Congressional query on JDF a zarzuela?

The Philippine STAR headline literally took the words off my mouth when it blared last Tuesday “Noy’s LP ‘Adopting’ Binay?” Didn’t we say in so many words years ago that the once clear lines between the opposition and the ruling party have become shades of gray? For the record, I have always believed that the Binays always showed their canine loyalty to the Aquino family and this was confirmed in so many words on nationwide TV by Presidential sister Ballsy Aquino and Mrs. Elenita Binay.

So what really happened to the Liberal Party (LP) in the four years under President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III, it has become just another Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), that unlamented umbrella of political parties where the loyal followers of the conjugal Marcos pretended to have an independent legislature. The only real opposition then was Pusyon Bisaya!

This only goes to show that nothing much has changed under the Legislature today where both the Senate and the House of Representatives vow their fealty to the Aquino family by wearing the Yellow ribbon instead of the Philippine flag. This makes us wonder whatever happened to that famous statement of the late Pres. Manuel L. Quezon who quipped “My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins.” One can very well say that no one is loyal to the Philippines…not even P-Noy who doesn’t wear the Philippine flag on his chest, but only his Yellow Ribbon. 

Come now…what reforms is P-Noy pursuing? That under him, the three separate, independent and distinct branches of the Philippine government would now be under his pockets? Isn’t this the purpose of that zarzuela happening in congressional committee on justice under P-Noy’s House “doberman” Rep. Niel Tupas who is pushing for the repeal of Presidential Decree no. 1946 that established the Judicial Development Fund (JDF)? Pray tell us the truth Mr. President that if your Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) wasn’t declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC) there would be no such investigation on the JDF today?

If you ask me… it is the wrong time to investigate the JDF for these are not ordinary times because in my book this investigation would only further destroy what little is left of our democracy. This is why what this nation needs is not another election, which is nothing, but changing of musical chairs…what we need is a system change so we can put in real and genuine reforms… not the reforms that lurk inside the mind of President Aquino.

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A month ago, I already heard from the grapevine that San Miguel Corp. (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang was selling back to Taipan Lucio Tan its 49 percent interest in the nation’s Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL). Well, this report finally got printed in The Philippine STAR last Sunday. As the story goes, the group of Taipan Lucio Tan expects to take back full control of flag carrier Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL) as early as this month.

As the report goes, talks between the Tan Group and SMC have narrowed down to the value of the buyout as well as the terms of payment. This was confirmed by no less than SMC president Ramon S. Ang himself.

The Tan Group is reportedly raising close to $1 billion to buy back the 51 percent of SMC and to pay the advances made by the diversified conglomerate to PAL for the purchase of brand new aircraft.

I’m really glad that Lucio Tan is getting back his PAL shares. PAL under Ramon Ang has somehow given up on many important routes, notably from Cebu to many important cities in Mindanao. This gave a huge edge to Cebu Pacific Air (CPA), which has now increased their fares to those places that PAL has stopped servicing. I don’t know why CAAP allowed this to happen…because when there is no competition, then there is a monopoly.

As we already wrote about the CALAX bidding, we saw how SMC executives tried to outsmart the DPWH when they submitted an erroneous and deficient bid security, which Optimal even acknowledged in its own memorandum of appeal. This was the reason why they were disqualified by DPWH with no less than Sec. Rogelio Singson in attendance.

What compounded their problem was when OIDI lawyers verbally announced their bid during the opening of bids of P20.105 billion when all the other bids were not yet formally opened. In my book, this was a fatal mistake because DPWH could never officially recognize the figures being verbally announced ahead of everyone else’s bid. Worse, they went to Manila Hotel and held a presscon, which was obviously designed to embarrass the DPWH.

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