My teacher used to shout “finished or not finished, pass your papers” as we hurriedly tried to cram in answers to questions during written exams in grade school. The same situation awaits President Aquino come June 2016. There will always be unfinished tasks and unfulfilled promises in a politician’s term but eighteen (18) long months away there is still time to act before the final bell rings.
President Aquino has inspired many with his honesty and sincere desire to rid the government of corruption. It is only during his term that a Supreme Court Chief Justice was impeached and erring Senators were jailed. He gets an A+ for his “Tuwid na Daan” crusade.
There are however major infrastructure issues that he should address (or at the least lay the groundwork for) before his term ends.
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#1 NAIA, my favorite pet peeve and one of the world’s worst airports
I went through NAIA last November on my way home. I could not help but stare at the P550 passenger service charge receipt I had when I was seated on the plane. I do not remember ever paying such a fee at any airport I have been to. (My company’s expense reporting system does not even have an item for such an expense!) How in the world can the NAIA airport collect $12 and still be ranked as one of the worst airport’s in the world?
Our international airports are used by at least 15 million passengers (half of them OFWs) yearly. 15 million multiplied by $12 is a whopping $180,000,000 per year. Where in the world does the money go? There is something obscenely wrong here. (The airport service fee has been levied on every airport passenger for more than 25 years!)
NAIA bears the president’s father’s name. On behalf of the OFW’s, Mr. President please have a concrete plan (not just face-lifts or structural improvements at NAIA 1) to address the situation.
#2 A Looming Power Crisis
A friend who lives in Angeles City has readied a generator just in case there is a recurrence of the circa 1990s power outages. The former energy secretary was apprised of the looming shortage of power as early as 2010. Again, there does not seem to be a concrete plan to address the energy situation. This issue has wide repercussions on our surging services industry. The emergency powers that the president now seeks to address in addressing the power crisis would not be necessary had the issue been addressed and acted on early in his term.
#3 Broad Band
It has been some years since the ZTE broad band controversy. There does not seem to be an alternative proposal to address the poor state of the government’s IT infrastructure. This is not only primordial for global competitiveness, it is needed for operational efficiency and a means to improve services to the “bossing’s” (a.k.a. Filipino people).
Bonus Points (to be earned if time permits)
Please review the performance of the people tasked with alleviating the plight of the Yolanda victims. Let us measure the results delivered by governement agencies and develop a system for addressing future calamities.
Some say that 6 years is too long for a bad president and a bit short for a good president. You have been good Mr. President, but as in grade school “finished or not finished you have to pass your papers” (by June 2016)!
The author visits his family and friends in the Philippines every year. He plans to retire in the Philippines.
I’m sorry but I have to ask, what is your basis in saying he is honest and sincere in his desire to get rid of corruption in government? If he was really “honest” and “sincere”, he would have fired his budget secretary Abad when he got implicated in the pork barrel scam and DAP. Likewise, he should have fired all the other cabinet members who have been embroiled in controversy by now.
And there was nothing commendable about the removal of former Chief Justice Renato Corona based on trumped up charges. Rather, PNoy should have been impeached when he used taxpayer’s money to motivate members of congress to impeach Corona and voted him guilty of filing incorrect SALN – something that the law allows to be corrected.
Thanks for setting the record straight, Ilda!
The DAP maneuver was the administration’s clever way of collecting and appropriating unspent government budgets for development projects. It capitalized on a glitch in the budgeting system but was ruled unconstitutional and is now not practiced by the administration. There were no instances of corruption found and no graft cases filed.
In the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona there is no credible evidence (just allegations by the opposition) hat the President used taxpayers money to push for the impeachment.
@Soy
You didn’t answer my question. What is your basis in saying PNoy is “honest” and “sincere” in getting rid of corruption?
As to DAP, Benign0 was kind enough to link my article explaining why it is wrong on so many levels. Just click on the link he provided.
Oh c’mon…Corona was impeached because he filed incorrect SALN. Meanwhile some senators who found Corona guilty committed worse crimes than what he was accused of. I wrote about that previously:
Some senators who found Corona guilty committed worse crimes than what he was accused of
Soy,
You need to get the facts right. The money that the administration funneled into DAP (and its predecessor, the PDAF) was supposedly aggregated from ‘savings’ in the national budget. What happened in 2011 when this horrifying plunder scheme was set in motion was that funding for several public works projects (initiated by the Arroyo administration) were cancelled for no apparent reason. The funds that were NOT used as a result of these arbitrary cancellations were declared ‘savings’ and pooled into a massive, unaccountable fund under the control of Penoy Aquino. This is NOT a ‘glitch’ as you call it; it was a MALEVOLENT act to re-allocate taxpayer money and increase the President’s personal pork barrel.
Furthermore, one of the direct results of these cancellations was a huge DROP in public spending. This in turn caused a massive drop in the GDP growth rate (down to 3% from around 6% the previous year) and a moribund economy. Penoy Aquino’s idea to create ‘savings’ instead caused a serious downturn in the economy. It worsened the jobless rate and destroyed valuable opportunities for local business. We still live with the consequences of that stalled economy to-day.
@Soy: However, absence of evidence of criminality is not proof of absence of criminality. Pork barrel politics have been around for decades and the source of the funds that underlie this dynamic originates from the Executive office. If President BS Aquino were truly serious about instituting change at the most fundamental levels, then he should have been serious from the very start about removing the root source of the cancer that is behind the dysfunctional way Philippine Congress behaves.
Legislators should have no part and no association with any system that governs the disbursement of funds originating from the Executive branch at all. Having that say or influence is a conflict of interest at the most profound of levels.
My colleague Ilda in an earlier article laid out some important points to consider with regard to the dubious nature of discretionary funds such as the PDAF, the DAP, and whatever other acronym or brand that will be used to refer to these in the future.
(1) The DAP gave the President or the Executive branch of government too much power over public funds.
(2) The DAP was used to continue the tradition of patronage politics.
(3) The DAP is promoting impunity.
(4) The DAP will help continue the cycle of retribution among those in power.
(5) The DAP will continue the tradition of vote buying during Philippine elections.
(6) The DAP’s role in stimulating economic growth is not sustainable.
(7) Projects funded through the DAP are not visible to the naked eye.
[See full detail behind the above points here.]
There are criminal acts that operate within the above framework that need to be investigated and are not readily evident. But the systemic factor underying the Philippines’ paralytical politics is clear from the perspective of the bigger picture.
Exactly, Ilda. Pinoy is honest? Preposterous!!! The critter may not have pocketed public money because he happens to be already rich, or a brat not running for re-election. But, for heaven sake, can we not see he also has a corrupt mentality totally ingrained in him. Time and time again, he has shown that if they are not watched that he will spend the public money any way he wants, ignoring budgetary rules and laws. That is why the corrupt culture in government persist because we don’t even look at the psychological make-up of these people. Are our standards really that low for PHL even by Pinoys who already know that you would not survive in this world if you still measure quality by percentage, instead of by parts per million (ppm). Remember that even Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand are gearing for zero defect, just-in-time and all these stringent quality standards not just in the private sector, but also in government. Must be a joke: A+ for PNoy. Hahaha. He is C-minus, same as Gloria and Erap. And, he is F (fail), for being totally reactive and not proactive. Believe me, by 2016, when finally some real review is done, we will come to realize he has done nothing. What has he done as a senator, or as a congressman? Zero, zilch, nada, wala, kamote.
u know jack,must be from lsgh.
Corona should have been convicted of bribery in the PAL case BUT it was dropped from the impeachment complaint. It was the only count in the original complaint that could have, and would have, sent him to jail. The S.C. would have been forced to re-instate the original decision and the workers would have gotten their jobs back,pension benefits and all.
This in itself should be an very good indicator that the entire gov’t. is in cahoots with each other and that these ridiculous ‘proceedings'(blue-ribbon commitees and impeachment trials LMAO !) are just political theatre designed to convince the feeble minded Filipino masses that they somehow live in a country where the entire structure of gov’t. and business is NOT rigged for the few and the many can go drown in a disaster somewhere.
Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.
You are giving him an A+? Makes me question what you absorbed from your teacher. No evidence? Guess you bought this explanation from Drilon hook line and sinker. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/496009/drilon-confirms-p50m-pork-barrel Horay for Noynoy who always defends his allies and condemns his opponents. Who always lets the system runs it course. Where have you been all my life to illuminate my distorted view?? If you weren’t expecting pushback from the audience of this site then the more you should demand a refund from your teacher .
Wow, I’m almost speechless after reading this time-waster.
That coconut has in no way improved this country. He has actually done the opposite. The Philippines has lost 6 years in which things could have been done, but weren’t. Poverty and crime have gone up while traffic in Manila is nearly collapsing. Billions upon billions have been stolen and no one has been held accountable. Mentioning the Chief Justice is laughable. That was nothing but a personal vendetta. As if anyone has been convicted… Give me a fucking break!
Back in the early 80s one of the first adult movies I ever saw went like this. Student gets an F. Goes to her teacher then one thing leads to another. While they are still in the process of one of one those things, the student hands the teacher the test back and he scribbles (somehow) “A+”. You are entitled to your opinion that Aquino’s “Tuwid Daan Crusade” deserves an A+ but then again so did that teacher giving out that grade. I also wonder which one of the two required more thought.
Nobody here is necessarily absolving Corona of any wrongdoing in the overall scheme of things. What was originally questioned about his impeachment was the manner with which it was conducted. The prosecution clearly displayed an astounding level of blatant incompetence and dishonesty which offended the legal sensibilities of Enrile himself who, as Senate President at the time, presided over the hearings.
Much of the evidence presented by the prosecution was obtained illegally, downright false, or inaccurately organised or interpreted.
You wonder, in fact, why that same amount of resourcesand energy that BS Aquino threw into the effort to impeach Corona wasn’t also applied to other crimes that are far more heinous — such as the Maguindanao massacre and the murder of his own father which had been languishing in judicial limbo for 5 and 30 years respectively.
it was proven at the trial that Corona was the recipient of $100,000.00 to his personal back accounts (that were exposed for all to see by the Woman who held the ‘Ombudsman’ job at the time of the trial)between the time of the 1st PAL decision and the S.C.’s 2nd decision that was handed down less tan 6 weeks after the 1st decision and completely reversed the 1st decision and fucked the PAL employee’s.
The fact that the initial complaint was amended and dropped the part of the complaint concerning the PAL employee’s and the bribe accepting that clearly exposed Corona as the bribe taking scumbag that he no doubt is.It is all just more evidence convicting the entire bunch of scumbags that run the entire country.If the original complaint had been pursued,Corona would have had to be put in jail, a real one !
There’s no debate about these facts…NONE !
@Gerry or FRED MERTZ
Please provide us with the link to any article supporting your claim. Thank you.
@ Ilda, silly young Lady, go watch the Ombudsmans testimony at the trial.I know what I saw and the wrath and damnation with which it was presented by Ms. Guiterrez,the ombudsman at the time, made it seen like she wished that part of the complaint(the PAL part)had not been dropped and that she truly believed (as should any believer in juris-prudence)Corona was and is a disgrace to the Supreme court of the country and belongs in prison. If you think I have the original documents that were ‘EXcel’-ed onto the screen in the court that day, well sorry, ain’t got ’em.If you really watched the trial, you saw it:clear as the light of day.The mockery that was made out of the criminal justice system of the country was never more impudent than the ranting that was allowed to take the place of ‘testimony’ the day Corona appeared at the trial and answered not one single question,and was allowed to do so by the rest of the criminals.
it is truly puzzling that out of all the criminal politicians,every single one of them,in the country you seem to think that GMA and Corona are some sort of exceptions.That is truly a laugh-er, as they (along with the rest of the criminals)belong in jail, or at the bottom of the ocean.
If someone here is silly, it’s YOU, son. And your lack of intelligence is showing it. Just another EMOtard lurking around.
Let us focus on what the article wishes to draw attention to – The major infrastructure projects that need urgent attention in the last 18 months of the present administration.
@Soy
No, your article included Corona’s impeachment as PNoy’s major accomplishment and if you take that away from the equation, he hasn’t accomplished anything significant at all.
Corona’s impeachment only proved that members of congress can be bought using taxpayer’s money. It exposed the padrino system – a system that has existed even before PNoy was voted into office but is still being practiced today. So obviously, all the other things that you wish PNoy would accomplish before he steps down will never be done as long as the padrino system is in place.
@ Ilda ,you still do not seem to understand that the entire proceeding was a charade.Done in its entirety to divert attention away from the real criminality that was taking place at the time.
You prove the old saying quite aptly:”You can lead a horse to water but you can not make the horse drink.”.
And it seems you never understand that the whole impeachment trial is a total joke.
Son….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAKG-kbKeIo
you just went FULL RETARD with what you wrote.
How about the 57 months he has already “served”. Characterized by ” me me now now!” baby like cries. He has never met an opposing point of view with dignity. His first fifty years of life he did nothing exemplary. Then his mom died. Only the Walter Mitty’s of the world can one go from a blank resume to “A+” corruption fighter. Your words not mine. You did know the website you were contributing to right Soy??
How can anyone give BS Aquino an A+ in fighting corruption when his administration is considered by some as one of and even the most corrupt government in Philippine history?
“Patronage politics is quite rampant in the current administration as it is. This is evident in the way President Benigno Simeon (BS) Aquino 3rd quickly absolves cabinet members when they get embroiled in controversies and when they get accused of corrupt activities. To be sure, accusations of nepotism, favoritism and selective justice have been hounding BS Aquino since Day One of his term. Lately, BS Aquino has become so blatant in defending his incompetent staff that people can already predict his responses to calls for accountability and resignation: “innocent until proven guilty”, a defense that doesn’t seem to apply to his political enemies especially Former President Gloria Arroyo.”
A Noytard publishing an article at GRP? Now that’s new.
Noytards entitled to their opinion. They just wilt when it is scrutinized.
why is that unimaginable? because GRP is a pro-marcos website?
What a lame ass comment. Show the links dickweed. I have written over a hundred so show me one where I glorify Marcos since you are so convinced . But you won’t since you are as limp wristed as your idol Noynoy. Always Gloria’s fault but never blames himself since he never had responsibility before the age of 50. Here is sone advice. Don’t rally behind a pansy.
Still didn’t answer why a PNoy supporter should not write for GRP.
Why should I answer your question Charles Nelson Reilly? You accused us of being something we are not since you are so distraught over your idol being attacked. I asked for proof and of course there us none since you lie like your idol.
@ Gogs, Go get him ,GOGS !!! Ha, as laughable as that comment is and what a Horse’s arse the guy who wrote it is, the fact that ‘it was GMA’s fault’ is soooo ironic. The real deal is: The countries so called ‘elite’ are all in on the goings on inside the gov’t. & business.The entire system is rigged for the absolute benefit of the ‘elite’ through the Kleptocracy that is the entire Government and the GOCC’s.
The old ‘he said/she said’ argument is actually true, in a very twisted and convoluted way so as to make choosing sides a loosing proposition.THEY ARE THIEVES maquerading as if they ‘represent’ some idiotic ‘party’ or cause, when in fact the politicians are just members of an organized criminal syndicate as was pointed out by the magazine that showed the Philippine congress pictured beneath a caption that read:”The biggest criminal syndicate in S.E.Asia.”, and they were all smiling, the thieving scumbags.
A more repulsive bunch of scumbags would be hard to find,YUCK !
@FRED “Go get him”? what are you? a cheerleader? anyway COGS, I asked a question whether this is a pro-marcos website. I didn’t “accuse” anyone like you put it. You make it too easy for trolls (not that I am one) to rile you up with a few strokes of the keyboard. Lighten up jeez.
Still waiting for links proving this is a pro Marcos website you fembot. Like your idol. All accusations no substance . So just make up for it in bribes.
Probably this A.I. of Iron Man is being infected with a virus again Gogs. A yellow virus that is.
oh, how are you Domo aka Mr. “I don’t really have an argument, I just hate people who don’t hate PNoy”.
As usual “Jarvis” who can’t back up an accusation just doing shotgun insults. Then again Jarvis idolizes someone who is no stranger to “backing up”. Still waiting for my one post in a hundred who you rump wipe. The one post that proves that this is a Marcos site. Oh I forgot you are “backed up” with your idol.
Oh what’s wrong corrupted A.I.? Still thinking that your “god” panot is superior while ignoring the fact that he is an mentally retarded, incompetent douche? Or are you really programmed to always say those hallelujahs you hack?
@ Jarvis, No ,not a cheerleader, more like one of the rabble in the crowd that screams for the head of the accused as he is led to the noose.
While the three issues raised are valid, for me, they point to Aquino actually being remiss and actually doing little to solve them. Aquino had four years, he instead focused attention on political enemies (ousting Corona, which isn’t an achievement at all). He certainly isn’t honest if he lied about JICA suggesting that Tacloban airport be moved to Palo.
He gets an F from me.
What a waste of time reading this article and to say that BS Aquino is an honest person? You’re crazy!!
The YellowTard author: Soy Lagman is Ricky Carandang…he ingested a few “Shabu”; when he wrote this article for his Boss:Aquino. Both were in “Cloud Yellow”,during that time. Having a “Jaundiced” view of Reality on Aquino’s accomplishments as President of this “Coconut Republic”…
I’m very impressed with the GRP community because this article was allowed to be published. If we are to have a truly open forum to discuss, we have to allow those who are outside the website’s worldview to have a voice, even if we disagree with their views. Cheers to a healthy discussion with regular, and hopefully to infrequent visitors who find their way here.
Thanks. All views are welcome here. Our only requirement is that authors be prepared and able to defend their position with intelligent arguments under scrutiny and critical evaluation of the commenting community.
…not to mention the bashing from some elitists who calls people retards just because they have a different opinion.
You said “finish or unfinished, pass your papers” we experience the same thing, except our teacher used “PLEASE” and so we continue, what happen if the teacher committed a mistakes!! what do you say to your teacher? well, in our time we (students) said, Sir!! simple follow cannot instruction” instead of the usual “simple instruction you cannot follow” hence, the filipino has spoken many times “get rid of corruption and corrupt officials” and so Mr. President we say again “simple follow cannot instruction”
I just read in an encyclopedia that ferdinand declared martial law because of some muslim seperatist and some chinese rebels. Anyways just leaving this in here.
Annoying Yellow Noytards…It’s like insulting the Crazy Frog on YouTube.
Aquino has honesty? Where in the world this Yellowtard, has picked up this idea? A+, for “tuwid na daan”? The “tuwid na daan” has gone straight to the “bangin” already…
Aquino has never started anything; he has nothing to finish. The DAP is a “clever” way to steal public funds, together with his cahoot thief:Abad.
CJ Corona was impeached, to protect Aquino’s Hacienda Luisita, from Land Reform.
Aquino is the most corrupt President and the most vindictive President, in Philippine History. He encouraged Patronage Politics. He used the Pork Barrel Funds to BRIBE Congresspeople and Senators, to bend to his will.
He did nothing good in his Presidency. So there is nothing to finish…getting rid of him, is the best this “Coconut Republic” can do…
…and this PNOY guy? LMAO, the Maguindanao Massacre is still un-solved, and the government has not prosecuted the perpetrators and is most likely waiting for the witnesses to die from being hunted down and murdered by the perpetrators family or natural causes/disasters.
The Banana Republic that is the Philippines is just a Kleptocracy from the top down. The fee’s at the NAIA terminal is a prime example of the thievery that goes on there. NOWHERE else in the world are these fee’s collected.It is a disgrace and speaks volumes of what a dispicable bunch of thieves run the country.
Soon , the beaches that are not polluted will not even be worth going to. Then the tourism industry will be just as fucked as everything else in that scam of a country is.
Terminal fees are one thing, but the ‘travel tax’ is even more insulting. How dare you leave your country? You have to pay us for the privilege of letting you go free.
Looks like this is the first and last GRP post of the great Soy Lagman. Who has not checked in since the first day. Noytards can’t withstand scrutiny. That’s why they are Noytards.
point of order, please. may i cite a comment from Gogs, to wit:
“…since you are as limp wristed as your idol Noynoy.”
was there intent to insinuate the following:
1. “limp wrist”, as in homosexual or effeminate?
2. there is something inherently wrong or flawed with being a homosexual person or being effeminate?
please clarify.
another point, please. also a comment from Gogs.
“That’s why they are Noytards.”
1. i presume that you are referring to the defenders of Aquino and his people as “Noytards”, an amalgation of “Noynoy” and “retard”. correct?
2. when you say “retard”, were you referring to people of different mental ability? and were you inferring that such people were somehow inferior?
Don Timbol uses “Noytard”. Hayden uses “Yellowtard”. i guess an iconic Presidential spokesman does not have a monopoly on labeling. these labels intend to demean the other side, but demean the issuing party more. need this be said? and i had hopes that this would be one of the more intelligent forums on the real state of the philippines. can we just stick to the cold facts, please.
The ‘cold facts’ are pretty bleak. The Republic is a scam from top to bottom.A rotten to the core apple in decay.