This is not to say that Aquino has eliminated graft and corruption or there is no graft and corruption being committed by his own appointees. I merely recognize some reforms made in the justice system that could help in the fight against graft and corruption that was the campaign battle cry of Aquino -“Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.”
Number one ‘achievement’ is the removal of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and her subordinates either through dismissal, resignation or suspension. As long as Gutierrez was head of the anti-graft body, her benefactor Gloria Arroyo, her husband and members of her family could feel safe from prosecution.
Not making Arroyo accountable for the violations of the law that she committed would be an injustice to the Filipino people.
Last March 22, Aquino’s allies in the House of Representatives showed they have the numbers when they approved the impeachment of Gutierrez. The trial which would have been conducted by the Senate was aborted when Gutierrez resigned.
A new Ombudsman will soon be named that will preside over the plunder charges that have been filed against Arroyo. So far, former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez, who has declined the nomination for Ombudsman, has filed two. Chavez said that would not be the last.
Aquino has correctly linked graft to poverty that characterizes the lot of a third of the more than 90 million Filipinos. Reducing graft and corruption in government would redirect the billions that are diverted to the officials’ pockets to much needed funds for education, health and other social services to improve the lives of the underprivileged Filipinos.
Aquino should also be credited for encouraging participation of officials in congressional hearings on anomalies particularly involving military funds unlike during Arroyo’s time when her infamous Executive Order 464 prohibited Cabinet members and subordinate officials from testifying in congressional hearings without presidential clearance.
By encouraging transparency, the Aquino government helps in empowering the people with information that is needed for them to participate in governance.
Based on his still-high, although declining satisfaction and trust ratings, the public gets the sense of Aquino’s good intentions. But it is his capability in carrying out his intentions that is in doubt.
Aquino has not been helpful in erasing this doubt with his appointment of friends and shooting buddies in important positions. He even stood by them when they faltered in their jobs. The most controversial of them are Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno, a pathetic figure during the Aug. 23, 2010 hostage crisis and Land Transportation Chief Virginia Torres, who continues to remain in her position despite results of investigations of questionable actions in the controversy involving Stradcom, the Information Technology provider.
In his inaugural speech last year, Aquino declared that “from presidential appointees chosen mainly out of political accommodation to discerning selection based on integrity, competence and performance in serving the public good: a civil service based on merit and not political patronage.”
This is where Aquino has fallen short and it is a major stumbling block in his governance.
I’m curious, what is that tucked on Pnoy’s waist pants? A sunglass? It could not be a gun.
A cellphone, perhaps?
You are right, J. Pwedeng cellphone.
Tumbok mo Ellen the good and the bad of Pnoy’s first year in office.
Noynoy still has a graceful way out of his appointments of palpak KKKs:
He was at that time in a joking mode.
Why is he still wearing yellow? Does that mean he is very partisan? Just asking. It’s divisive… A little symbol like that speaks voulumes …Elections are long finished… is he not the president of all?
“Men are born to succeed, not to fail.”
Thoreau, Henry David
florry is in the “failure” mode again 🙂
If you focus on failure and misery its what you’ll get alright. live life, and always look at the bright side.
And re “yellow” color, it means “lines have been drawn” its either you’re with us or against us, or will you be part of the solution or the problem? then again, there are those who do not want to change, those who still cling to the good old days of easy moeny, so they make noise. Of course there will be fence sitters who would prefer to “critique” rather than out their money where their mouths are. Worst, some are acting as “obstructionists” its time to stop extending the hand of reconciliation, those who have the intention to help will help without the need for an invitation.
anne,
If you’re president of all, should you dance to everybody’s music? you stick to your own agenda and lead others to follow, anyway, if its his favorite color so what? He’s the “president” supposed to be the most powerful man in the country – he can damn well wear what he wants, although I draw the line with g-strings, the US secret service might have trouble with that.
Its biblical, “for what has light got to do with darkness” the Gloria followers will never reconcile with the current administration, the Marcos cult will never truly reconcile either, not even the Eraptians. If they want to join in they will, if not, they should at least help and not obstruct.
we recently has a list of local billionaires, topping the list is SM’s magnate. Hmmm, are we sure these guys are paying the right taxes, are they practicing fair labor?
there’s been so much noise about “unemployment” or “kakapusan sa suweldo” but it seems some people profited inspite of the crisis? hmmmmm…why don’t we follwo the money again, and instead of looking at the president, try to look at those who cannot “moderate their greed?”
honestly, i don’t like yellow, my personal choice would be plain black, or dark blue. 🙂
bakit kaya kung hindi gusto ang isang tao, lahat na lang napapansin?
hindi ko gusto si atienza kaya ayaw ko ang suot niya na hawaiian shirt!
hindi ko gusto si atienza kaya ayaw ko ang suot niya na hawaiian shirt!
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hahahaha! oo nga, napansin ko tuloy ngayon, lahat na lang ng pictures niya with paquiao naka hawaiian shirt nga!
dinah, napa google tuloy ako 🙂
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayor-Lito-Atienza-For-Manila/108805672483463?sk=photos
o ayan jug, nadagdagan ang kaalaman mo.
yung katabi ni PNoy naka-pula, kalaban ba siya ni PNoy?
Please include also to Pnoy’s accomplishment his administration’s purchase of 15 helicopters for the AFP amounting to 11B.Php. I think this deserves to be in your list since, former presidential terms, dating back to Mrs. Cory Aquino, AFP haven’t tasted something good and new to their “World War 2” war equipments.
Aquino’s first year: Very Good!
Eto pahabol pa before SONA:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/4963/philippines-singapore-off-us-trafficking-watch-list
i hope the good weighs more than the bad, for otherwise the evil will win again.
I sense that Pnoy basically has good values. He will not knowingly lie, cheat and steal unlike his predecessor.
But as Ellen said, it is in appointing his friends, shooting buddies that is causing problems in his administration. He also does not have the backbone to resist pressure from his relatives as in the case for former Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and now ambassador to China Domingo Lee.
Noynoy is very “good”, very honest and sincere, does not lie, does not cheat and does not steal.
Perfect, although those are only perceptions.
But what we need in this country is a decisive and strong leader, not a perfect husband.
Mga Pinoys, cool lang kayo. For a nation that is so riddled with corruption for so many decades now, Pnoy can not change the Filipino ways overnight. Nandyan pa rin sa pwesto yung maraming buwaya at yung mga nasa baba na kulang na kulang ang kinikita ay gigimmick pa rin para kumita ng “extra”.
Watching the tv on the local mayors from the flooded areas, asking for this and that tells me that GUTOM ang mga ito ng perang maibubulsa. I am liking Pnoy’s style as a matter of fact except for his KKK appointees.
I am patient, I am still giving him more time to put things in perspective. I think he has a mind of his own, contrary to what I earlier perceived him to be.
Isa lang ang inaasahan ko kay Pnoy. If he can reduce corruption by even just 30 % and inprove education and infrastructures by that much, sasaluduhan ko siya.
Alam naman nating lahat na as a congressman and a senator, he was not exemplary. But now that he is the president and he can decide and do things as he pleases, palagay ko his BEST will come out. Let us give him more time.
Sana maglagay na lang siya ng “ACTING” cabinet member or in any other high positions, katulad ng ginawa niya kay Robledo para may “testing” period at malaman niya kung angkop ang appointee niya sa pwesto bago mapermanente ito. Pretty much like Robredo. This way, malalaman niya kung marunong at may integridad ang appointee niya. I can not blame him for seeking out his friends first for a position which requires a great degree of “TRUST”. If I were in his shoes, I will do the same. Aanhin ko ang sobrang talino at abilidad ng isang tao kung ang ugali naman ay “traidor” at hindi magpapagkatiwalaan at puro “porma” lang ang alam. I would rather pick someone na kilala ko na maaasahan ko at matuturuan ko ng gusto kong pamamalakad. Afterall, if he/she fails, I fail.
#19, san meron nyan sa pinas?
very good!
http://business.inquirer.net/5595/budget-gap-in-5-months-at-only-p9-5b-due-to-low-gov%E2%80%99t-spending
No Free Lunch
‘Aquinomics’: What difference has it made?
By: Cielito F. Habito
Philippine Daily Inquirer
5:33 am | Tuesday, June 21st, 201
http://opinion.inquirer.net/6735/%E2%80%98aquinomics%E2%80%99-what-difference-has-it-made
At face value, the drop in government spending appears to be a downside to the Aquino government’s performance. Data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) indicate that disbursements in the first four months of the year were P60.5 billion or 11.6 percent lower than in the same period last year. Some observers now fault the new administration for “underspending,” for indeed, not only has it spent less than it did last year, it has also spent even farther less than what had been programmed to be spent by this time. But before casting this government as inept and lacking absorptive capacity, one must remember that this year’s budget was still drawn up by the previous administration. And if the current government has been more prudent about spending the money, it could well be because they have found that they don’t have to spend as much as the former government would have, to accomplish as much.
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Another reason for the underspending is that much of the large lump sums allocated by the previous government to various departments remain unspent. These are substantial amounts that the previous leadership gave department secretaries the discretion to allocate and spend—and it’s not hard to imagine how much of it must have gone to less than responsible uses. If the current department secretaries are slow in spending such sums, it could be because their predecessors had over-provided them in the first place. The new administration intends to cut these “lump sums” to a bare minimum in the 2012 budget, the first budget they truly own.
Aquinomics, then, might also stand for economics of fiscal responsibility—and the government now has a rare budget surplus to show for it. And while their underspending normally would have dragged the entire economy down, fortunately for them (and for us), the tremendous boost in private domestic investments that Aquinomics also brought about more than made up for the gap.
Wow, these economic gurus are,…er… morons? Habito, Diokno, Briones, (who else?) etc. are faulting the admin for underspending compared to last year.
Helloooo [Knocking on their skulls] LAST YEAR WAS ELECTION YEAR so no comparison. My ears are bleeding listening to these failed arguments. Stop it please.
What’s 11.6% anyway? This year we will not pay for teachers’ doing election duty. The printing of so many election forms. Logistics and delivery of election materials. And no SMARTMATIC this year!
We don’t need to rub in the fact that incumbent candidates spent more last year for obvious reasons.
Is govt really underspending this year? I dont think so.
tt,
I wonder why so many people want the government to spend like hell, infrastructure here, there, everywhere, subsidies, etc. etc. I believe UK and the rest of the world are cutting down spending?
@jug:
Isn’t it thats what the money the govt collected from tax is for? Spend it for the people?
As long as they spend it wisely and benefits the people, I have no problem with that. Kahit simutin pa nila ang pera ng bayan basta sa maayos lang ang gasta.
Mike, the government is also a business unit. It will spend money only if it will provide returns. We have set aside in the national budget 1/3 is automatically for debt service. The next 1/3 is for salaries and wages. The last 1/3 is for everything else.
If you’re trying to clean up the bureaucracy of unwanted expenses and corrupt officials, the net effect will of course be the lowering of expenditures.
But the cost of energy alone has been raised by about 20%. Think of all the gov’t vehicles consuming gasoline and diesel, the 20% increase in pump price would result in additional expenses in the billions.
The credit rating of the Phils has been raised one notch below investment grade. I we hit investment grade next year, then lenders will be pouring in a lot of money and that’s typically when we start borrowing and spending. Banks will be in a mad scramble for our credit.
While waiting for this to happen, let us do some house cleaning first. Privatize or close the non-performing GOCCs, restore fiscal vigilance and charge those corrupt agents in court.
If we spend today like there’s no tomorrow, we are just doing those plunderers a big favor by providing enough paperwork and other means to cover the money trail.
jug,
not only in UK, but the rest of Europe. Many countries in the West are extending retirement age because their finances cannot handle too many retirement benefits since the (average age of) populations are getting older every year. More old people also mean more expensive health care.
Many protests about this issue are ongoing. And it is also hurting their budget when faltering economies would drag them down they have to assume part of their neighbor’s debts. It happened to IMF which bailed out Hungary, Ukraine, Latvia, Belarus, Iceland, and Pakistan – and Turkey next. Russia was able to survive – for now – because of the huge spike in oil price. From $33 to $100 per barrel in 2 years.
EU’s big headache is now PIIGS – Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain. The EC has secured short term loans of about $1.5T and $500B is due every year. $500B is about one third the GDP of EU. Good luck.
Hehehe….naka one-year na pala si Pnoy sa Malacanang! Aba naman laging laman ng newstand e about KKK plus another K ulit; showbiz balita about his lovelife; pagsasampa ng isang katerbang plunder cases against Gloria and her doggies e bakit di simulan muna yaon isang kaso para mayroong matapos e puro simula sure matatapos ang termino ni GMA e goodbye Pnoy; ang nagmumultong Vizconde re-trial at di matuldukang Dacer-Corbito case; humihirit pa ang mga Intsek-beho sa pag-angkin sa Philippine sea etc. etc.
Dapat ang asikasuhin ng gobyerno e palakasin ang ekonomya upang magkaroon ng matatrabaho ang mga Pinoy ng di na umalis pa ng Pinas.
Ang paek-ek eh kailangan daw ng suporta ng mamamayan…dapat ang sabihan niya e yaong mga amuyong niya na walang ginawa kundi mag-umbagan.
Ang Kapinuyan naman e narito lang at nag-aantay ng grasya o himala…sana umuwi na si Ate Guy upang magkaroon ng “HIMALA”…oppsss movie pa ito hehehe!
Aba, may himala na?
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Private firms drawn to gov’t infra projects
THE GOVERNMENT’S road projects, which used to be riddled with controversies, are starting to attract private contractors who previously shunned state-funded ventures.
http://business.inquirer.net/5711/private-firms-drawn-to-gov%E2%80%99t-infra-projects