No 'wang-wang' policy is Aquino's only achievement - bishop

MANILA, Philippines - The “no wang wang (sirens)” policy remains the only achievement of President Aquino after almost a year in office, retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said yesterday.

Cruz said Filipinos are still expecting more from Aquino who is set to mark his first anniversary in office on Thursday.

“Where is the promised matuwid na daan (straight path)? What happened to the claim that kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap (If there is no one corrupt, there is no one poor)?

“How should the shout Kayo ang boss ko (You are my boss) be understood? Is walang wang-wang (no more sirens) the only achievement of the already one-year-old administration?” Cruz asked.

Cruz said Filipinos have many aspirations for themselves and their country, for their families, community and society as a whole.

“(But) There is not simply so much wanting but also so much wrong all over the land,” he said.

Cruz, former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said it is not surprising that Aquino’s satisfaction and trust ratings are going down, as many of the basic needs of the people remain unattended.

Aquino’s approval and trust ratings dropped in the past three months based on the recent survey conducted by survey firms Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS).

“With pomp and pageantry, the present government took over. It is now anybody’s guess what the forthcoming SONA (State of the Nation Address) will say-and what will the people in turn say thereafter. The following is predictable: Grand accomplishment report. Miserable reality show. And that’s it. And this is no guess,” Cruz said. 

A group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) gave Aquino a failing grade in his first year of presidency.

Migrante said there was no improvement in their lives even after the change in administration.

“After a thorough consultation and deliberation and assessment on what the Aquino presidency had done so far after a year, We, member-organizations of Migrante in the Middle East, declare that he (Aquino) failed to deliver what he had promised during presidential campaigns and policy pronouncements during his inaugural and public speeches,” the group said.

Migrante-Middle East said they are giving Aquino “a failing grade of 65 percent, 10 percent point below the 75 percent passing grade.”

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said the group assessed Aquino’s performance based on what he promised to do. – With Mayen Jaymalin