Duterte administration asked to be transparent in China deals

Several businessmen have expressed apprehension over the alleged invitation made by the Duterte administration to some Chinese firms involved in anomalous and "shady" deals with foreign governments. Senators, including Panfilo Lacson, Grace Poe and Leila de Lima have expressed their own positions, even said that these invitations raise "red flags"

Reports show that one firm got the contract for the reclamation in Davao while the Bases Conversion Development Authority or BCDA denied that it already contracted a Chinese firm banned by the World Bank as winning bidder in one of their projects. Vince Dizon, chairman of the BCDA, assures that all contracts will definitely undergo very strict bidding process. Good to know.

Dizon should be reminded that the agency he is managing right now is a very sensitive one. Even if it only had entered into a "feasibility  study" phase with that Chinese firm, Dizon is managing former military bases and being a sovereign country,  the Philippines should not be sharing very sensitive information about our facilities, even if these facilities have been transformed into ones for civilian uses. We must always remember that we still have several issues with China to deal with.

President Duterte is always promising us of a "clean" government, free from corruption, and most of the people are expecting that. However, disturbing news like the June visits of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and DOTC secretary Art Tugade to China, according to outgoing US Ambassador Philip Goldberg are raising doubts everywhere.

Some people especially those dealing with agencies concerned with Customs, Immigration, Tax and those involved in regulation, have expressed their dismay over the continuing corruption. "Business as usual" is the most often sign being seen everywhere and this means that those who were appointed by our president are now raking in several profits. As told by some, several are receiving monthly "tara" from syndicates imbedded already in the bureaucracy.

If I'm the President, I'll be targetting and literally erasing them from the face of the earth. These syndicates are operating with wanton disregard of authorities, even scoffing at the President's announcement that he would kill all those doing these corrupt practices.

I think the next stage that this administration should take should involve a cleansing of the bureaucracy. In the meantime, this administration is advised to be extra careful in its next steps, and always think that the entire world is watching its every single move and a mere misstep could cause it to tumble, and tumble out of power.

Every deal this administration would enter with China would be watched with discerning eyes. This is a duty of every patriotic citizen out there, because while we are being entertained by these killings and these online wars, we must not forget our duty of ensuring that we are not being robbed at the same time by those who claim to be our saviors.

Vice president Binay developing a Teflon-like personality, thanks to Cayetano and Trillanes

Anti-Binay attack dogs: Cayetano and Trillanes

Inspite of malicious attacks against him, Vice president Jejomar Binay remains on top of practically all presidential surveys, be it public or private. This is a phenomenon, rarely seen in Philippine politics.

In the United States, this phenomenon was observed during the heated attacks against Bill Clinton who survived an impeachment without resigning his post, a far cry from what Richard Nixon did during the height of the Watergate scandal.

President Barack Obama also enjoys what political pundits describe as a "Teflon-like" personality which many say as a trait of a politician who continues to be trusted by the public inspite of attacks against him by his political nemesis.

Binay's ratings are recovering, and this is being reflected in surveys after surveys. I cannot say that to his detractors, namely Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes. Inspite of having a television ad, Cayetano's trust and popularity ratings have slipped drastically and continue to slide down further south. Even having an advertising "genius" by the name of Greg Garcia by his side, Cayetano seemed unable to shake off the public's distrust of him.

Yes, a high percentage of people are aware of him (Cayetano), but a pitiful few trust him and see him as a potential president. His conversion rate is by far, the lowest among senators.

Worse for Trillanes. In the list of vice presidentiables, Trillanes even came close to third place. Now, Trillanes is not even in the list. This controversy dragged him to the pits, eighth spot.

Yes, many people know Trillanes but like Cayetano, his conversion rate is at its lowest. If elections are held today, and Trillanes is still a senatorial contender, chances are, he may even lose this.

The reason for this is simply, these anti-Binay elements misread the political landscape. They do not have statistics telling them of the people's pulse.

Surveys after surveys show that people like leaders and builders, not accusers and probers. People are tired of these investigations. People want their leaders to just do their jobs and give them solutions instead of accusing other government officials of malicious impropriety.

They vehemently deny it, but Cayetano, Trillanes and Pimentel appeared like attack dogs of anti-Binay elements. They need to admit it---they mishandle the probe. They have shown their impropriety early on. That's why it appeared before the public

Senate sub-committee hearing by Cayetano-Trillanes-Roxas a dirty tricks probe

The two senators whose behavior smacks of dirty politics

After watching how Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano treated businessman Antonio Tiu during the last hearing of the "sub" committee of the Blue Ribbon, I, along with millions of other ordinary taxpayers are convinced that what they are doing are just "in aid of political dirty tricks" instead of "in aid of legislation."

Everyone knows that Cayetano has his own hallucation of becoming president, which, at the very same vein, Trillanes also has his illusions of grandeur.

Trillanes may have coopted out and even chickened during those dramatic takeovers of hotels, yet, fascist thoughts still linger in his ape-like brain.

These hearings are by far, show how gross, stupid and how low these legislators would go just to further their own political dreams. I describe their plans as "dreams" because no voter would ever vote for these two people.

Imagine if these two are given executive powers---they would definitely use them to harass, harangue and prosecute businessmen and ordinary people who will stand before them.

Businessman Tiu went to the hearings to provide information and to rectify what these senators have accused him of.

Tiu, as everyone knows in the local business community, is an honest and astute businessman. Fact is, unlike others, Tiu wants nothing more than help jobless people by providing them with employment in his farms and businesses.

What Cayetano and Trillanes did was malign and sully the reputation of this man who, just like most of us, works for an honest living.

If these two, God forbid, succeed and eventually get themselves to Malacanan, how many more ordinary businessmen and people would they victimize?

I thank God that, this early, these two senators are exposing themselves and we are being given a glimpse of how these two nincoompoops behave or conduct themselves while in power.

Cayetano acts like a petty mayor who uses legalese just to prove his point. Trillanes, on the other hand, acts like a cop who bullies people and tries everything just for people to submit to his will. Let me rectify what I said--Trillanes is not a cop but a Fascist who wears high boots.

Worse, Trillanes has his own warped view of the world and he has this tendency of using everything at his disposal just so people would subscribe to what he hallucinates about.

These two senators have abused their powers. What is so unfortunate is that these two belong to OUR generation. Alan Peter Cayetano belongs to our generation and so does Trillanes. They should show the people how different our generation is compared with others.

As what former Manila mayor Arsenio Lacson once described a young Manila councilor who eventually became a senator---" so young, yet so corrupt."

Corruption involves not just stealing monies of the people. The worst form of corruption is not involving money but using one's power in a very abusive manner.

Cayetano and Trillanes should be ashamed. They should have been different. Yet, the very system which they tried to fight is the very sordid one who transformed them into pitiful bullies.

Slam Senate sub-committee hearing on Binay

Saan ka nakakita ng isang hearing "in aid of legislation" na may conclusion na kaagad ang mga miyembro ng sub-committee of the Senate blue ribbon?

When I was watching yesterday's hearing, I was very sad. It is time, I thought, of going back abroad and just work there. Our politics here, sucks.

As I was watching the three senators: Trillanes, Cayetano and Pimentel, I thought that they are the Gestapos masquerading as judges.

Unlike our politicians of old, where they exercised decency and the adherence to law, these hearings lack the impartiality expected of these legislators.

Hearings, which by the way are being funded by the ordinary taxpayer, are supposed to be for "in aid of legislation" and not "in aid of election."

By the way things are unfolding, these senators are acting like hatchet men. Look at what they did to this businessman, Antonio Tiu.

In order to establish that he's a "dummy" these senators, especially Cayetano tried to pin him down by saying that he does not own the property which he bought from a certain Laureano Gregorio. Tiu said he paid for the 140 hectare property with a downpayment of 11 million pesos. He issued post-dated checks to the tune of 446 million pesos, the amount of the sale.

Everyone knows that one assumes ownership of the property at the time that the sale is consummated. The sale, in this case, was, and therefore, Tiu assumes that he already owns the property although of course, the transfer of the title of ownership still hangs pending completion of the entire payment.

Technically, Tiu is still the owner. But what did the senators give as reaction? They tried to downplay what Tiu was telling them.

But, what did the senators assumed? They still told the public that the property is not owned by Tiu, but by the Vice president and his family.

These senators are abusing the power given to them by us, ordinary taxpayers. They are using public money to gain media mileage, something which I, as a taxpayer of this country, refuses to acknowledge.

We, the people, should unite and stop these hearings. Walang patutunguhan ito, at we are just allowing these senators na bilugin ang ulo nating lahat.

Presidential elections 2016---The Vice Presidential aspirants

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano's name appears in most, if not, all surveys for possible contenders to the vice presidential posts come 2016. And Cayetano seems convinced, what with several of his Upsilonian brothers promising to support him.

His obvious opponent seems to be another Senator, Antonio Trillianes IV, who reportedly told his friends that he is gunning for the second highest post come 2016. Trillianes is very confident of the formidability of his grassroots machine and rightly so. I come to know about his machinery and it is highly consolidated and formidable compared with others.

I think the only one who can muster the same force is former Senator Kiko Pangilinan, who has been relegated to the sidelines because of his open defiance of Mar Roxas. Until now, the promise for a post for the former senator still hangs. He was touted to get the DA post and inspite of all these controversies against Prospero Alcala, Pangilinan remains in his farm somewhere, planting herbs and vegetables. Alcala is a close political ally of Roxas.

That being said, I don't know what Chiz Escudero plans to do with his political career. He can stay as Senator for as long as the Constitution warranties but he has to go up sometime. Is 2016, the right time for him? The question really is money. Does Escudero enjoy the availability of funds, the same thing which Bongbong Marcos enjoys right now?

Bongbong Marcos has an option to run for the vice presidency and wait for another six years before taking part in the political infighting for the presidency. If he guns for the presidency, I think the best tandem for him is a Marcos Poe (MP)?