One good thing that can be said of the almost three-month old Aquino presidency is transparency.
Sometimes, too transparent to a fault but openness is still better than keeping people in the dark.
Aquino bungled big-time the Aug. 23 hostage crisis, wasted a lot of time trying to justify the bungling before finally doing something right: asking Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to head a panel that would investigate the fiasco.
Another correct decision was releasing the report to the public a few days after it was submitted to him. The release of the report to the Chinese Embassy ahead of releasing it to the Filipino public could have been handled better, of course. Also,he could have released the whole report including the recommendations.
Compare that to how Gloria Arroyo handled the “Hello Garci” scandal and the report of the Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga who investigated the involvement of the military in the tampering of the results of the 20004 election in Arroyo’s favor. Up to this day, we have yet to see the full report although I’m not expecting much from it.
Malacañang has also been forthcoming with information about the United States visit of Aquino, his first.
Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa said they are spending P25 million for the trip and that he would be accompanied by a 60 man-delegation that would not include the usual coterie of junketing congressmen.
Records at the Commission on Audit which came to light when Arroyo was out of Malacañang showed that she made 88 trips to 42 countries and territories from 2001 to 2009. She visited 16 times during her nine years of unelected presidency. Just for 2009, Arroyo spent almost a billion pesos of taxpayers money for foreign trips.
The COA figures included only the expenses of the Office of the President. It did not include expenses for her trips by other departments like the foreign affairs department and Congress.
At least with Aquino, we don’t see wanton profligacy.
The composition of the business delegation has caused raised eyebrows. We see familiar names. Names that were associated with Arroyo: Ramon Ang,president and COO of San Miguel Corporation; Francis Chua, president of Philippine Chamber of Commerce, Inc.; Enrique Razon Jr., chairman of the Board of International Container Terminal Services, just to mention the most prominent.
I guess it means that as far as business is concerned, politics has only one color: the color of money.
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I’m puzzled why President Aquino in his briefing on the results of the investigation of the IIRC report, gave the impression that media were included among those to be charged in court.
Abante got a copy of the recommendations and here’s the portion on media:
“ Against Michael Rogas and Erwin Tulfo, the endorsement of the results of this investigation to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) for the purpose of imposing sanctions for violating the Code of Ethics applicable to broadcast journalists and to include the Radio Station Manager of DZXL, and person(s) in charge for directing the program, for allowing the ‘interview’ with the hostage-taker to be undertaken and aired endangering the lives of persons involved in the hostage-taking. It is further recommended, that the Department of Justice initiate an investigation to determine any other culpability.
“ Against ABC5, ABS-CBN and GMA7, the endorsement of the results of this investigation to the KBP, or appropriate media ‘watchdog’’organization(s), for the possible violation of their code of ethics in the coverage of a crisis incident.
“This is without prejudice to the findings to be arrived at in future proceedings as to the culpability of other officials and individuals.”
Unless he himself wants media charged which, if my reading of him is correct, is so unlike him. As Harry Roque of CenterLaw said, “Unlike Marcos or Arroyo, P Noy has no reason to repress press freedom. This is because unlike both Marcos and Arroyo, P Noy was vested with an overwhelming mandate by the people. With no skeleton in his closet, P Noy should allow the media to thrive and mature in an adolescent democracy.”
The IIRC is correct in citing lapses in ethics. But that’s no reason to shoot the messengers . Again as Roque said, “Bad journalism is not criminal conduct.”
Pres. Aquino III’s transparency? This was a major major campaign promise of his, transparency. So I expect no less. If his administration starts covering or withholding items of public interest, his policy of transparency crumbles.
I completely agree with you. The politics of business is money. Or “… as far as business is concerned, politics has only one color: the color of money.” Governments have to deal with business of all persuasions. Pres. Aquino III has little choice, he will have to sleep with business partners of GMA. Its keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.
Yes that was a puzzle, Pres. Aquino’s initial announcements about media’s role in the bloody Aug23 fiasco. Was he really preempting the IIRC report about media’s participation? Hopefully influencing the IIRC report? Maybe not, probably it was just his perception. Or was he just being transparent about how he feels. For me, media did good. Was there unethical behavior or abuse? I see none. What was lacking was control of the situation from the government side.
Damn? Only 25 million pesos? Did that include payments to an American PR company?
i agree with Ellen, P.Noy scores very high in transparency, in sharp contrast with extreme cover ups and secrecy during gma’s time.
i also agee that “The composition of the business delegation has caused raised eyebrows. We see familiar names. Names that were associated with Arroyo: Ramon Ang,president and COO of San Miguel Corporation; Francis Chua, president of Philippine Chamber of Commerce, Inc.; Enrique Razon Jr., chairman of the Board of International Container Terminal Services, just to mention the most prominent.”
why allow arroyo cronies to tag along? isn’t Francis Chua also involved in the NBN ZTE scam? is someone in P.Noy’s cabinet working for the sale of PAGCOR to SMC because of the huge Tongpats?
Si Pnoy may transparency but these businessmen don’t have any. All they have is the greed for more money. But Pnoy has to go along. He needs these businessmen to support him in his economic programs.
Walang problema dapat sa negosyante kahit sino ang maupo. Nagsisimula ang problema kung ang kalabang mga negosyo ay namamadrino at ginagamit ang politiko para makalamang sa iba.
Pag umabot sa ganyang punto ay simula nang pinagpa-planuhan ang pagpapatalsik sa nakaupo dahil malaking pera ang nawawala sa naa-agrabyado.
Tignan mo yung mga nakaupo sa mga Business Chambers, kahit pabagsak na ang presidente, suportado pa rin nila. Kunyari. Pero kahit pa bumagsak ay siguradong kakampi naman sila sa kapalit.
Ganyan ang negosyo, walang hardliner, marunong sumama sa agos. Kundi, maiiwan ka lang sa pansitan. Kaya ang pinakamahirap pagkatiwalaan yung negosyante na, politiko pa. Gagastusan ka ng kalaban, huwag ka lang manalo.
Yan ang parehong istorya nina Danding at Villar.
Ganyan ang negosyo, walang hardliner, marunong sumama sa agos. Kundi, maiiwan ka lang sa pansitan. Kaya ang pinakamahirap pagkatiwalaan yung negosyante na, politiko pa. Gagastusan ka ng kalaban, huwag ka lang manalo.
Yan ang parehong istorya nina Danding at Villar.
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…plus the minor detail of paying substantial taxes to the government, providing employment, scholarships, partly the lifeblood of the country….yes, these guys should be flogged, tarred, and feathered for their sins!
…plus the minor detail of paying substantial taxes to the government…
It surprises me that the so-called captains of industry pay less taxes than Kris Aquino who, according to BIR records, is the country’s biggest individual taxpayer. Substantial, maybe, but honest, no!
I remember Warren Buffett, who challenged his audience in a $4,600-a-seat fundraiser for NY Sen. Hillary Clinton with a million-dollar bet given to any charity to prove that they (the audience included Morgan Stanley’s John Mack, Alan Patricof of Apax, and some 400 people in Manhattan’s upper crust of society) pay more taxes than their secretaries or cleaning ladies.
If it happens in America where laws are strict and enforced, how much more here? I agree, even if the comment was meant to be sarcastic, “these guys should be flogged, tarred, and feathered for their sins!”
thats why i qualified “substantial” …fact of the matter is, we have to live with them, and in the real world…and since we don’t have much of a choice, why not choose to be happy?
…and enjoy life, while enriching the lives of some poor kids also while we’re at it? life can be enjoyable or miserable – it depends on our paradigm…
of course rich americans pay less taxes relative to their income because they can avail of tax shelters and expensive lawyers that average americans have no access to. the stock market alone which caters to the upper segment of society provides a classic example. stock market capital gains and dividends are taxed at a lower rate (in some cases zero) than salary income and income from regular bank accounts.
#6 Juggernaut:
“these guys should be flogged, tarred, and feathered for their sins!”
i agree with you, start with Gokongwei , followed by Enrique Razon, Manny Pangilinan, Manny Villar, Lucio Tan, Francis Chua, the arroyos, Bong and Baby Pineda, the bad Punos, de venecia, Chavit, etc…..
Buffet pays an average 17.7% tax on his $36M annual income from Berkshire Hathaway. His current net worth is around $40B.
His secretary, who earns about $60,000, is slapped with a 30% income tax.
Life just isn’t fair, Rolando Mendoza.
leaderless country… that’s all I can say. transparency of information YES but transparency of financial transaction? NO. same old…
But i think it’s a good thing that there are bloggers out there watching very closely and holding people accountable. Everyone in the media should be able to hold up to that kind of scrutiny.
i would’t put too much stock on “transparency” in this administration or any administration for that matter…every single one is machiavellian – apparently virtuous…
For me, media did good. Was there unethical behavior or abuse? I see none. What was lacking was control of the situation from the government side.
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media is not governed by ethics (ano ka hilo?) they are free to vaccillate from ethical to ethical, moral to immoral, legal to illegal, sane to insane – no bounds…otherwise it would’t be good business! notice some tycoons are buying into the media business lately…
…thats why i keep telling everybody to be more circumspect, we get information at cyberspeeds, before we succumb to information overload, we need to relax, analyze, and cross reference (kung pwede) bottomline, don’t react kaagad, don’t let the media dictate your mood, the pace of your day, your emotions, buying preferences, even your decision making – have your own…not because “he said, she said.”_
…the mantra is “the story must be told” any story basta ahead of the others…