Exit President Aquino! Enter President Duterte

Today is the last day in office of President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino, III and all I can say is… thank you Mr. President for you have given this nation a platform for the incoming Duterte administration to do exactly the opposite of what you have done in the last six years of your presidency. Henceforth, Filipinos should be smarter not to vote into office famous sons or daughters of former presidents because it is not a guarantee that they would work for the greater benefit or the good of the nation.

For us especially in Cebu, the Aquino presidency meant six wasted years of total infrastructure neglect, which is why traffic congestion from Cebu City to Mandaue City to Mactan Cebu International Airport (MICA) and the fabulous beach resorts in Mactan is one of the worst in this country. Going to Mactan and back, is Metro Cebu’s EDSA type traffic congestion.

But there was one positive note, the PPP Project that was won by the GMR/Megawide consortium to operate the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MICA), which was our project way back during the time of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which under the Aquino presidency has become a reality. This is clear proof that the private sector can run government facilities much better than government agencies.

If there was anything truly out of synch with Pres. Aquino, it is that he always wore on his chest that Yellow Ribbon, which we now know was used by Tita Cory’s American advisers as a symbol for the Aquino cult. As I wrote before… the Yellow Ribbon is not a symbol of the Liberal Party nor is it an official symbol of the Office of the President.

Yet Pres. Aquino never wore a pin of the Philippine Flag on his chest. It was as if he never represented the Philippines and those of his followers that sport the Yellow Ribbon are nothing but Aquino’s minions! So goodbye Mr. Aquino as you fade into the dustbin of Philippine political history. I’m sure that history will judge you for what you have done or what you failed to do without the usual propaganda.

Enter incoming President, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte who takes his oath of office as the 16th President this noon with no fanfare and frugal food offerings. This is what a 3rd world nation should be doing. We welcome you as our duly elected leader as you bring a fresh hope that under your watch… the rule of law will be followed to the hilt as you will show to our nation that we are still a nation of laws and not of men.

I dare predict that if Pres. Duterte achieved only half of what he promised our people, he will be dubbed as the most loved President, a title that we bestowed on the late Pres. Ramon Magsaysay who was loved by the people because of his simple ways. Pres. Duterte’s simple and frugal inauguration is a step in the right direction.

But the task ahead is strewn with obstacles and politicians wielding monkey wrenches and this writer promises your administration that we shall help you achieve your goals especially as you embark to make our shift from the present unitary form of government into a federal form which we should have done 30 years ago after the EDSA Revolution but failed to do.

With President Duterte, there is hope that henceforth, government agencies that government bureaucrats used to rob their own clients of small money and their dignity would now stop their nefarious activities because Pres. Duterte has vowed to stop all these nonsense. So we welcome the entry of President Rodrigo Duterte and we join your mission to usher the change that we all need to achieve our goals as one nation.

Allow me also to greet an old friend, Atty. Rody A. Salalima who was recently appointed to head the newly formed Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), which was once part and parcel of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). Sec. Salalima was a Magna Cum Laude during his College days in San Beda and during his College of Law Days also in San Beda.

He wrote the book, “Telecommunications in the Information Revolution” a treatise and law book published by the U.P. Law Center. He was once the President of the Philippine Telecommunications Operators and the Senior Vice-President Corporate & Regulatory Affairs and Chief Legal Counsel for Globe Telecommunications until his retirement five years ago.

Sec. Salalima’s task has been lined for him by President Duterte… for the Telecoms Industry to come up with fast Internet speeds. Looking at his qualifications… Pres. Duterte put the right person on this job. His only problem is… he has to build from scratch this new Department from the remnants of the DOTC. I’m sure that the man is more than capable of doing this.

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