Corruption admitted

Finally, President Aquino admitted that corruption in different bureaus was happening. As he mentioned in his SONA, it is in the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs, and National Irrigation Administration where corruption is happening.

Add to the list DOTC, LTFRB, LTO, DENR, OWWA, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Corrections, the AFP, the Regional offices of DPWH, PDEA, NBI, Register of Deeds, Land Registration Authority, and Permits and Licensing offices of local governments.

Records of the Ombudsman will bare out these cases. Contractors will tell you it is standard operating procedure to pay a bribe to get a building permit and later on an occupancy permit. Others will testify one has to pay to get a police clearance, to register a firearm,  to secure NBI clearance, to get a marriage certificate, to register a vehicle, to get an LTFRB franchise, to get a CAAP license or permit, to get a ship registered and permit to sail, to get approval of an operations plan by DENR, all of which are occasions for a bribe.

Even CCT ID cards are being sold at a discount.

Major omission: Job creation

UP Economics Professor Benjamin Diokno and several other political analysts pointed out the glaring omission in the SONA of a master plan for job creation.

Clearly, the high 7.5% unemployment rate recorded in April and the very high 19.2% underemployment rate deserved major attention in the speech.

We would have liked to see President Aquino announcing the hiring of 2 million laborers to do the job of building farm-to-market roads, reforestation, and repairs and repainting of public schools and hospitals.

The President could have announced the hiring of 50,000 policemen, 42,000 nurses, as well as 5,000 doctors with higher allowances and hazard pay.

A job creation plan can also include 1 million small business loans for SME entrepreneurs together with expanded agriculture credit facilities for farmers.

The President’s main focus was centered on increasing the CCT program to 5 million beneficiaries allotting more than P80 billion to the program which is not job-creating.

It is noted that only P12 billion was allocated to the Department of Agriculture for farm-to-market roads. Professor Diokno suggested that at least P500 billion be allocated for an infrastructure program.

The President should create a job creation task force and ask Sen. Manny Villar to head it.

Boring, no impact

It was noticeable that President Aquino did not receive a standing ovation at any point in his speech.

He missed an opportunity for such when he did not mention a revamp of the leadership of the Bureau of Customs. It would have created a big impact if he had announced the relief of Ambassadors and OWWA Labor officers in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Lebanon.

He could have announced a major revamp of the Philippine National Police.

It would have been impressive if he had announced a cabinet reshuffle. Three years is enough to cause a burnout in a secretary’s tenure.

He also missed a major opportunity for ovation when he did not mention any measures to prevent abuse in the use of pork barrel funds. At least six of my friends called the speech “boring.”

The President needs new advisers and definitely a new speechwriter.

Series of rubouts

PNP Director General Alan Purisima admitted that the deaths of Ozamiz gang leaders Ricky Cadavero and Wilfredo Panogalinga Jr. were due to a police rubout in Laguna.

After the Atimonan rubout where 13 men were killed including a police colonel, and another suspicious killing of a jueteng lord in Ibaan, Batangas, in a matter of months, this third rubout definitely points to something gravely wrong in the PNP, in this case in Police Regional Calabarzon’s office.

The summary dismissal proceedings should be expedited after which criminal cases should also be filed.

One valid comment is the way the policemen staged the rubout was very crude.

The many cases of extortion and hulidap cases are also noted.

Discipline has gone out of the window. It is unfortunate that applicants for acceptance to the Philippine National Police Academy have been caught in a mass cheating.

High procurement cost

President Aquino said that for every MRT P60 cost of transporting a passenger, he pays only P15. For every P40 cost of LRT fare, he pays only P15.

How much commissions were paid on the original purchase of MRT and LRT coaches? Why did MRT coaches cost much more?

Will the current purchase of MRT coaches from a Chinese supplier be properly priced?

How about the overpriced purchases of supplies and materials by MRT and LRT?

Cut out corruption and the operational cost would be lower.

TIDBITS: The other major omission in the SONA pointed out by analysts is the lack of mention of the Freedom of Information Bill which is considered an important anti-corruption measure.

An LBC branch was held up in Cabuyao, Laguna.

Deputy Commissioner Danny Lim has also resigned from the Bureau of Customs. How about Sen. Ping Lacson for Commissioner of Customs? Tourism Sec. Ramon Jimenez is doing a good job but needs to do more.

Senators Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, and Nancy Binay stood out in their ternos at the SONA.

Greetings and Congratulations to Rep. Raneo Abu (Batangas, 1st District), Mark Mendoza (Batangas, 4th District), Sonny Collantes (Batangas,  3rd District), Jesus Romualdo (Camiguin), Bebot Bello (1-BAP Party-list), Ted Haresco (Aklan), Raul Del Mar (Cebu City, 1st District), Zenaida Angpin (Manila,  3rd District), Amado Bagatsing (Manila, 5th District), Trisha Bonoan-David (Manila, 4th District), Rimpy Bondoc

(Pampanga, 4th District), Sherwin Gatchalian (Valenzuela, 1st District), Al Bichara (Albay, 2nd District), Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte, 1st District), Manny Pacquiao (Sarangani), Lito Atienza (Buhay Party-list), and Henry Cojuangco (Tarlac, 1st District).