historical birthright? Aquino mouths his desire for peace and yet fails to see that he is consorting with a neighbor that actually not just meddles but clandestinely or was it openly supporting the Muslim rebellion in our own shores. I believe the term for that is treason and he should instead focus on that rather than seek the "plotters" that may turn out to exist only in his fertile imaginative mind.......... One can only hope that we don't wake up one day losing Mindanao and see the emergence of a new Republic of Mindanao and Sabah, all because this president and others bungled up an opportunity to address the historical wrongs against the Moro people.

Suggested Reading:

• Illegal Filipino Migrant Street Children in Sabah, Malaysia

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2012 SONA (State of the Nation Address)

The much anticipated SONA (State of the Nation Address) of President Benigno Aquino III marking his third year in office as the nation's leader has been delivered and I would say quite disappointing for some people. Ok, don't get me wrong now. I read the Filipino and English version and seriously I am impressed at the improvements and inroads complete with figures considering the past nine (9) years of plunder and endemic corruption we have been subjected to by the Arroyos. 

So, how will it be disappointing to some people when he actually produced some major improvements considered quite a feat in a nation where corruption seems to be the norm? Well, there is the narcissist impeached and convicted Renato Corona who three (3) days earlier thought that the world revolves around him will be subjected to the president's relentless attacks on his person as part of his SONA spits errr speech. Here's a snippet of Inquirer Visayas Ador Mayol's report:

Corona told reporters here on Wednesday that he was informed by his friends in Malacañang that criticisms against him were part of the President’s annual address to the country.

“Actually, this is nothing new,” Corona said, noting that he has been getting constant attacks from the President even after the Senate voted to remove him from office on May 29. “There is nothing that I can do if he wants to do that.”

The closest reference to Renato Corona with his name not even mentioned was in reference to the lowly court interpreter Delsa Flores sacked for not declaring her market stall in her SALN. If there's anything that Renato Corona ought to be thankful for is that Delsa Flores is not as bitter anymore knowing even a Chief Justice can get fired for failing to accurately disclose what they are worth. If there is any reference at all to Renato Corona, he was just part of the bigger picture, that of the state of mind of the president's detractors of mostly sour losers, hehehe, to quote:

 With every step on the straight and righteous path, we plant the seeds of change. But there are still some who are committed to uprooting our work. Even as I speak, there are those who have gathered in a room, whispering to each other, dissecting each word I utter, looking for any pretext to attack me with tomorrow. These are also the ones who say, “Let go of the past. Unite. Forgive and forget so we can move forward as a people.”

I find this unacceptable. Shall we simply forgive and forget the ten years that were taken from us? Do we simply forgive and forget the farmers who piled up massive debts because of a government that insisted on importing rice, while we could have reinvested in them and their farmlands instead? Shall we forgive and forget the family of the police officer who died while trying to defend himself against guns with nothing but a nightstick?

Shall we forgive and forget the orphans of the 57 victims of the massacre in Maguindanao? Will their loved ones be brought back to life by forgiving and forgetting? Do we forgive and forget everything that was ever done to us, to sink us into a rotten state? Do we forgive and forget to return to the former status quo? My response: Forgiveness is possible; forgetting is not. If offenders go unpunished, society’s future suffering is guaranteed.

True unity and reconciliation can only emanate from genuine justice. Justice is the plunder case leveled against our former president; justice that she receives her day in court and can defend herself against the accusations leveled against her. Justice is what we witnessed on the 29th of May. On that day, we proved that justice can prevail, even when confronted with an opponent in a position of power. On that day, a woman named Delsa Flores, in Panabo, Davao del Norte, said “It is actually possible: a single law governing both a simple court reporter like me, and the Chief Justice.” It is possible for the scales to be set right, and for even the rich and powerful to be held accountable.

This is why, to the next Chief Justice, much will be demanded of you by our people. We have proven the impossible possible; now, our task is reform towards true justice that continues even after our administration. There are still many flaws in the system, and repairing these will not be easy. I am aware of the weight of your mandate. But this is what our people tasked us to do; this is the duty we have sworn to do; and this what we must do.

Our objectives are simple: If you are innocent, you will appear in court with confidence, because you will be found not guilty. But if you are guilty, you will be made to pay for your sins, no matter who you are.

What really strikes me was Corona's attitude or is he really delusional just like Arroyo? Anyway he says he forgives those including officials in Malacañang who had worked to take him out of the Supreme Court. Forgive meaning one was persecuted because if those were the exact words coming from a convicted murderer upon sentencing, I don't think the judge and the police will treat it lightly and consider it as a serious threat, isn't it?

But then again if Corona was referring to those fools at Lolong's errrr I meant Batasan Pambansa lower and upper house representatives where a self-congratulatory mural  celebrating the victory of the prosecutors in his conviction, then yes he may want to forgive them for their juvenile display of EPALness.

What I find odd is the fashion statement being strutted around the halls of Lolong's Crocodile Farm este Batasan Pambansa as if it was a Hollyweird event sans the red carpet. While there are marked improvements in governance how can people dressed to kill errrr dressed so elegantly when there are still quite a number of people that are barely surviving brought about by poverty? Such elegant display is uncalled for and only shows that the elites of our society especially of the Trapo kind are insensitive, but then again we already know that so what's the point of bringing them back to earth? LOL.

So when the likes of Corona says move on or moving on I prefer President Benigno Aquino III's conditional moving on, as in justice should prevail above all unless we want to revert back to the same injustice of the old corruption days.

• 2012 SONA Full Text (Filipino)
• 2012 SONA Full Text (English)

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Politics

Gloria “Rumamona” Arroyo’s Right to Travel or was it a foiled Houdini Great Escape?

If there is anything that is so pronounced in the characters that hugs the headlines in the Philippines, it is none other than their vicious callousness to be at the center of attention even to the point of ridiculousness. As if the pity pics and the wheelchair bound Gloria "Rumamona" Arroyo arriving at NAIA in an ambulance does not give us an overdose of Zarzuela we see more characters joining the fray. How else will you explain the disgusting reference to cutting of the balls of Arroyo’s lawyer or a senator’s (Miriam Santiago) mental disorder of having an urge to slit her throat and wrist because they feel that the victimizer has now been victimized is just insane.

Why can’t these people think of something “enlightening” other than their balls and committing suicide to make a point? If they insist on this silly ball that some suspect is missing I suggest that we bring this a notch higher by asking the 8 justices who issued the TRO to Gloria that should she not come back, said ball should be fed to them as undercooked soup ingredient for their pink slip party. I am sure if that was part of the precondition to issue the TRO the 8 named justices below will probably think twice:

Chief Justice Renato Corona, Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Arturo Brion, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Roberto Abad, Martin Villarama, and Jose Perez.

Of course we need to be entertained with La Senadora Miriam Santiago’s antique errr antics or this lame attempt to gain sympathy starting with pity pics culminating in the foiled great escape that gives us more ammo for mocking. Do people really care if Miriam Santiago slit her throat and wrist? Well, if the famous slogan of just do it will do I say yes do it and let us see if people will really care. Do the majority of the people really care about Arroyo’s right to travel when they cannot even figure out where to find the money for their next meal, what more for a plane fare and around the world at that?

Is Gloria “Rumamona” Arroyo really seeking medical treatment abroad as Randy David asked how serious is Arroyo’s medical condition in his column? If it was indeed about her very delicate condition as shown in her pity pics why should she opt to travel around the globe that included mostly countries where the Philippines has no extradition treaty? Love the drama that unfolds that makes reality TV shows look like a nursery playground squabble as seen in this SINATorial reaction:

Opposition Senator Joker Arroyo, for his part, said the issue of the ex-President’s medical condition and right to travel was “merely incidental when compared to the executive branch’s move to emasculate and damage the Supreme Court, as it insidiously asserts its supremacy over the Supreme Court.”

“The trend would transmogrify into an autocracy, with the President a virtual dictator, with a supplicant Congress and an inutile Supreme Court. That would make our Constitution a paper Constitution,” Senator Arroyo told the Inquirer, recalling that Malacañang earlier tried to impound a significant portion of the Supreme Court’s 2012 budget and those of other constitutional agencies.

“The public, fully trusting P-Noy (President Aquino), has its guard down. They do not see the undercurrents of the creeping authoritarian bent of the current administration. They are consumed by the high drama involving the image of a sick and forlorn GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) being barred from leaving,” the senator added.

“The stakes are high in what appears to be another one of the predictable confrontations between PNoy and GMA. Let us not be misled. The real aim is to upend the structural balance between the executive, legislative and judicial branches provided for in the Constitution to ensure executive dictation, legislative abdication and judicial submission.”

Wait a minute here, emasculating the SIPSIPreme Court? Well if it was emasculation that they are concerned with the SIPSIPreme Court has long been destroyed and has lost its credibility and legitimacy ever since Gloria “Rumamona” Arroyo acting like a thief in the night in her midnight appointment of Renato Corona as the Chief Justice past the deadline which is clearly illegal and unconstitutional. As if that is not bad enough the dishonorable injustices acted like a Mafiosi protecting its own validated the illegal appointment forcing the people to obey their ruling as it has effectively became part of the law of the land. Now, when will the madness stop and when will they stop ruling in favor of legalizing an obvious criminal act and the senator named Joker whines of emasculation? Now with this kind of logic we see from our distinguishable like the Joker and the Chizzy one Escudero claiming Leila De Lima is bringing the country into the brink of constitutional crisis is nothing but a Teopacio impotence cutting off his balls talk.

Senator Koko Pimentel has some valid points that the SC justices may have missed or ignored in issuing a TRO without even touching on the constitutionality of the DoJ MC 41:

“I think it would have been prudent if the SC had first called for a factual investigation on the true medical conditions of the former President before issuing a TRO that would allow her to seek medical treatment abroad,” said Pimentel.

“This because in opposing the TRO petition, I believe that the DOJ cited a factual finding of Health Secretary Enrique Ona that the condition of Mrs. Arroyo is not life-threatening so there is no pressing need for her to travel for treatment,” he added.

Pimentel also noted the assertion made by the Philippine Medical Association that there are so many Filipino medical specialists and hospitals in the Philippines that can treat the bone disease being cited by the former President in wanting to travel abroad.

Hold Departure Order and the Immigration watch list has been with us since Martial Law and funny thing is instead of declaring it unconstitutional strengthened it by issuing MC 41 courtesy of Arroyo’s DoJ secretary Agra. Randy David says it best below:

Many Filipinos and foreigners have been prevented from leaving the country on the strength of this circular. No one questioned its constitutionality—until now. It is no small irony that the one who is questioning it is none other than the former president herself during whose term it was conceived and enforced. If this does not speak volumes about the privileged class’ attitude toward the law, we don’t know what does.

Apparently the haste in the SC decision was not intended to settle the constitutionality issue of MC 41 that was Arroyo’s undoing but a very obvious show of gratitude to their patroness. Since the SIPSIPreme Court did not tackle the constitutionality of MC 41 but just on the specific DoJ order on Arroyo they should have heard the oral arguments first and determined if indeed Gloria is ill needing further specialized medical attention that can only be done abroad. The way they have conducted themselves lately and in the recent past like a gang of Mafiosi capo in validating the CJ unconstitutional appointment will make it extremely difficult for them to fish out their credibility out of the toilet bowl of Arroyo’s dirty politics. In short as Cheryl L. Daytec puts it, the SIPSIPreme Court decision is nothing but a political decision that needs an equal political response.

They whine and have a tantrum as if this new Arroyo tele-novela really is all about justice and yet no one seems to notice why she made airline reservations before the decision came shows foreknowledge, as observed by Daphne Ceniza. Was she privy or have inside information on the decision and if it was proven that the decision was leaked in advance her being their patroness who then will cite those at the SC for contempt?

If that was not the case perhaps Leila Rispens-Noel is right in her suspicion which I quote:

For all we know the drama in Manila with pathetic looking GMA being refused by Immigration officers to board her plane is the kind of public sympathy they were trying to get and they succeeded! GMA 9 years of plunder and corruption forgotten; erased, erased na... sige sick Gloria mag abroad ka na. Suddenly si De Lima ang bad girl... hay naku na lang....

Neal Cruz makes a lot of sense when he says Leila De Lima was just using her common sense over this failed tear jerker tele-novela, to quote:

As I see it, Secretary De Lima is only using her common sense. Already, the justice secretary suspects that GMA may seek political asylum in some other country and not come back to face the very serious charges against her, why should she be allowed to leave the Philippines? Who would be blamed if De Lima allowed the former president to leave and GMA leaves for good? Coming in the wake of the escape of Ramona Bautista, a suspect in the murder of her own brother, letting GMA leave now would be the height of stupidity. As De Lima said in her decision, “we would be the laughingstock of the world.”

But lawyers will always be lawyers and will try to make black look white, and white look black by invoking legal technicalities. Put two lawyers together and they would never be able to agree on any issue. Sure the Constitution guarantees a person’s right to travel, but all rights have their limits, as when they collide with the rights of others. Freedom of the press is limited by the law on libel, freedom of speech is limited by the law on slander, the freedom of workers to strike is limited by other labor laws, the freedom to gather and seek redress for grievances is limited by many other laws.

Think about it, if these empty noise and braggadocio is really about justice and human rights, of all people why use Gloria Arroyo as their poster girl really escapes me but I think supporters of Arroyo legit or paid must answer this question from Neal Cruz:

Why should a person’s right to travel be more important than a whole nation’s right to justice?

The TRO that some numb nuts wants us to obey is really nothing but the SC justices way of paying their debt of gratitude and special accommodation to their patroness as shown by Marites Danguilan Vitug's FB post:

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, extended the office hours of its cashier to 6pm to receive the P2M cash bond of GMA. This seems very unusual. When Gemma Mendoza, our writer, was arrested (in relation to a libel case filed by Chavit Singson) at about 3pm on a weekday, we rushed to the Pasig court to post bail, on her behalf. The cashier's office closed even before 5pm! Then we had to look for a night court--and arrived in Quezon City hall of justice about 7pm. Guess what? The night court closed at 6pm! Well, Gemma ain't GMA.

Seriously Madam butterfly errr Gloria, do you really expect us to believe you are that sick when you are even wearing high heels in that wheelchair bound pity pic of yours? Here's an unsolicited advise to the allies of Arroyo deluding themselves about impeachment, if the pity sick in the head errr neck Arroyo who was very unpopular could not be impeached during her stolen term, how do you think you will succeed now?

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Satire Filipinos Filipino-Americans Philippine Politics

Good Riddance Merceditas Guttierez

I was almost impressed by Pres. Nonoy Aquino’s reaction in saying that the resignation of Ombudsman M. Guttierez is not personal. He says that with Guttierez gone, so are some of the enigmas that we faced that is a waste of our time. Hmmmnnnn, I wonder what is it that is so mystifying with OMG that he wants us to be thankful for her “concern” on the welfare of the state. Really Pnoy, what is it exactly that we should be grateful for? Are we supposed to be grateful when she should not have been considered by the Judicial Bar Council in the first place because she is not exactly brilliant, according to our great statesman Jovito Salonga for failing the bar exam.

This is truly worrisome and I am afraid that you are enabling the haters insisting that you are clueless. I want Pnoy to succeed but it bothers me that Pnoy haters may have a point when asked if he will hold Guttierez accountable his response while it sounded grounded is troublesome:

Unfortunately, one of the problems of this country is it takes six years to adjudicate a case. I have five years two months left. I cannot go after everybody that I think we can file charges upon. Hindi puwedeng lahatan. I'm not saying hindi siya priority but there are people who have higher priority.

It makes me wonder if Pnoy has a real appreciation of the corruption problem and is just mouthing his tuwid na landas (straight path) because it sounds good. First of all Aquino was elected president and supported by the people who longs for meaningful change. As such he is the acknowledged leader or is he not aware of that? A leader sets the tone and direction of where the nation is headed but at the rate he makes excuses where exactly do you think we are headed? If the president lay down a solid foundation it does not matter whether he cannot the finish the job but what matters is setting the tone towards good governance. In short once you up the ante the future president to follow in your footstep will have no choice but to step up the same plate or even better because it is expected of them to do no less.

Now what kind of an excuse is that when he says we can’t hold everyone accountable, is he not together with the judiciary and police agencies not just morally but duty bound in their oath of office to uphold the law without fear or favor? Is that not being selective once again as has always been the case thus we never see an end to hooligan thievery if not plunder among politicians once they are in the cheat errr seat of power?

I wonder what is it that makes him so indecisive when his platform of governance was supposedly rooted on a straight path. It is bad enough that the problem of inept Arroyo appointee left over has not been resolved, but what is worse is when Pnoy re-appoints some of them. Some of whom are not exactly without controversy as we are seeing now with the Plunder Case being readied by former Solicitor General Frank Chavez.

Now, if I may ask. When Guttierez asked that her security be retained was that a condition for her resignation? It is not as if the kotong republic errr the republic is a washed with dinero but I think that was a little bit on the soft side. Why did Pnoy not countered that she should not worry about security if she spilled the beans pronto. If she is jailed she will be in the most secure place complete with guards…. Guards guarding her 24 hours a day seven days a week, now that’s the best security she can have except that they are there to ensure she does not attempt to escape. That’s like hitting two birds in one stone, she gets what she wants and a tremendous savings because the prison is an existing facility avoiding the extra expense if she is mobile.

P-Noy’s First 99 Days

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS
Chairman, Filipino United Network – USA

Last Thursday, October 7, 2010, on his first 99 days in office, President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III reported the impressive initial accomplishments of his administration and the fundamental changes he has instituted in the government so far, in his battle against corruption in the government and for the eradication of poverty in the nation.

The supposed report on his first 100 days, held a day earlier, before a standing-room only crowd at the La Consolacion College Auditorium adjacent to the Malacanang Palace ground, was symbolic of the extreme eagerness and anticipation of the people in their anxious quest for good governance under P-Noy.

Dubbed “Report Kay Boss,” addressing the Filipinos as his Boss when he was inaugurated June 30th and during this Town Hall Meeting that followed his official report, P-Noy masterfully answered queries from the panel and the audience in his usual casual tone, with honesty, sincerity, and humility. Even the rude, loud, and embarrassing distraction staged by some radical student protestors did not faze the President, who proceeded with equanimity to help clarify the budget issue. These students could have simply raised their hand and made the comment, just like all the others who asked questions. Obviously, these insensitive women were simply trying to get attention and hug the limelight, sacrificing proper decorum and decency.

Among those present at this historical event were members of P-Noy’s cabinet, Vice President Binay and other government officials, Tony Meloto of GK, representatives from the various sectors of the country, students from different colleges and universities, and Filipino-American leaders from the Filipino United Network-USA and We Are One Filipino.

“Isang Daang Araw, Isang Daang Matuwid” (One Hundred Days, One Straight/Honest Path,” says the invitation to this event, highlighting the basic policy, the hallmark of P-Noy’s administration: honesty, transparency, accountability, social justice and compassion for all, especially for the poor and the marginalized. Most noteworthy policy changes instituted so far, which are saving the nation billions, include abolition of duplicate and unnecessary offices/positions, curtailment of excessive salary and termination of bonuses, implementation of strict public bidding for government contracts and procurements, expense trimming and elimination of cost padding, no sacred cows, no padrino, reduction in foreign trips and expensive meals, no wang-wang.

P-Noy came home from his recent US trip bringing home at least 43,600 jobs for the Filipinos and $2.7 billion in fresh foreign investments for the Philippines, with the business process outsourcing industry (BPO) also signifying “that they will double again the number of people they have.” The bulk of the money “will fund programs for the poor, such as hospitals, cutting the cost of medicines and improving public services.”

The President “cited positive developments on the economic front, like the swelling of the gross international reserves to a record high of $52.3 billion as well as the stock market’s sterling performance.”

The $430 million Millennium Challenge Corporation Grant, which the Arroyo applied for twice for 9 years during her term, which were both rejected, was expeditiously handed to P-Noy, 3 months after his assumption into office. What a feat! Clearly, crime does not pay and honesty does.

“So, we are pleased that the things we were expecting in the first quarter of next year are already starting to happen now.” the President stated.

The Social Weather Survey showed P-Noy to have a 71% overall approval rating (+66% net), compared to the +24% starting score which Arroyo got in March 2001. This is indeed a healthy sign for the country, something we, Filipinos, can be proud of.

However, in spite of the good things President Aquino has accomplished and is trying to do to rebuild the nation’s integrity and country’s devastated condition resulting from the massive culture of corruption in the government, his political detractors, mostly amoral leaders who despise change and want to continue to plunder the nation, create every stumbling block possible to derail the President’s administration.

I guess this is not surprising and should actually be expected. Criminals will always be against anyone putting them out of business. While the past administration of Gloria Arroyo was immersed in corruption and was the problem, the present administration of P-Noy, which exudes with honesty and transparency, is trying in earnest to be the solution. And the crooks don’t like it.

The geniuses in our society who, term after term, continued to elect into office unscrupulous politicians and plunderers, are evidently equally corrupt themselves and deserving of the greatest brunt of the blame. Hopefully, the New Filipino, who catapulted P-Noy to Malacanang with a massive and historical landslide victory, will inspire and teach the rest of the electorate.

“Following the straight path is no joke. All of you involved in wrong governance and have caused troubles to the people, I guarantee you, your days are numbered,” President Aquino emphatically stated.

From where I sat at the Town Hall Meeting (right behind the President’s uncle, Peping Cojuangco), I could not help but wonder if the corrupt government officials feel any guilt and humiliation at all whenever they hear the stern warnings of P-Noy directed at them and see how the people thunderously applaud the president’s attack on them. If they still have any conscience at, these plunderers must be feeling like the lowest form of scavengers and bottom-feeding scum of the earth.

Then there are those who are impatient and without even an ounce of common sense. This unthinking bunch wants the massive problems of the Philippines solved overnight. The culture of corruption in our government has been with us for more than 3 decades. It is so entrenched in our system that it has even spilt over to the streets.

When I told him in 1981 that I thought he could be the answer to our nation’s woes, the President’s father, Ninoy, replied, “Primo, getting rid of the dictator is the first step, but that’s far from solving our national problems, because the vestiges of corruption and abuse will continue to plague our country.”

Indeed, no one President can magically make corruption and poverty disappear instantly. The gargantuan task might even take a generation or two. But like a journey of a thousand miles that begins with the first step,“We, the People,” have already taken that most essential initial step: we have elected an honest and compassionate man, who is the most reliable to lead our nation and our people to our great destiny. As a colleague said after P-Noy’s election, “we worked hard to help P-Noy win; now it is our responsibility to help him succeed.”

Let us be fair and realistic. Let us be patient. Let us give P-Noy a chance. Let us give him time to at least allow him to complete the changes we all want for our people and our country. Six years will certainly not be enough for any president to successfully treat the critical social and political cancers killing our country. At least, we now have an honest president, one with moral ascendancy and an honorable legacy to protect, a president who has broken the cycle of corruption at the top, and one who has taken the first bold and courageous step to battle corruption head-on, to rebuild our country, to regain our dignity, honor, and pride, as Filipinos and as a nation, with justice and equality for all. More importantly, let us stop whining and nit-picking while doing nothing. Let us step up to the plate and help our President carry the heavy cross on his shoulders as we watch him like a hawk. These are our obligations as good citizens and the least we can do to save our country and our people.

President Aquino has accomplished the first fundamental change in governance in his first 99 days. The day after, and the days that will follow, will not be perfect or smooth sailing all the way, but I bet you, the wonderful miracle for our nation we are all hoping for could yet be achieved sooner than we think, IF “We, the People,” all chip in and do our share in nation-building in the next 6 years and beyond.

P-Noy alone cannot do it. He knows it and has said so himself. So, let us roll up our sleeves and give him a hand. After all, together, we have a miracle to perform.

Please visit www.FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana, USA, trained at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, is Chairman of Filipino United Network (FUN-USA), Vice Chairman of Filipino American Leadership Council (FALCONadvocacy) and Vice President for Far East of Cardiovascular Hospitals of America, Wichita, Kansas. He is a columnist for five newspapers and one magazine in the United States and five newspapers and one magazine in the Philippines.



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Politics Filipinos Filipino-Americans Philippine Politics

Using Smart Power

The approval of the $434 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant for development projects in the Philippines is a clear indication of America’s trust or at least hopefulness in the newly installed Aquino administration. It is also a welcome break for an incipient government that’s severely straitjacketed by a massive budget deficit and national debt obligations that deplete the national coffers even before the government can start to seriously address widespread poverty and the nation’s basic social needs.

Created by the U.S. Congress in 2004, MCC provides grants that can be used to fund development projects in agriculture and irrigation, transportation (roads, bridges, and ports), water supply and sanitation, access to health, finance and enterprise development, anticorruption initiatives, land rights and access, and access to education. As a result of MCC-funded global projects, more than 87,000 farmers have been trained, some $29 million worth of agricultural loans have been disbursed, over 12,000 hectares of land are now productively used, and approximately 3,362 kilometers of road design and construction are underway.

What’s distinctive about MCC grants is that, rather than force the recipient to implement projects MCC thinks are good for the beneficiaries, MCC leaves it to the receiving country to design its own development projects. MCC only requires that the recipient country is committed to good governance, economic freedom, and investments in its citizens.

The Arroyo administration started the quest for an MCC grant, but it reportedly failed the corruption test. MCC strongly encourages transparent, measurable, and sustainable solutions, which may complement other international development programs. It is America’s classic attempt at using “smart power” to promote its global influence, arguably more effective than gunboat diplomacy, which often backfires and creates deep resentment and anti-Americanism around the world.

With the U.S. still in the throes of a deep recession, it is reasonable for the American taxpayer to ask, “What’s in it for me beyond America playing a benevolent role? Why spend billions overseas when poverty is rising within the borders of America?” Well, it’s in fact a win-win economic imperative: by promoting stability and prosperity in the rest of the world, America in turn creates and/or opens markets in countries that would otherwise breed instability and radicalism, and require constant humanitarian interventions. In addition, only a more stable world will allow America to further scale back on its military commitments, thereby potentially reversing the imperial overstretch that has long been blamed for America’s steady decline.

America should address serious external threats, such as terrorists intent on sowing fear and instability, but probably the greater danger to the nation is internal: the mind-set that for the U.S. to protect its way of life it should look inward, to actually believe that by ignoring the world and not “wasting” resources in some godforsaken Third World nation, America will then have the necessary resources to fend for itself. MCC, as it helps poor countries become productive participants in the global market, will help prevent the drift toward such isolationist thinking.


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Marvin Bionat is the creator of PhilippineUpdate.com, a news and views site that has served as a virtual platform that promotes various advocacies, including the political empowerment of overseas Filipinos and accountability in government. He wrote the National Bookstore bestseller How to Win (or Lose) in Philippine Elections (Anvil Publishing, 1998) and is now based in the U.S. working as an editor.

Read more articles by Marvin Bionat
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Politics Filipinos Filipino-Americans

Noynoy Presidency Signals A New Dawn

The spectacle of a sitting president stuck in traffic is instructive of the inherent obstinacy in the man about things he perceives as decent and upright. It is also a microcosm of the enormity of the problems and obstacles the new administration faces.

That P-Noy opted for time management instead of the easier way out -- that is, to start early for appointments instead of just installing a "wang-wang," which he is legally entitled anyway -- to bully through Manila's chaotic streets is emblematic of the thrust that the new administration is geared for. It signals the determination to do away not only with this symbol of urban excess but of the engrained palakasan system. "Kayo ang boss!" becomes not just a populist battle cry but of how things are to be henceforth. Hopefully.

To be sure Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III was installed as 15th President of the Philippines at an auspicious time when 88 per cent of adult Filipinos are giving him an all-time trust rating, according to a pre-inauguration survey conducted by pollster Social Weather Stations. It also capped an election that had him securing over 15 million votes, nearly 42 per cent of the total number cast. The nearly six million edge over the closest rival made it the most emphatic voters' endorsement ever in our history as a nation. To think that the bachelor, low-key legislator was not even a contender for the presidency months before the May elections.

Having said that, the peoples' euphoria at finally having someone at the helm of government who they believe will make immediate difference in their lives and retrieve the sorry mess of a country from the bottom pit may experience the jolt of a rude awakening. The sobriety of the morning after confronts us with the reality that unlike fairy tales, the chief executive is not fitted with a magic wand to banish bad vibes in a breath.

We heaved a sigh of relief that the prospect of GMA extending her term by means fair or foul didn't occur. We jubilate that nine agonizing years of corrupt and illegitimate rein had finally come to an end. We are flooded with optimism that a new dawn has come to ameliorate a long suffering Philippines and the Filipinos.

The fact is that in our form of government the presidency is just one of coequal branches that have power of oversight on each other. For P-Noy to succeed in furthering his promised reforms and rescue the suffering madla, the legislative and judiciary need to be in sync with his goals. More than political skills and partisan compromises, the new president needs the continued support and vigilance of the people if only to remind miscreant office holders that it would not be a good idea to continue obstructionism; that in a democracy the people hold the key to power.

It has only been weeks since the new President assumed office, inheriting a nation grappling with poverty, rampant violation of human rights, decades-long Muslim and NPA insurgencies, and numerous shenanigans intended to sabotage smooth succession. In taking his oath, P-Noy acknowledges the difficulties of the task and the problems to be resolved. These are responsibilities he has to shoulder on behalf of his constituencies because it is a legacy passed on to him by Democratic icons who happened to be his parents. As he stated in his inaugural speech, "Saan ba nakasulat na kailangang puro pagtitiis ang tadhana ng Pilipino?" (Where is it written that all there is in the fate of Filipinos are sufferings?). In this seemingly Herculean job ahead he looks upon us, the people, to lend a hand. -- As published in Famegate Global News, by Dionesio C. Grava

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Dionesio C. Grava - Part-time community journalist based in Los Angeles and editorial writer at Forum Asia.






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Politics corruption scandals Filipinos Filipino-Americans Philippine Politics

Pres. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address

STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

Pres. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III

July 26, 2010, Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government;

Mga minamahal kong kababayan:

Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan.

Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; at pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan.

Sa kabilang banda ay ang pag-una sa pansariling interes. Ang pagpapaalipin sa pulitikal na konsiderasyon, at pagsasakripisyo ng kapakanan ng taumbayan. Ito po ang baluktot na daan.

Matagal pong naligaw ang pamahalaan sa daang baluktot. Araw-araw po, lalong lumilinaw sa akin ang lawak ng problemang ating namana. Damang-dama ko ang bigat ng aking responsibilidad.

Sa unang tatlong linggo ng aming panunungkulan, marami po kaming natuklasan. Nais ko pong ipahayag sa inyo ang iilan lamang sa mga namana nating suliranin at ang ginagawa naming hakbang para lutasin ang mga ito.

Sulyap lamang po ito; hindi pa ito ang lahat ng problemang haharapin natin. Inilihim at sadyang iniligaw ang sambayanan sa totoong kalagayan ng ating bansa.

Sa unang anim na buwan ng taon, mas malaki ang ginastos ng gobyerno kaysa sa pumasok na kita. Lalong lumaki ang deficit natin, na umakyat na sa 196.7 billion pesos. Sa target na kuleksyon, kinapos tayo ng 23.8 billion pesos; ang tinataya namang gastos, nalagpasan lang natin ng 45.1 billion pesos.

Ang budget po sa 2010 ay 1.54 trillion pesos.

Nasa isandaang bilyong piso o anim at kalahating porsyento na lang ng kabuuan ang malaya nating magagamit para sa nalalabing anim na buwan ng taong ito.

Halos isang porsyento na lang po ng kabuuang budget ang natitira para sa bawat buwan.

Saan naman po dinala ang pera?

Naglaan ng dalawang bilyong piso na Calamity Fund bilang paghahanda para sa mga kalamidad na hindi pa nangyayari. Napakaliit na nga ng pondong ito, ngunit kapapasok pa lang natin sa panahon ng baha at bagyo, 1.4 billion pesos o sitenta porsyento (70%) na ang nagastos.

Sa kabuuan ng 108 million pesos para sa lalawigan ng Pampanga, 105 million pesos nito ay napunta sa iisang distrito lamang.

Samantala, ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan na sinalanta ng Pepeng ay nakatanggap ng limang milyong piso (P5M) lamang para sa pinsalang idinulot ng bagyong Cosme, na nangyari noong 2008 pa.

Ibinigay po ang pondo ng Pampanga sa buwan ng eleksyon, pitong buwan pagkatapos ng Ondoy at Pepeng. Paano kung bumagyo bukas? Inubos na ang pondo nito para sa bagyong nangyari noong isang taon pa. Pagbabayaran ng kinabukasan ang kasakiman ng nakaraan.

Ganyan din po ang nangyari sa pondo ng MWSS. Kamakailan lamang, pumipila ang mga tao para lang makakuha ng tubig. Sa kabila nito, minabuti pa ng liderato ng MWSS na magbigay ng gantimpala sa sarili kahit hindi pa nababayaran ang pensyon ng mga retiradong empleyado.

Noong 2009, ang buong payroll ng MWSS ay 51.4 million pesos. Pero hindi lang naman po ito ang sahod nila; may mga additional allowances at benefits pa sila na aabot sa 160.1 million pesos.

Sa madaling sabi, nakatanggap sila ng 211.5 million pesos noong nakaraang taon.

Beinte-kuwatro porsyento (24%) lang nito ang normal na sahod, at sitenta’y sais porsyento ang dagdag.

Ang karaniwang manggagawa hanggang 13th month pay plus cash gift lang ang nakukuha.

Sa MWSS, aabot sa katumbas ng mahigit sa tatlumpung buwan ang sahod kasama na ang lahat ng mga bonuses at allowances na nakuha nila.

Mas matindi po ang natuklasan natin sa pasahod ng kanilang Board of Trustees. Tingnan po natin ang mga allowances na tinatanggap nila:

Umupo ka lang sa Board of Trustees at Board Committee meeting, katorse mil na. Aabot ng nobenta’y otso mil ito kada buwan. May grocery incentive pa sila na otsenta mil kada taon.

Hindi lang iyon: may mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, at Financial Assistance. May Christmas bonus na, may Additional Christmas Package pa. Kada isa sa mga ito, nobenta’y otso mil.

Sa suma total po, aabot ang lahat ng dalawa’t kalahating milyong piso kada taon sa bawat miyembro ng Board maliban sa pakotse, technical assistance, at pautang. Uulitin ko po. Lahat ng ito ay ibinibigay nila sa kanilang mga sarili habang hindi pa nababayaran ang mga pensyon ng kanilang mga retirees.

Pati po ang La Mesa Watershed ay hindi nila pinatawad. Para magkaroon ng tamang supply ng tubig, kailangang alagaan ang mga watershed. Sa watershed, puno ang kailangan.

Pati po iyon na dapat puno ang nakatayo, tinayuan nila ng bahay para sa matataas na opisyal ng MWSS.

Hindi naman sila agad maaalis sa puwesto dahil kabilang sila sa mga Midnight Appointees ni dating Pangulong Arroyo.

Iniimbestigahan na natin ang lahat nang ito. Kung mayroon pa silang kahit kaunting hiya na natitira – sana kusa na lang silang magbitiw sa puwesto.

Pag-usapan naman po natin ang pondo para sa imprastruktura. Tumukoy ang DPWH ng dalawandaan apatnapu’t anim na priority safety projects na popondohan ng Motor Vehicle Users Charge. Mangangailangan po ito ng budget na 425 million pesos.

Ang pinondohan po, dalawampu’t walong proyekto lang. Kinalimutan po ang dalawandaan at labing walong proyekto at pinalitan ng pitumpung proyekto na wala naman sa plano. Ang hininging 425 million pesos, naging 480 million pesos pa, lumaki lalo dahil sa mga proyektong sa piling-piling mga benepisyaryo lang napunta.

Mga proyekto po itong walang saysay, hindi pinag-aralan at hindi pinaghandaan, kaya parang kabuteng sumusulpot.

Tapos na po ang panahon para dito. Sa administrasyon po natin, walang kota-kota, walang tongpats, ang pera ng taumbayan ay gagastusin para sa taumbayan lamang.

Meron pa po tayong natuklasan. Limang araw bago matapos ang termino ng nakaraang administrasyon, nagpautos silang maglabas ng 3.5 billion pesos para sa rehabilitasyon ng mga nasalanta nina Ondoy at Pepeng.

Walumpu’t anim na proyekto ang paglalaanan dapat nito na hindi na sana idadaan sa public bidding. Labingsiyam sa mga ito na nagkakahalaga ng 981 million pesos ang muntik nang makalusot. Hindi pa nailalabas ang Special Allotment Release Order ay pirmado na ang mga kontrata.

Buti na lang po ay natuklasan at pinigilan ito ni Secretary Rogelio Singson ng DPWH. Ngayon po ay dadaan na ang kabuuan ng 3.5 billion pesos sa tapat na bidding, at magagamit na ang pondo na ito sa pagbibigay ng lingap sa mga nawalan ng tahanan dahil kina Ondoy at Pepeng.

Pag-usapan naman natin ang nangyari sa NAPOCOR. Noong 2001 hanggang 2004, pinilit ng gobyerno ang NAPOCOR na magbenta ng kuryente nang palugi para hindi tumaas ang presyo. Tila ang dahilan: pinaghahandaan na nila ang eleksyon.

Dahil dito, noong 2004, sumagad ang pagkakabaon sa utang ng NAPOCOR. Napilitan ang pambansang gobyerno na sagutin ang dalawandaang bilyong pisong utang nito.

Ang inakala ng taumbayan na natipid nila sa kuryente ay binabayaran din natin mula sa kaban ng bayan. May gastos na tayo sa kuryente, binabayaran pa natin ang dagdag na pagkakautang ng gobyerno.

Kung naging matino ang pag-utang, sana’y nadagdagan ang ating kasiguruhan sa supply ng kuryente. Pero ang desisyon ay ibinatay sa maling pulitika, at hindi sa pangangailangan ng taumbayan. Ang taumbayan, matapos pinagsakripisyo ay lalo pang pinahihirapan.

Ganito rin po ang nangyari sa MRT. Sinubukan na namang bilhin ang ating pagmamahal. Pinilit ang operator na panatilihing mababa ang pamasahe.

Hindi tuloy nagampanan ang garantiyang ibinigay sa operator na mababawi nila ang kanilang puhunan. Dahil dito, inutusan ang Landbank at Development Bank of the Philippines na bilhin ang MRT.

Ang pera ng taumbayan, ipinagpalit sa isang naluluging operasyon.

Dumako naman po tayo sa pondo ng NFA.

Noong 2004: 117,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply ng Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 900,000 metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit pitong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra pa rin ang binili nila.

Noong 2007: 589,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply sa Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 1.827 million metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit tatlong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra na naman ang binili nila.

Ang masakit nito, dahil sobra-sobra ang binibili nila taun-taon, nabubulok lang pala sa mga kamalig ang bigas, kagaya ng nangyari noong 2008.

Hindi po ba krimen ito, na hinahayaan nilang mabulok ang bigas, sa kabila ng apat na milyong Pilipinong hindi kumakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw?

Ang resulta nito, umabot na sa 171.6 billion pesos ang utang ng NFA noong Mayo ng taong ito.

Ang tinapon na ito, halos puwede na sanang pondohan ang mga sumusunod:

Ang budget ng buong Hudikatura, na 12.7 billion pesos sa taong ito.

Ang Conditional Cash Transfers para sa susunod na taon, na nagkakahalaga ng 29.6 billion pesos.

Ang lahat ng classroom na kailangan ng ating bansa, na nagkakahalaga ng 130 billion pesos.

Kasuklam-suklam ang kalakarang ito. Pera na, naging bato pa.

Narinig po ninyo kung paano nilustay ang kaban ng bayan. Ang malinaw po sa ngayon: ang anumang pagbabago ay magmumula sa pagsiguro natin na magwawakas na ang pagiging maluho at pagwawaldas.

Kaya nga po mula ngayon: ititigil na natin ang paglulustay sa salapi ng bayan.

Tatanggalin natin ang mga proyektong mali.

Ito po ang punto ng tinatawag nating zero-based approach sa ating budget. Ang naging kalakaran po, taun-taon ay inuulit lamang ang budget na puno ng tagas. Dadagdagan lang nang konti, puwede na.

Sa susunod na buwan ay maghahain tayo ng budget na kumikilala nang tama sa mga problema, at magtutuon din ng pansin sa tamang solusyon.

Ilan lang ito sa mga natuklasan nating problema. Heto naman po ang ilang halimbawa ng mga hakbang na ginagawa natin.

Nandiyan po ang kaso ng isang may-ari ng sanglaan. Bumili siya ng sasakyang tinatayang nasa dalawampu’t anim na milyong piso ang halaga.

Kung kaya mong bumili ng Lamborghini, bakit hindi mo kayang magbayad ng buwis?

Nasampahan na po ito ng kaso. Sa pangunguna nina Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares at Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, bawat linggo po ay may bago tayong kasong isinasampa kontra sa mga smuggler at sa mga hindi nagbabayad ng tamang buwis.

Natukoy na rin po ang salarin sa mga kaso nina Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio at Miguel Belen, tatlo sa anim na insidente ng extralegal killings mula nang umupo tayo.

Singkuwenta porsyento po ng mga insidente ng extralegal killings na nangyari sa maikling taon ng ating panunungkulan ang patungo na sa kanilang resolusyon.

Ang natitira pong kalahati ay hindi natin tatantanan ang pag-usig hanggang makamit ang katarungan.

Pananagutin natin ang mga mamamatay-tao. Pananagutin din natin ang mga corrupt sa gobyerno.

Nagsimula nang mabuo ang ating Truth Commission, sa pangunguna ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide. Hahanapin natin ang katotohanan sa mga nangyari diumanong katiwalian noong nakaraang siyam na taon.

Sa loob ng linggong ito, pipirmahan ko ang kauna-unahang Executive Order na nagtatalaga sa pagbuo nitong Truth Commission.

Kung ang sagot sa kawalan ng katarungan ay pananagutan, ang sagot naman sa kakulangan natin sa pondo ay mga makabago at malikhaing paraan para tugunan ang mga pagkatagal-tagal nang problema.

Napakarami po ng ating pangangailangan: mula sa edukasyon, imprastruktura, pangkalusugan, pangangailangan ng militar at kapulisan, at marami pang iba. Hindi kakasya ang pondo para mapunan ang lahat ng ito.

Kahit gaano po kalaki ang kakulangan para mapunuan ang mga listahan ng ating pangangailangan, ganado pa rin ako dahil marami nang nagpakita ng panibagong interes at kumpyansa sa Pilipinas.

Ito ang magiging solusyon: mga Public-Private Partnerships. Kahit wala pa pong pirmahang nangyayari dito, masasabi kong maganda ang magiging bunga ng maraming usapin (ukol ditto).

May mga nagpakita na po ng interes, gustong magtayo ng expressway na mula Maynila, tatahak ng Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, hanggang sa dulo ng Cagayan Valley nang hindi gugugol ang estado kahit na po piso.

Sa larangan ng ating Sandatahang Lakas:

Mayroon po tayong 36,000 nautical miles na baybayin. Ang mayroon lamang tayo: tatlumpu’t dalawang barko. Itong mga barkong ito, panahon pa ni General MacArthur.

May nagmungkahi sa atin, ito ang proposisyon: uupahan po nila ang headquarters ng Navy sa Roxas Boulevard at ang Naval Station sa Fort Bonifacio.

Sagot po nila ang paglipat ng Navy Headquarters sa Camp Aguinaldo. Agaran, bibigyan tayo ng isandaang milyong dolyar. At dagdag pa sa lahat nang iyan, magsusubi pa sila sa atin ng kita mula sa mga negosyong itatayo nila sa uupahan nilang lupa.

Sa madali pong sabi: Makukuha natin ang kailangan natin, hindi tatayo gagastos, kikita pa tayo.

Marami na pong nag-alok at nagmungkahi sa atin, mula lokal hanggang dayuhang negosyante, na magpuno ng iba’t ibang pangangailangan.

Mula sa mga public-private partnerships na ito, lalago ang ating ekonomiya, at bawat Pilipino makikinabang. Napakaraming sektor na matutulungan nito.

Maipapatayo na po ang imprastrukturang kailangan natin para palaguin ang turismo.

Sa agrikultura, makapagtatayo na tayo ng mga grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, maayos na road networks at post-harvest facilities.

Kung maisasaayos natin ang ating food supply chain sa tulong ng pribadong sektor, sa halip na mag-angkat tayo ay maari na sana tayong mangarap na mag-supply sa pandaigdigang merkado.

Kung maitatayo ang minumungkahi sa ating mga railway system, bababa ang presyo ng bilihin. Mas mura, mas mabilis, mas maginhawa, at makakaiwas pa sa kotong cops at mga kumokotong na rebelde ang mga bumibiyahe.

Paalala lang po: una sa ating plataporma ang paglikha ng mga trabaho, at nanggagaling ang trabaho sa paglago ng industriya. Lalago lamang ang industriya kung gagawin nating mas malinis, mas mabilis, at mas maginhawa ang proseso para sa mga gustong magnegosyo.

Pabibilisin natin ang proseso ng mga proyektong sumasailalim sa Build-Operate-Transfer. Sa tulong ng lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno at ng mga mamamayan, pabababain natin sa anim na buwan ang proseso na noon ay inaabot ng taon kung hindi dekada.

May mga hakbang na rin pong sinisimulan ang DTI, sa pamumuno ni Secretary Gregory Domingo:

Ang walang-katapusang pabalik-balik sa proseso ng pagrehistro ng pangalan ng kumpanya, na kada dalaw ay umaabot ng apat hanggang walong oras, ibababa na natin sa labinlimang minuto.

Ang dating listahan ng tatlumpu’t anim na dokumento, ibababa natin sa anim. Ang dating walong pahinang application form, ibababa natin sa isang pahina.

Nananawagan ako sa ating mga LGUs. Habang naghahanap tayo ng paraan para gawing mas mabilis ang pagbubukas ng mga negosyo, pag-aralan din sana nila ang kanilang mga proseso. Kailangan itong gawing mas mabilis, at kailangan itong itugma sa mga sinisumulan nating reporma.

Negosyante, sundalo, rebelde, at karaniwang Pilipino, lahat po makikinabang dito. Basta po hindi dehado ang Pilipino, papasukin po natin lahat iyan.

Kailangan na po nating simulan ang pagtutulungan para makamit ito. Huwag nating pahirapan ang isa’t isa.

Parating na po ang panahon na hindi na natin kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng seguridad ng ating mamamayan o sa kinabukasan ng inyong mga anak.

Oras na maipatupad ang public-private partnerships na ito, mapopondohan ang mga serbisyong panlipunan, alinsunod sa ating plataporma.

Magkakapondo na po para maipatupad ang mga plano natin sa edukasyon.

Mapapalawak natin ang basic education cycle mula sa napakaikling sampung taon tungo sa global standard na labindalawang taon.

Madadagdagan natin ang mga classroom. Mapopondohan natin ang service contracting sa ilalim ng GASTPE.

Pati ang conditional cash transfers, na magbabawas ng pabigat sa bulsa ng mga pamilya, madadagdan na rin ng pondo.

Maipapatupad ang plano natin sa PhilHealth.

Una, tutukuyin natin ang tunay na bilang ng mga nangangailangan nito. Sa ngayon, hindi magkakatugma ang datos. Sabi ng PhilHealth sa isang bibig, walumpu’t pitong porsyento na raw ang merong coverage. Sa kabilang bibig naman, singkuwenta’y tres porsyento. Ayon naman sa National Statistics Office, tatlumpu’t walong porsyento ang may coverage.

Ngayon pa lang, kumikilos na si Secretary Dinky Soliman at ang DSWD upang ipatupad ang National Household Targetting System, na magtutukoy sa mga pamilyang higit na nagangailangan ng tulong. Tinatayang siyam na bilyon ang kailangan para mabigyan ng PhilHealth ang limang milyong pinakamaralitang pamilyang Pilipino.

Napakaganda po ng hinaharap natin. Kasama na po natin ang pribadong sektor, at kasama na rin natin ang League of Provinces, sa pangunguna nina Governor Alfonso Umali kasama sina Governor L-Ray Villafuerte at Governor Icot Petilla. Handa na pong makipagtulungan para makibahagi sa pagtustos ng mga gastusin. Alam ko rin pong hindi magpapahuli ang League of Cities sa pangunguna ni Mayor Oscar Rodriguez.

Kung ang mga gobyernong lokal ay nakikiramay na sa ating mga adhikain, ang Kongreso namang pinanggalingan ko, siguro naman maasahan ko din.

Nagpakitang-gilas na po ang gabinete sa pagtukoy ng ating mga problema at sa paglulunsad ng mga solusyon sa loob lamang ng tatlong linggo.

Nang bagyo pong Basyang, ang sabi sa atin ng mga may prangkisa sa kuryente, apat na araw na walang kuryente. Dahil sa mabilis na pagkilos ni Secretary Rene Almendras at ng Department of Energy, naibalik ang kuryente sa halos lahat sa loob lamang ng beinte-kwatro oras.

Ito pong sinasabing kakulangan sa tubig sa Metro Manila, kinilusan agad ni Secretary Rogelio Singson at ng DPWH. Hindi na siya naghintay ng utos, kaya nabawasan ang perwisyo.

Nakita na rin natin ang gilas ng mga hinirang nating makatulong sa Gabinete. Makatuwiran naman po sigurong umasa na hindi na sila padadaanin sa butas ng karayom para makumpirma ng Commission on Appointments. Kung mangyayari po ito, marami pa sa mga mahuhusay na Pilipino ang maeengganyong magsilbi sa gobyerno.

Sa lalong madaling panahon po, uupo na tayo sa LEDAC at pag-uusapan ang mga mahahalagang batas na kailangan nating ipasa. Makakaasa kayo na mananatiling bukas ang aking isipan, at ang ating ugnayan ay mananatiling tapat.

Isinusulong po natin ang Fiscal Responsibility Bill, kung saan hindi tayo magpapasa ng batas na mangangailangan ng pondo kung hindi pa natukoy ang panggagalingan nito. May 104.1 billion pesos tayong kailangan para pondohan ang mga batas na naipasa na, ngunit hindi maipatupad.

Kailangan din nating isaayos ang mga insentibong piskal na ibinigay noong nakaraan. Ngayong naghihigpit tayo ng sinturon, kailangang balikan kung alin sa mga ito ang dapat manatili at kung ano ang dapat nang itigil.

Huwag po tayong pumayag na magkaroon ng isa pang NBN-ZTE. Sa lokal man o dayuhan manggagaling ang pondo, dapat dumaan ito sa tamang proseso. Hinihingi ko po ang tulong ninyo upang amiyendahan ang ating Procurement Law.

Ayon po sa Saligang Batas, tungkulin ng estado ang siguruhing walang lamangan sa merkado. Bawal ang monopolya, bawal ang mga cartel na sasakal sa kumpetisyon. Kailangan po natin ng isang Anti-Trust Law na magbibigay-buhay sa mga prinsipyong ito. Ito ang magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mga Small- at Medium-scale Enterprises na makilahok at tumulong sa paglago ng ating ekonomiya.

Ipasa na po natin ang National Land Use Bill.

Una rin pong naging batas ng Commonwealth ang National Defense Act, na ipinasa noon pang 1935. Kailangan nang palitan ito ng batas na tutugon sa pangangailangan ng pambansang seguridad sa kasalukuyan.

Nakikiusap po akong isulong ang Whistleblower’s Bill upang patuloy nang iwaksi ang kultura ng takot at pananahimik.

Palalakasin pa lalo ang Witness Protection Program. Alalahanin po natin na noong taong 2009 hanggang 2010, may nahatulan sa 95% ng mga kaso kung saan may witness na sumailalim sa programang ito.

Kailangang repasuhin ang ating mga batas. Nanawagan po akong umpisahan na ang rekodipikasyon ng ating mga batas, upang siguruhing magkakatugma sila at hindi salu-salungat.

Ito pong mga batas na ito ang batayan ng kaayusan, ngunit ang pundasyon ng lahat ng ginagawa natin ay ang prinsipyong wala tayong mararating kung walang kapayapaan at katahimikan.

Dalawa ang hinaharap nating suliranin sa usapin ng kapayapaan: ang situwasyon sa Mindanao, at ang patuloy na pag-aaklas ng CPP-NPA-NDF.

Tungkol sa situwasyon sa Mindanao: Hindi po nagbabago ang ating pananaw. Mararating lamang ang kapayapaan at katahimikan kung mag-uusap ang lahat ng apektado: Moro, Lumad, at Kristiyano. Inatasan na natin si Dean Marvic Leonen na mangasiwa sa ginagawa nating pakikipag-usap sa MILF.

Iiwasan natin ang mga pagkakamaling nangyari sa nakaraang administrasyon, kung saan binulaga na lang ang mga mamamayan ng Mindanao. Hindi tayo puwedeng magbulag-bulagan sa mga dudang may kulay ng pulitika ang proseso, at hindi ang kapakanan ng taumbayan ang tanging interes.

Kinikilala natin ang mga hakbang na ginagawa ng MILF sa pamamagitan ng pagdidisplina sa kanilang hanay. Inaasahan natin na muling magsisimula ang negosasyon pagkatapos ng Ramadan.

Tungkol naman po sa CPP-NPA-NDF: handa na ba kayong maglaan ng kongkretong mungkahi, sa halip na pawang batikos lamang?

Kung kapayapaan din ang hangad ninyo, handa po kami sa malawakang tigil-putukan. Kayo po ba ay handa na din? Mag-usap tayo.

Mahirap magsimula ang usapan habang mayroon pang amoy ng pulbura sa hangin. Nananawagan ako: huwag po natin hayaang masayang ang napakagandang pagkakataong ito upang magtipon sa ilalim ng iisang adhikain.

Kapayapaan at katahimikan po ang pundasyon ng kaunlaran. Habang nagpapatuloy ang barilan, patuloy din ang pagkakagapos natin sa kahirapan.

Dapat din po nating mabatid: ito ay panahon ng sakripisyo. At ang sakripisyong ito ay magiging puhunan para sa ating kinabukasan. Kaakibat ng ating mga karapatan at kalayaan ay ang tungkulin natin sa kapwa at sa bayan.

Inaasahan ko po ang ating mga kaibigan sa media, lalo na sa radyo at sa print, sa mga nagbablock-time, at sa community newspapers, kayo na po mismo ang magbantay sa inyong hanay.

Mabigyang-buhay sana ang mga batayang prinsipyo ng inyong bokasyon: ang magbigay-linaw sa mahahalagang isyu; ang maging patas at makatotohanan, at ang itaas ang antas ng pampublikong diskurso.

Tungkulin po ng bawat Pilipino na tutukan ang mga pinunong tayo rin naman ang nagluklok sa puwesto. Humakbang mula sa pakikialam tungo sa pakikilahok. Dahil ang nakikialam, walang-hanggan ang reklamo.

Ang nakikilahok, nakikibahagi sa solusyon.

Napakatagal na pong namamayani ang pananaw na ang susi sa asenso ay ang intindihin ang sarili kaysa intindihin ang kapwa. Malinaw po sa akin: paano tayo aasenso habang nilalamangan ang kapwa?

Ang hindi nabigyan ng pagkakataong mag-aral, paanong makakakuha ng trabaho? Kung walang trabaho, paanong magiging konsumer? Paanong mag-iimpok sa bangko?

Ngunit kung babaliktarin natin ang pananaw-kung iisipin nating “Dadagdagan ko ang kakayahan ng aking kapwa”-magbubunga po ito, at ang lahat ay magkakaroon ng pagkakataon.

Maganda na po ang nasimulan natin. At mas lalong maganda po ang mararating natin. Ngunit huwag nating kalimutan na mayroong mga nagnanasang hindi tayo magtagumpay. Dahil kapag hindi tayo

nagtagumpay, makakabalik na naman sila sa kapangyarihan, at sa pagsasamantala sa taumbayan.

Akin pong paniwala na Diyos at taumbayan ang nagdala sa ating kinalalagyan ngayon. Habang nakatutok tayo sa kapakanan ng ating kapwa, bendisyon at patnubay ay tiyak na maaasahan natin sa Poong Maykapal. At kapag nanalig tayo na ang kasangga natin ay ang Diyos, mayroon ba tayong hindi kakayanin?

Ang mandato nating nakuha sa huling eleksyon ay patunay na umaasa pa rin ang Pilipino sa pagbabago. Iba na talaga ang situwasyon. Puwede na muling mangarap. Tayo nang tumungo sa katuparan ng ating mga pinangarap.

Maraming salamat po.

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