ATTEMPTED KICKBACK AT DOTC DEALS AND DELAYS IN PROJECTS REAL REASON FOR PING DE JESUS RESIGNATION

A highly reliable source within the palace disclosed that Ping de Jesus and Benigno Aquino III's meeting last Monday was far from cordial. Several witnesses say both men were nearly shouting at each other.

The source (who refuses to be identified) says Ping de Jesus was persuaded to resign following several attempts made by close Aquino associates who reportedly want a slice off (read: COMMISSION) several pending projects at the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). 

De Jesus confided to the source that he was sick and tired of confronting these people coming to his office, using allegedly the name of the president to get a slice off those deals. 

Several of these deals included the purchase of radar equipment for the airport, the NAIA terminal 3, construction of several ports and the building of a new airports or terminals.

De Jesus was also extremely disappointed when he got word that several people in the Malacanang wanted nothing more than cash in on the deals. 

" They're using the name of the President to get into these deals. Napaka ganid at makakapal ngayon kesa nung panahon ni Gloria", says the source who is very close to the family of the resigned DOTC secretary.

Ping de Jesus, for those who know him, is a very straight guy. He does not tolerate corruption. The reason why these projects were delayed was that the DOTC sat on these projects to protect the public interests.

Deals without anomalies attached to them were either blocked or some groups did not inform the President of the urgency of approving these deals, says the source.

Worse, when Mr. de Jesus raised these problems with the President, the President reportedly got a little angry.  Noynoy even reportedly protected Virgie Torres, his firing range buddy accused of graft and corruption. Torres got her suspension order from the DOJ. 

De Jesus also reportedly had a confrontation with the DOTC mafia which includes several retired police personnel -, relics of the old DOTC leadership. De Jesus' anti-corruption campaign forced several of these DOTC old-timers to do a smear campaign against the secretary.

 

Reason behind De Jesus' Resignation:The Dioknos, Torreses and Punos of the Aquino Administration

HOnest men leaving the Aquino administration

So, that's it. After he bungled his job and is exposed as an inept jailer, Ernesto Diokno, bosom buddy of President Benigno Aquino was made to resign to escape the fangs of the law.


This differs from the one Ping de Jesus, secretary of the DOTC did last Monday. De Jesus' resignation exposed the truth happening inside the palace. 


Diokno was made to resign to avoid prosecution. De Jesus' resigned because he cannot tolerate the ineptitude and the power struggle happening inside the palace. 


The Department of Justice (DOJ) says Diokno's "absolved" after he tendered his resignation. The fact-finding commission discovered so many anomalies at the New Bilibid prisons that it is next to impossible that Diokno did not know at least some of them during his tenure. Or, as many say, Diokno might have even participated in some anomalous transactions there.


Diokno should have been charged as well, for command responsibility. But, no.


Fact is, Diokno is being prepared for another assignment, intimated by no less than the President. 


Imagine, an inept official being "re-tooled" for another assignment. How assured are we that Diokno will not anymore bungle his next job?


As they say, it's best for someone to be friends with the President.


Look at what happened at the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). The country lost a great patriot in the person of Ping de Jesus all because of the fact that the President reportedly sided with his firing range friend and kababayan, Land TRansportation Office (LTO) chief Linda Torres in the case of Stradcom.


Torres reportedly took part in the contentious Stradcom ownership issue and has allowed anomalies to rise in the LTO that de Jesus reportedly wanted to fire her from her post. As LTO chief, Torres is just an assistant secretary in the DOTC.


De Jesus reportedly asked for TOrres' head from the president, but Aquino reportedly defended his beleaguered friend. THat sealed the deal for both the president and De Jesus.


President Aquino has this tendency of protecting his friends, not the public welfare. Noynoy is exhibiting and even committing the grievous sins of his predecessor, Gloria Arroyo.


Fact is, Aquino is behaving so much like Arroyo that there is no noticeable difference between the two.


Worse, Aquino shows lack of competence to lead this country to greatness once more. He is all talk, all propaganda, no substantial achievement since he took office a year ago.


Prominent and highly respected people are leaving the Aquino administration, frustrated at what is happening inside the palace.


Executive secretary Paquito Ochoa says there is no power struggle happening inside the palace. Yet, the Administrative Order which is supposed to define the powers of LIberal party president Mar Roxas is still being crafted.


Groups are maneuvering to prevent Roxas from assuming the Chief of Staff post, even giving hints to media that Roxas will assume this and that position, to muddle the order of the President.