BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri has criticized President Aquino for his seeming lack of vision for the country.
“It’s like business as usual for the President,” he said.
“Filipinos gave him an overwhelming mandate, and now we are looking for direction. What is our direction? Is it just business as usual?”
Zubiri, who was in Bacolod on Wednesday, said last February he gave Aquino “a rating of 7 out of 10.”
“He’s doing all right,” he said.
“But he could do more. He has a fantastic mandate from the people and a high trust rating. I hope he works harder, our country has so much problems, both man-made and natural calamities.”
Zubiri said Aquino now has a rating of 6.
“I gave him a 6 because it has been (almost) one year (since he became President) but I haven’t heard a program for the future of this country,” he said.
“The President is a friend, but he has no clear vision for our country.
“He has no 2020 agenda. FVR (former President Fidel Valdez Ramos) had a Philippines 2000, while P-Noy has none, not even for 2015.
“I support his anti-corruption (campaign), but after that what? What else is new?
“Aside from anti-corruption what is his new project for Negros? For Cebu? For Bukidnon? For Davao City, for Luzon?”
Zubiri said Aquino is “banking on” his PPP (Private-Public Partnership) but it is only beneficial for urban areas.
“For rural areas, PPP is not effective,” he said. “What can poor local government units give as counterpart?” he asked.
“It has to be national, government-funded, major projects.”
Zubiri said the PPP benefits only urban areas like Central Luzon and mega Manila, “while the rural areas remain poor.”