Aquino Legacy---From NAPoles to NAPenas

Come 2016, President Aquino's six year term will be defined by this phrase:" From NAPoles to NAPenas" stressing two big issues which nearly cost him the Presidency.

This is quite sad. Many well-meaning people thought that it is his Tuwid na Daan which is to define his legacy.

NAPoles is now being seen as the name behind a sophisticated network of scandalous schemes out to get the people's monies. While NAPenas reminds us of the tragic fate of 44 SAF troopers in Mamasapano Maguindanao.

Napoles will forever be in perpetuity as a reminder of how weak our government is in protecting our public coffers, while NAPenas will likewise remind us of how an honest public servant is now being blamed and faulted for something which he only did after being commanded to.

I hate to say it, but I pity the relatives of those fallen SAF commandos. Even now, the very institution which they have sworn to serve and protect is now even rebutting the findings of the very Board of Inquiry which was asked to investigate about the incident, just to protect the hide of President Aquino.

The BOI says there was a clear violation of the chain of command. The Department of Justice says the concept is a military concept and is not being followed in the PNP because the police organisation is civilian in character, not military.

The word here is simple---this administration wants nothing more than shield Pnoy from culpability. Period.

I really don't understand what's the big fuss is all about when it is entirely true that even if Pnoy admits culpability, there is still such a thing as "mea culpa" or an apology. Why is it so hard for Pnoy to admit his mistake and eventually move forward? He cannot be sued for issuing or leading a botched operation. Why the hardening of positions?

What's to fear when your President says his subordinate lied to him?

Now, it's back to Napenas, after President Pnoy initially said, it was Alan Purisima who fooled him on the true situation of the 44 SAF troopers who went to Mamasapano only to meet inhumane deaths.

In his 3pm meeting with religious leaders, Pnoy accused Napenas of giving him false information, of "fooling" and "lying to him."

This is quite insane and very dangerous, if you ask me.

The president simply admitted his incompetence. The question really is--why did the President allowed himself to be fooled and lied with? If you are a competent leader, the next best thing that any normal leader would do is re-validate the information from other sources?

President Aquino is arguably, the most powerful man in this country. He has in his control, thousands of people. Is he saying that he wasn't able to re-validate the information using other sources? Don't tell me that during the Mamasapano operation, it was only Napenas who knew what was happening? 

Being the leader, the Chief Executive and the Commander-in-Chief, Aquino has both the AFP and the PNP in his beck and call. Likewise, Aquino has billions of pesos of intelligence funds at his disposal. He likewise has the NICA and other agencies and of course, he has his OPAPP and his buddy, ARMM governor Mujiv Hataman at his side, always ready to supply him with information, truthful information.

Likewise, don't tell me that those 12 long hours, Aquino did not think of calling other people to provide him with truthful information to guide him in his actions? 

It appears that Pnoy knew all along what was happening--then, why did he not call MILF leader Al Haj Murad directly and asked him if Murad can command his troops and ask them to stand down? Don't tell me that these things did not cross the mind of Aquino.

Because if it didn't, then, we have a very serious problem of competence here. 

We have a President that is as clueless and as gullible as any other ordinary guy bordering on stupidity.

How many times did other people fool this president? How can you now trust this President who does not even know how to re-validate information given to him? Who believes information given to him and prefers to stick to his guns inspite of the fact that the basis of his belief lies on faulty or wrongful premises?

President Aquino just revealed how incompetent he was and is still is, as leader of this country. How shameful that his incompetence led to the deaths of these men.

Pnoy resign! a seditious thing?

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is threatening people that they will file sedition charges against people who will ask for the President's resignation.

Question---is asking the President to resign, an incendiary or seditious thing? The definition of sedition, as stated in Section 139 of the Revised Penal Code is:

Art. 139. Sedition; How committed. — The crime of sedition is committed by persons who rise publicly and tumultuously in order to attain by force, intimidation, or by other means outside of legal methods, any of the following objects:
1. To prevent the promulgation or execution of any law or the holding of any popular election;
2. To prevent the National Government, or any provincial or municipal government or any public officer thereof from freely exercising its or his functions, or prevent the execution of any administrative order;
3. To inflict any act of hate or revenge upon the person or property of any public officer or employee;
4. To commit, for any political or social end, any act of hate or revenge against private persons or any social class; and
5. To despoil, for any political or social end, any person, municipality or province, or the National Government (or the Government of the United States), of all its property or any part thereof.

Is asking the President to resign an act that "inflicts" hate or revenge upon the person of the President? No. Is asking him to politely consider leaving office an act of hate or revenge? No.

I thought Pnoy and the Aquinos were the ones who "brought back democracy" in the Philippines. We are not under martial law. And I believe that Justice secretary De Lima used to be Human Rights Commission chairman under Arroyo. Then, why this?

When Pnoy was elected and he gave his first speech, he told us, the Filipino People, that we are his boss and that he was just "forced" to accept the position of president. Pony said he was a "reluctant president."

Okey, since you are just being forced to act as President, then, let us unburden you, Mr. Benigno Simeon Aquino.

Resign now. Resign and allow more competent people to manage the affairs of the state before you commit another major mistake which could put everyone at risk.

I say---Pnoy is a danger to himself and to society. He should not be forced to do what he is reluctant to do, which is ACT as President.

President Benigno S Aquino III with throat cancer? Palace should release medical records of President

Pnoy sick with throat cancer?

Last Friday, news spread about President Benigno S Aquino III is sick with throat cancer. When I first heard it, I checked whether this is already in the news (meaning, confirmed) or any other person knows about it. It seems that several people heard it.

Since I cannot confirm if this is true because even if the president is indeed sick with throat cancer, surely, because of national security, the palace will think twice of pronouncing or announcing it thru the media. However, I came across this provision in the 1987 Constitution which states:

Section 12. In case of serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed of the state of his health. The members of the Cabinet in charge of national security and foreign relations and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, shall not be denied access to the Presdident during such illness" (Section 12, Article 7, 1987 Constitution)

Is throat cancer a serious illness? Yes. The Mayo clinic describes throat cancer as referring to the  cancerous tumors that develop in your throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) or tonsils. Symptoms include:

• A cough
• Changes in your voice, such as hoarseness
• Difficulty swallowing
• Ear pain
• A lump or sore that doesn't heal
• A sore throat
• Weight loss

Everyone noticed that the President is coughing more often now. He likewise speaks in a hoarse voice in several occasions and look how frail the President was, when he addressed the Nation last July 28. His barong tagalog is somewhat slightly bigger than his built. Of course, we will never know if Pnoy has a sore throat or a lump that does not heal.

Is this what Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda referred to as "death threat" against the President? Or Lacierda is referring to another person? If yes, then, who is this person who threatened the president with death? Surely, that person thinks that he is equally as powerful and as influential as the president? And why was the death threat given? Was it because of a business deal gone sour? or the death threat emanated from groups out to oust him?

Surely, the palace is describing not a coup, since a coup is not a "death threat", far from it.

Malacanang has the duty of releasing Pnoy's medical records to allay these fears and put down rumors that the President is sick.

For one, the Aquinos has a history of their blood relatives dying of cancer, with the president's mother, Cory, for one. Cory died of colon cancer. Her sickness was announced just a few months before her death.

Is throat cancer curable? Yes, if treated at an early stage, throat cancers can either be cured through surgery or radiation treatment. Recurrence of this illness is a certainty.

I appeal to Malacanan to release the latest medical records of the President to assuage fears that he is sick or dying due to a serious illness. They owe it to their "bosses."

Maneuverings inside the Pasig's Most Famous Mansion

Seems like the last few years of the Second Aquino administration will see the ascension of well-meaning and idealistic groups from the "shadows" to the forefront.

Groups who initially backed up the candidacy of President Aquino are now ascending the rungs of power, while those aligned with highly political groups are slowly being eased out. The Power Center is changing. These maneuverings are meant to arrest the slow decline of President Aquino's trust and popularity ratings.

By the way, the Aquino administration's performance against graft is now, officially declared, a failure. International groups have shown numerous surveys indicating that graft and corruption remains a problem for the Philippines, an obvious sign that Aquino's efforts have failed for the past three years. It does not mean though that the entire campaign is a failure. These things just say that, yes, for the past three years, nothing happened.

I think Aquino wants a new phase in his administration, something that will define his legacy for the nation. Hey, the chance of a third Aquino ascending to the presidency is nil. So, the next three years will define what the people interpret as the Aquino years in power.

Really now, Aquino is the only president who once enjoyed the widest support from differing and different groups in Philippine society. These groups are mostly supportive out of their desire to really institute reforms in the system. Among the current crop of leaders, Aquino is the only one who shows promise. This president is open-minded. This president has his heart at the right place. This president, given a chance, has the strength of character enough to resist temptation. This president, shows heart.

What really affects his performance is when politically inclined interest groups enter into the picture. These groups want only two things from Aquino---money and power. They do not have the interest of the Nation at heart. This explains why graft remains very active in this administration because of the presence of these people who remains loyal only to their basest interests, and not the interest of Aquino.

If I'm really a friend of Pnoy, and my actions or continuing presence in his cabinet or in an appointive post harms his reputation because of my own actions, I will tender my resignation. Kung pabigat ako sa pamahalaan, ang pagbibitiw sa puwesto ay isang karangalan.

It is now time to dilute the influence of these highly political groups within the Aquino administration, and highlight now, what non-political groups can do to arrest the slide of the people's trust behind this administration.

There is still enough time.

Sabah standoff opens President Aquino to impeachment?

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Pnoy should stop playing and concentrate on his work as President

As some of us salivate over news of another Pnoy tryst with a Korean celebrity, many of us are deathly worried over the cavalier attitude of this government insofar as economic matters are being discussed. As Pnoy tries to cozy up with Korean celebrity Grace Lee, the Philippine stock market dived to its lowest in two years. Foreign investors are not buying what Pnoy told the business community that this administration will further open the domestic markets for globalization. How can that be possible, when the business tycoons of this country are slowly making a killing by limiting the space that foreign-based investments can actually play on?

Tell me of just one Private-Public Initiative that took off and I'll tell you, there's none. Tell me of one big company sued by this government of economic sabotage and I'll tell you, there's also none. Ask me if some big time businessman has been put to jail for not paying the right taxes and i'll also tell you, there's no single animal out there who was hand-cupped and put in jail. Those press releases from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) are not making it quite easy for investors to really consider the Philippines as an open market.

Carmen Pedrosa in her article today over at the Philippine Star blame wrong policies of the Aquino administration as the reasons for the lackluster economic performance of government. There is so much potential in this country but this administration is taking its sweet time, spending precious moments planning instead of just implementing what the previous Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) PROPOSED SEVERAL ADMINISTRATIONS AGO. That plan was a blueprint, yet some if not many of its proposals are being left to rust in time by this administration. 

How then can it solve the increasing number of job hunters in the market or the debilitating rise of poverty throughout the archipelago? Graft and corruption continues unabated, and if we are to believe certain quarters, like what my friend Bobby Capco wrote in his column, corruption continues at the Bureau of Customs, even. Big-time players have cornered the entire market, and those two idealists whom Pnoy put in trust there, remained busy counting their blessings, never their accomplishments.

Politics is destroying this administration, bit by bit, and I'll not be surprised if later on, we see a hollow administration.