What ABAD and this administration want to tell Congress

The Senators may not know it, and even those who defend DAP probably know but kept this to themselves for fear of not partaking the trillion peso budget pie is this---the very institution where they belong has already been mocked and has lost power, all because of the DAP.

When Budget secretary Butch Abad appeared before the Senate, he gave them a briefing on how the Executive abrogated the law and arrogated the very powers of Congress to the Chief Executive.

The charter gave Congress the power of the purse, a power which they exercise as a form of "checks and balance". In essence, a democratic and republican government allows the Executive to propose programs and projects, which probably half of it were proposed by executive departments and another, by several other stakeholders, particularly legislators.

These projects are reflected in the proposed budget. This proposal goes to Congress for review. Hours and hours are spent, studying the budget which eventually turns into law as the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Now what Abad told the Senators is that what the Executive does during the budget execution stage is simply skirt the "will" of Congress by arrogating the power to determine where the monies of the people's treasury goes to, by either scrapping several programs stated in the GAA or simply instructing agencies of government to "save monies" for these funds to convert themselves into "savings".

Meaning, those hours spent studying the proposed budget and turn it into a law are rendered useless. Why go thru this budgetary review process when eventually, billions of pesos are converted into "savings" which go to the Executive.

What these stupid legislators do not know that those funds are "powers" by themselves. When Congress allows this illicit practice, it loses power and gives it to the Executive, wittingly or unwittingly.

When this happens, there is an imbalance. Congress becomes a prostituted institution because many of its members would now report to the Chief Executive instead of the Speaker because the Speaker now is just a totem pole, or an honorary power compared to the Chief Executive who wields true power.

When "A" man turns Bad, it is all about Public Money

Why is it so hard for the President to do what is right? Many people are asking why it takes so hard for Noynoy to fire Butch Abad. Is it because the President is personally convinced that Abad did nothing wrong?

If that is the case, then, we are dealing with a different Noynoy because when he was Senator, this Disbursement Acceleration Program or DAP was the one he opposed and even filed a Senate resolution about. Noynoy the Senator opposing DAP and now, President Noynoy, convinced of its necessity?

If this is also the case, then Noynoy has just shown his dictatorial tendencies, the very character that his parents opposed and laid down their lives with. Noynoy is supposed to be a democrat. As a democrat, he is supposed to follow the very laws which allow democracy to thrive. And he is supposed to believe in this "ideology" called liberal democracy being pursued by his own party. Don't tell me that democracy stops when funds are concerned? That the President should be liberal in dealing with the people's monies--that he can do whatever he wants with it?

This is exactly what is terribly wrong with the President right now. We need someone who will not see things in just one perspective.

As President, Noynoy is supposed to dispense justice equally, not selectively. The Rule of Law must be upheld at all times. How then can we have a Rule of Law, when the very "Rule" interpreted by our very own President is a rule based on friendships and blood relations?

With just one swipe of his pen, Noynoy has just allowed legalized a dictatorship.

Why did we oppose the dictatorship in the first place? Because many realized that the former dictator used the people's monies for his own personal use.

Malacanang has constantly maintained the position that those billions of DAP funds went to good use. How will that happen when those funds went directly to NGO's funded and invented by Janet Lim-Napoles?

Malacanan wants Senators to prove that those funds they gave those legislators were put to good use. How will that happen when Benhur Luy himself said that Napoles dipped her fingers into this program good nature-ly?

Butch Abad is a good man, but good men are just as good as their latest act. It is so easy to be "bad" and what happened to Butch is what is happening to the rest of the good natured men working in government--they turned their "a" performance into "a-bad" one when funds are concerned.

It is so easy to have and fight for visions but when someone's vision gets blurred whenever they see money and monies at a minute's point of dispensation without any hint of responsibility, that becomes a problem.

On the Disbursement Acceleration Program--put to good use? Ya, right!

The palace wants us to accept the fact that those DAP funds were put to good use. Well, I doubt it. For one, Malacanang says nothing wrong with re-challenging those funds to other uses. The only disturbing thing about this is the fact that when they re-channeled the funds, those given to at least five senators went directly to the bogus NGOs of Janet Lim-Napoles.

So, there's nothing bad there? It is presumed that when funds go to Napoles' NGOs, surely, these funds financed ghost projects because Napoles was in the business of processing the papers of bogus NGOs.

The least that Malacanan should do is to let go of Butch Abad and fire all their legal experts.                                      

No blind praise for Noynoy Aquino: What is Right, is Right.

This is for those yellowish people out there who are too blind to see the truth. 


This is a fact---even before you guys admired and voted for Pnoy, I was already there with them since 2008! Yes, I am a certified early supporter of Mar and Pnoy. We were in Balai ni Mar since November 2008. 


Balai was at that time, without people. Only Butch Abad, Chito Gascon, Mar, Noynoy and at least five others who constantly meet there at that time. Balai was my tambayan. 


When Mar's candidacy was announced, I was there at Balai, celebrating with friends. Blogger Kevin of Cebu knows that. When he courteously gave way, I was there, with Toots Ople and the rest of the gang in Club Filipino. And when Noy ran for the Presidency, I was there planning, working hard and touring the rest of the country just for him.


Two arduous years of struggle. Those who now benefitted from our sacrifice are now enjoying the perks of power. 


And you know why I even nearly sacrificed the lives of my kids and my family for Noynoy? It is because of my ardent love to my country. 


If people do not want a revolution, then, choose parliamentary struggle. Elect those whom you think would best serve this country. 


I had full trust that Noynoy will do his darnest best, and I did not fool myself into thinking that the full six year term of his would be the panacea that would cure the diseases of this country, oh no. 


When someone asked me what will happen to this country the minute Noynoy stepped inside the palace, I told him matter-o-factly, that no change will happen. The destruction wrought by the previous administration was so great, it will take years before anything normalizes. 


I am no blind follower of a hesitant leader. I am no cheering squad for a leader who refuses to listen to the cries of his fellow men.


And I oppose and fight the wrongs being wrought by these men to this country, the only one I have.


Let this be clear---it is wrong for this President to keep his friends in power when these people already destroyed or is destroying the very agenda of change by the President.


It is wrong for this President to ignore the legitimate demands of the people for true change. It is utterly wrong for this President to ignore the pleas of the people for assistance against rising fuel prices and food stuffs.


It is wrong for this President to concentrate on big-business deals that will ensure his and his associates future after his term. It is wrong to do shakedowns of various industries just so that his people would be able to negotiate terms with industry titans and accommodate his friends and his friends' requests for a slice of the revenue pie.


It is wrong for this President to prosecute a just man just because of his wrongful association with the previous regime. It is wrong to invent a pile of baseless accusations just so that his friends from the Firm would be able to replace the Chief Justice with their own.


And it is terribly wrong for this President to sacrifice everything just to kow-tow to the caprices and whims of a few rent-seekers to the detriment of the people.


I raise my fists in utter defiance. Let it be said that at least one man raised his fists at a time of great darkness.

Noynoy Aquino's Ratings fell 15%--SWS survey

The latest Social Weathers Survey shows at least 60% net approval rating for President Aquino, a 15% drop in his previous net ratings when he started his administration. This approximates what former president Joseph Estrada got when he finished his 100days. Their ratings however, paled in comparison with the 66% net rating former president Fidel Valdes Ramos got when he finished his 100 days. 


Is this an indication that Aquino will suffer the same fate as Erap? Some people whom I chatted some days ago says that Aquino acts like an Arroyo, bumbles like an Erap but worse--he has an inexperienced Cabinet behind him, unlike the previous two Chief Executives. Erap and Arroyo also got high marks from the business community when they started out. After three years, Erap was ousted while Arroyo's nine-year term was rocked with scandals and anomalies. 


Yet, Aquino still has five plus years to go. And the drop in terms of ratings is expected. The only question is how fast and how big the drop will be. 


Honestly, the people trust the President. His only liability are men behind him. People are least likely to trust these Cabinet members simply because they are really not fit for their jobs. Worse, there is a perception that their appointments were political accommodations. People expect Aquino to appoint persons of high integrity and competence, not just people whom he trust. 


Sources say that Aquino has given his bosom buddy to the dogs. He will present a modified IIRC report which recommends the filing of charges against DILG undersecretary Rico Puno. Puno has been asked by well-meaning friends of the Aquino administration to "take a leave of involuntary absence" by going abroad and upon arriving, hide himself before the media. This is good since this will take off the heat from the administration. 


Likewise, take a good read of Conrado de Quiros' article today. It bewails the apparent politics behind certain actions of Budget secretary Butch Abad, a sterling member of Hyatt 10 and Balai. Abad reportedly jacked up the budgets of the Communications group of Carandang when the secretary only asked for a pittance and that of the DSWD of his friend, Dingky Soliman. 


De Quiros is correct---Abad should not toy with the people's money. Abad slashed by half most of the government agencies' budget but increased those of his buddies. This is a very malignant disease. And this could start the administration's downfall. 

Noynoy Aquino's honeymoon

President Noynoy Aquino asked---where's my honeymoon? Noy was referring to the 100-day respite from media attacks usually accorded to new heads of state.

The president even jokingly said that because he's a bachelor, people probably thought that he does not know what "honeymoon" means.

Let me impart my two-cents worth knowledge on why there's no honeymoon for New Pnoy--it's his fault. His stirring inauguration speech left many with a higher expectation than his predecessor.

He promised change. Yet, he did not say that it will be slower than expected.

He promised a New Philippines. Yet, he did not say that it will actually be a "modified" version of the old.

His first acts as the New Head of State were totally shocking because they were so "traditional", these disabused the minds of many people and re-defined what "new" means.

He re-cycled Cabinet members of the old dispensation, and allowed one of them, Finance secretary Cesar Purisima to appoint a dubious character at the Bureau of Customs. Trusted family associates were appointed to sensitive posts, including someone who headed Maynilad to the agency which Maynilad directly transacts with.

Noy hired someone from the energy sector to head the energy department, totally subservient to the interests of the big oil players. And he allowed a very close family friend to audit Malacanang, a very suspicious thing since under the law, it's only the Commission on Audit which does that.

Noy allowed families to populate his Cabinet. The Abads control the purse while the Romulos controlled both the Foreign Affairs and the Department of Agriculture.

He then appointed a veteran LTO official to the top post and allowed her to transact with Stradcom. Stradcom, even at this time, still gives bad service. This was discussed but never resolved.

The Customs department promised to present one big fish every week, but failed. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) did the same, but again, reneged. These were promises which the people were given but never implemented.

The People are doing their best to support the new administration, but times are making it difficult for people not to criticize this new government.

Food prices remain extremely high. Oil prices remain high. Meralco wants to increase their electricity rates while Maynilad and Manila Water are telling the people that there is a possibility of a water shortage. These things are making life extremely hard for Pinoys.

If the Pinoys, whom Noynoy described as his bosses, are having a very difficult time to survive life here in this country, and his new administration is now perceived to be helpless in stemming this, what then would stop us from commenting and criticizing?

An Abad Administration instead of an Aquino?

President Noynoy Aquino should be advised by his media handlers. There is a limit to being transparent. Example is the uproar created by his statement practically clearing Senator Antonio Trillianes IV of the coup d'etat charges against him.

Aquino is not a private citizen anymore. His views, even if its personal, is now clearly "official". There is no distinction anymore between Citizen Noy and Pnoy. Utterances of the president are now fair game, always.

It seemed that Aquino's statement absolving Trillianes was interpreted as "presidential intervention". It is clear from our laws that the Executive cannot interfere with the workings of our courts, that is certain.

Anyway, what is this we hear from there? That the description of this administration is not Aquino, but ABAD.

Is there a dearth of good men in our country?

Butch Abad is Budget secretary. His daughter, Julia, sits as the Presidential Management Staff head while her brother, Lucio, serves as Consultant to Finance secretary Cesar Purisima. Butch's wife has been elected and is poised to serve as a Legislative liaison to President Noynoy Aquino.

Another form of Kamaganak Incorporated?