Angelo Reyes last statement

February 13, 2011

Reyes’ last statement: ‘I walked into corruption’

“I did not invent corruption. I walked into it. Perhaps my first fault was in having accepted aspects of it as a fact of life.”

These are perhaps among the last recorded words of former defense secretary Angelo Reyes, reportedly penned as rough “discussion notes” on Sunday, February 6, as he was preparing for an interview with Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism’s (PCIJ’s) Malou Mangahas —just two days before he killed himself amidst allegations that he and several other former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chiefs of staff received millions of of pesos in send-off money when they retired from service.

In these terse words, Reyes tried his best to walk the fine line between admitting guilt and insisting that he pursued an honest career as a professional soldier. “I might not be guiltless/faultless, but I am not as evil as some would like to portray,” Reyes wrote in his notes that a close confidante later passed to PCIJ’s Malou Mangahas. The full transcript, including Mangahas’ own comments, are posted on the PCIJ website. “Tinyente pa ako, ganyan na ang sistema (i.e., “conversion” system, etc.)… ,” Reyes explained in his notes. (That’s the way it’s always been, even when I was just a lieutenant.) “I can perhaps be faulted for presuming regularity in a grossly imperfect system. As CS (chief of staff), [I saw] a big landscape, presume regularity, convenient to ignore it, accept it as part of the system. It’s easy to say, institute reforms after the problems have erupted,” Reyes continued in what Mangahas explained as still rough, unpolished, and incomplete notes.

The statement sheds light on Reyes’ motives for killing himself, after it was alleged that he and several other former AFP chiefs received millions of of pesos in “pabaon” (send-off money) upon retirement from service.

In an ongoing Senate probe, former AFP fund manager Lt. Col. George Rabusa claimed that Reyes alone allegedly received P50 million on his retirement.

On the morning of February 8, Reyes killed himself in front of his mother’s grave.

He died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, apparently from a caliber .45 pistol, based on the findings of a special investigation task group of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

Eyewitnesses told police that Reyes, his bodyguard, a driver, and two sons arrived at around 7:00 a.m. at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City. Sometime before 7:30, Reyes reportedly told his sons and bodyguard to go ahead to where their car was parked. Then, standing alone in front of the grave of his mother, a single shot rang out and he fell to the ground.

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Is Sen. Antonio Trillanes a political prisoner?

February 4, 2011

Let me quote from Senate Resolution No. 84. This resolution, which was signed by 16 senators a few days ago, expressed anew “the Sense of the Senate for Sen. Antonio ‘Sonny’ Trillanes IV to be Allowed to Attend and Participate in the Sessions and Other Official Functions of the Senate and Requesting the Judiciary, Through the Regional Trial Court of Makati, Branch 148, to Rectify the Apparent Injustice by Allowing the Temporary Transfer of the Custody of Senator Trillanes to the Senate.”

The fifth paragraph of the Resolution reads: “WHEREAS, the offenses with which Senator Trillanes is charged are political offenses. Thus he is properly classified as a political prisoner in accordance with International Law.” In one of my earlier columns, I referred to Trillanes as a “prisoner of conscience,” a term similar to “political prisoner.”

We should all be familiar with the provisions of Senate Resolution No. 84. It will help us to understand and appreciate better the case of Trillanes who has now spent seven years in prison and in a few months will exceed the jail time of Ninoy Aquino. They are two senators of the Republic who have been imprisoned for their political beliefs.

Senate Resolution No. 84 points out several facts.

1. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was elected as a senator of the Republic during the May 2007 national and local elections by the votes of 11,189,671 voters, despite the fact that he was under detention pending the resolution of the charge against him for coup d’etat before the Regional Trial Court of Makati, Branch 148, thus indicating the clear, unmistakable mandate of the electorate for him to serve as one of their elected representatives at the Senate.

2. In recognition of the mandate of the electorate, on July 25, 2007 the Senate formally adopted Senate Resolution No. 3 “Expressing the Sense of the Senate that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV be Allowed to Participate in the Sessions and Other Functions of the Senate in Accordance with the Rule of Law.”

3. The Interparliamentary Union (IPU), an international organization founded in 1889, composed of 155 of the world’s legislatures of which the Philippines is an active member, has formally adopted at least five official decisions urging the government of the Philippines to either release Senator Trillanes pending trial of his cases and/or to allow Senator Trillanes “to attend Senate sessions and to grant him any such facilities as to enable him to exercise his mandate in a meaningful way.”

4. The Philippines is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which enshrines fair trial guarantees. Likewise, as a member of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, the Philippines is bound to uphold the highest standards of human rights.

5. Senator Trillanes has been on trial and has been kept under detention for more than seven years now which period, in the light of International Jurisprudence, may well violate his fundamental rights under Articles IX and XIV of the ICCPR as pointed out by the Interparliamentary Union. (Resolution adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 185th Session in Geneva on Oct. 21, 2009.)

6. Even President Aquino, chief executive of the Republic, in a number of instances, has expressed his personal belief that the continued incarceration of Senator Trillanes is an apparent injustice which needs to be properly addressed.

7. Former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, who was elected as the president of the Committee on Human Rights of the Interparliamentary Union in 2009, has pointed out that in a number of countries, legally detained parliamentarians are allowed and permitted to attend parliament and participate in its work, particularly in Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Turkey, and that in countries like Pakistan and Cameroon, a mere request of the National Assembly is sufficient to enable detained legislators to attend sessions of their legislatures.

8. As can be seen from the foregoing, the continuing inability of Senator Trillanes to join the sessions and other official functions of the Senate not only amounts to a personal injustice to him but is likewise an injustice to the 11,189,671 Filipino voters who voted for him as well as to the Senate as an institution and a co-equal and coordinate branch of government.

9. This apparent injustice can be rectified and resolved by allowing the temporary transfer of the custody of Senator Trillanes from the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame to the Senate, particularly to the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) at least while the Senate is in session with the express understanding that OSAA shall ensure the attendance of Senator Trillanes in trial, hearings and all proceedings of the cases against him unless otherwise excused by the courts.

The 16 senators who endorsed the resolution were: Vicente C. Sotto III, Pia S. Cayetano, Franklin M. Drilon, Francis G. Escudero, Teofisto Guingona III, Loren B. Legarda, Sergio Osmeña III, Ralph G. Recto, Alan Peter S. Cayetano, Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, Gregorio B. Honasan, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Francis Pangilinan, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Juan Miguel Zubiri. Some of them qualified their endorsement with the phrase, “with due respect to the courts.”

More than 11 million Filipinos voted for Senator Trillanes in 2007, in spite of his actions in July 2003. It is time for their voices to be heard.

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HOW DO YOU CHEAT AND WIN AN ELECTION

October 12, 2010

IF YOU’RE RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE…
 
The first thing you need is a lot of money. This is what I’ve heard. Assuming you don’t get the votes, then you have to figure out a way to manufacture them. Some of it might be considered improper or unethical, but not necessarily illegal. Well, some of it is plainly illegal, but most of it is in a sort of grey area.
 
People tell me that local elections actually have a lot more integrity than the national because it’s so closely fought. If you’re a national candidate, you’ll also end up depending on these local guys to bring in the votes and guard them. They basically run the elections—manage the elections in their municipalities on behalf of their candidates, watching each other like a hawk, knowing everybody around. These informal checks and balances on the local level are much more effective. But these guys are gonna be fighting for themselves, you’re secondary if you’re a national candidate. Their concern for you is secondary to their own election. So chances are, they tend not to watch your votes as closely.
 
WHO GETS PAID?
 
When I was in Lanao del Sur in 2007, we went to a school where people were being handed out envelopes. I opened one of the envelopes and there was like, 20 bucks. And I found out later on that that was for someone running for the barangay council. I suppose it varies from place to place, and probably increases exponentially depending on the position. In Quezon City or Makati perhaps, the price would probably be a lot different.
 
 
WHAT IF YOU DON’T WANT TO CHEAT?
 
Someone told me that the kind of methods you would employ to guard your votes are the same methods you would use to cheat. Meaning, you would have to pay the same people more or less the same amount to cheat as you would for them to just prevent the other guy from cheating. “Wag kayong magdagdag, wag lang kayo pumayag na magbawas.”
 
I talked to a candidate known for his integrity. He’s retired now, but during his entire public career no one has ever questioned his honesty. When he was running, his people were telling him, “We don’t want to cheat but you have to at least let us guard your votes.”
 
Whether you want to cheat or not, you may have no choice but to engage into some form of illegal activity. Even if you want to be honest, you cannot. Because the other guy will not be honest.
 
BUT AREN’T YOU ONLY ALLOWED TO SPEND SO MUCH…
 
No one follows that, I’ve heard. Obviously they’ll submit reports that will show that they did. But the truth of the matter is that no one observes election spending limits. On that alone, everybody should be disqualified.
 
HOW DO YOU CHEAT?
 
Presumably, the first step is to manipulate the result and, number two, is providing the public plausible explanations for your victory. A year before the elections you have to start paying the people to fix the surveys. You wanna be smooth about it. Because, obviously you can’t come out of nowhere and all of a sudden become the winner. The public won’t believe it and the public trusts the surveys. So you have to find a way so that there’s a natural progression of your approval in the surveys. That way you are providing the premise for an acceptable victory.
 
Then, you engineer a failure of elections.
 
HOW DO YOU FIX A SURVEY?
 
According to some people, you find out where they are going to do the survey. You go there ahead of them and you bribe the barangay. “Here’s a sack of rice from a particular candidate.” Even using generally accepted polling methods, during that survey more people would then mention that candidate’s name. Gradually you’ll see the numbers of that person rise in the polls. You can’t be too early of course. The smooth operator would know how to create a gradual progression that lays the ground for a plausible victory.
 
 
HOW DO YOU ENGINEER A FAILURE OF ELECTIONS?
 
There’s a variety of ways to engineer a failure of elections. Massive power outages on the day itself and documents are lost during the outage. Or intimidation of election officers to make sure that they don’t show up. You can also instigate violence in a certain area, which will require the postponement of the elections.
 
WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT?
 
You can buy official election documents. You can bribe the Comelec, the people in the printing office or whatever—and you buy them. At least that’s what’s people say. We saw that in 2004 and we saw a continuation of that in 2007. Based from personal experience, in Lanao for example, there were blank election documents that were being brought into a hotel room so that the Comelec officials themselves could fill them in. Which is why there are complaints about the handwriting being the same. I saw that in Maguindanao. I saw that in Lanao. Everybody said, “Parang pareho yung handwriting ah.”
 
At some point, there’s a switch from the actual ballots or ERs with the manufactured ones. Let’s say the switch happened between the munisipyo and the province—by the time it gets to the province it’s already moot at that point. Everyone from the other end already knows it is switched. The original documents disappear and get destroyed. A smooth operator would have different people doing it.
 
And, this happens almost always in the same places.
 
WHY?
 
Luzon is fairly honest because there are too many people watching there. And urban areas like Cebu and Davao as well for the same reason. What you can do now is they go to the smaller but less scrutinized areas. You have to go to the places where there are fewer people, less scrutiny…Like ARMM. Or maybe in remote places up North, where nobody even bothers to question. Hopefully if you get enough of that, it adds up to something to take you to the top.
 
IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES, CAN YOU STILL DO SOMETHING AFTER ALL THAT?
 
Yes, I’ve heard about the case of two senatorial candidates. This is what I heard happened: Both had apparently done what they had to do and both were expecting to win. Then, there was a failure of elections and there was a recount and all that. One of them—the one who was actually ahead in votes—had gotten word that the Palace was going with the other guy. If I recall correctly, he calls them up and says that he was gonna blow the lid off on all the cheating if they intervened. With all things being equal, he points out that, “it really was a fair election because we both did the same thing. All of us did. So fair and square whoever wins. I know I will be proclaimed unless you intervene.”
 
SO DOES ALL OF THIS REALLY WORK?
 
I’m not the expert but that’s what I’ve been told. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo started going up in the survey one year before the elections. It was gradual climb so it seemed plausible. If you remember correctly, it was not until the ‘Hello Garci’ tapes that everybody raised those questions again. The opposition had been howling since day one but the public as a whole pretty much accepted it because it was plausible. (Apart from the fact that people were afraid that FPJ really did win.) The point is, before that scandal, people accepted, grumblingly or not, the result of the election.
 
CAN’T YOU WIN WITHOUT ALL THIS?
 
The person whose election has never been questioned was Erap Estrada’s—because he had such a freakin’ wide margin. Nobody could have accused him of cheating. He was really accepted as popular. His victory was so wide that even if De Venecia tried to cheat, it’s wouldn’t be enough. Cheating has its limits. In a very tight race, that would put you through. But in a case where you have a landslide winner, you can’t.

Comelec Registration Schedule

August 3, 2010

On October 25, 2010 our nation would go to the polling precinct again to elect a new set of Barangay Council who will chart the destiny of this benighted community for the following years.
    
Considering the importance of elections in ridding the country of corrupt and inefficient public servants, all citizens of voting age ought to participate in the forthcoming political exercise.
   
And while many national and local politicians carefully position themselves as the ideal candidates by delivering fiery speeches containing lies and half-truths, the suffering people must not completely turn to a deaf ear to the growing fears of many sectors of society.

 

An estimated one million voters across the country were reportedly delisted from the Commission on Elections roster following their failure to vote in the last three elections (2004, 2007 and May 2010).

 

Let us help the poll body, chaired by retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Melo, in addressing the problem of voter disenfranchisement if we want to protect the will of the electorate.
   
There is still no guarantee that our candidates will be successful in facing the challenges in the office. A great mayoral candidate may still have a nervous breakdown, a governor may still yield to temptation when confronted with temptations while in office. Even if the best candidate becomes the best office holder, unless the people will support him, then it won’t matter. If the public does not support him, then others may take advantage, and exploit his unpopularity with their own agendas.

 

We share the view of many that the credibility of elections does not only depend on the actual counting of votes but on the registration of voters.

 

Registration for members of Sangguniang Kabataan  - August 6 – 15, 2010 while

Registration for Barangay Election, August 4 – 13, 2010.

 

So, let’s go out and register now.

State of the Nation Address (SONA) 2010 transcript (full text)

July 20, 2010

State of the Nation Address
of His Excellency
Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines
to the Congress of the Philippines
Session Hall of the House of Representatives

July 26, 2010
[Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City]

 

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay, Chief Justice Renato Corona, Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government;

My beloved countrymen: TAGALOG VERSION CLICK HERE

Our administration is facing a forked road. On one direction, decisions are made to protect the welfare of our people; to look after the interest of the majority; to have a firm grip on principles; and to be faithful to the public servant’s sworn oath to serve the country honestly.

This is the straight path.

On the other side, personal interest is the priority, and where one becomes a slave to political considerations to the detriment of our nation.

This is the crooked path.

For a long time, our country lost its way in the crooked path. As days go by (since I became President), the massive scope of the problems we have inherited becomes much clearer. I could almost feel the weight of my responsibilities.

In the first three weeks of our administration, we discovered many things, and I will report to you some of the problems we have uncovered, and the steps we are taking to solve them.

This report is merely a glimpse of our situation. It is not the entire picture of the crises we are facing. The reality was hidden from our people, who seem to have been deliberately obfuscated on the real state of our nation.

In the first six years of this year, government expenditure exceeded our revenues. Our deficit further increased to PhP196.7 billion. Our collection targets, which lack PhP23.8 billion, were not fully met, while we went beyond our spending by PhP45.1 billion.

Our budget for 2010 is PhP1.54 trillion. Of this, only PhP100 billion - or 6.5% of the total budget – can be used for the remaining six months of the current year. Roughly 1% of the total budget is left for each of the remaining month.
Where did the funds go?

A calamity fund worth PhP2 billion was reserved in preparation for anticipated calamities. Of this already miniscule amount, at a time when the rainy season has yet to set in, PhP1.4 billion or 70% was already spent.

The entire province of Pampanga received PhP108 million. Of this, PhP105 million went to only one district. On the other hand, the province of Pangasinan, which was severely affected by Typhoon Pepeng, received a mere PhP5 million, which had to be used to fix damages inflicted not even by Pepeng, but by a previous typhoon, Cosme.

The funds were released on election month, which was seven months after the typhoon. What will happen if a typhoon arrives tomorrow? The fund has been used up to repair damage from typhoons that hit us last year. Our future will pay for the greed of yesterday.

This is also what happened to the funds of the MWSS. Just recently, people lined up for water while the leadership of the MWSS rewarded itself even though the pensions of retired employees remain unpaid.

The entire payroll of the MWSS amounts to 51.4 million pesos annually. But this isn’t the full extent of what they receive: they receive additional allowances and benefits amounting to 81.1 million pesos. In short, they receive 211.5 million pesos annually. Twenty four percent of this is for normal salaries, and sixty six percent is added on.

The average worker receives up to 13th month pay plus a cash gift. In the MWSS, they receive the equivalent of over thirty months pay if you include all their additional bonuses and allowances.

What we discovered in the case of the salaries of their board of trustees is even more shocking. Let’s take a look at the allowances they receive:

Attending board of trustees and board committee meetings, and you get fourteen thousands pesos. This totals ninety eight thousand pesos a month. They also get an annual grocery incentive of eighty thousand pesos.

And that’s not all. They get a mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, and financial assistance. They not only get a Christmas bonus, but an additional Christmas package as well. Each of these amounts to eighty thousand pesos. All in all, each member of the board receives two and a half million pesos a year exclusive of car service, technical assistance, and loans. Let me repeat. They award themselves all of these while being in arrears for the pensions of their retired employees.

Even the La Mesa watershed wasn’t spared. In order to ensure an adequate supply of water, we need to protect our watersheds. In watersheds, trees are needed. Where there should be trees, they built homes for the top officials of the MWSS.

We cannot remove them from their positions quickly because they are among the midnight appointees of former president Arroyo. We are investigating all of these things. But if they have any shame left, they should voluntarily relinquish their positions.

Now let’s discuss funds for infrastructure. The DPWH identified two hundred forty six priority safety projects to be funded by the motor vehicle user’s charge. This needs a budget of 425 million pesos. What they ended up funding were only 28 projects. They disregarded 218 projects and replaced these with seventy projects that weren’t in the plans. The 425 million pesos originally asked for became 480 million pesos, increasing because of projects allocated for a favored few.

These projects make no sense: unstudied and unprepared for, sprouting like mushrooms.

The era of such projects is at an end. Under our administration, there will be no quotas, there will be no overpricing, the funds of the people will be spent for the people.

There’s more. Five days before the term of the previous administration ended, they ordered 3.5 billion pesos to be released for the rehabilitation of those affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. This was supposed to fund eighty-nine projects. But nineteen of these projects amounting to 981 million pesos didn’t go through public bidding. Special Allotment Release Orders hadn’t even been released and yet the contracts were already signed. It’s a good thing Secretary Rogelio Singson spotted and stopped them. Instead, they will all go through the proper bidding, and the funds will be used to provide relief to those who lost their homes due to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

Let’s discuss what happened in Napocor. From 2001 to 2004, the government forced Napocor to sell electricity at a loss to prevent increases in electricity rates. The real motivation for this is that they were preparing for the election.

As a result, in 2004, NAPOCOR slumped deeply in debt. The government was obligated to shoulder the 200 billion pesos it owed.

What the public thought they saved from electricity, we are now paying for using public coffers. Not only are we paying for the cost of electricity; we are also paying for the interest arising from the debt.

If the money we borrowed was used properly, then there would be added assurance that constant supply of electricity is available. However, this decision was based on bad politics, not on the true needs of the people. The people, after having to sacrifice, suffered even more.

This is also what happened to the MRT. The government tried again to buy the people’s love. The operator was forced to keep the rates low. TAGALOG VERSION CLICK HERE

In effect, the guarantee given to the operator that he will still be able to recoup his investment was not fulfilled. Because of this, Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines were ordered to purchase the MRT.

The money of the people was used in exchange for an operation that was losing money.

Let us now move on to the funds of the National Food Authority (NFA).
In 2004: 117,000 metric tons (of rice) was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they (the government) bought were 900,000 metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than seven times the amount of shortage, they still bought more than what was needed.

In 2007: 589,000 metric tons was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they bought were 1.827 million metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than three times the amount of shortage, they again bought more than what was needed.

What hurts is, because they keep purchasing more than what they need year after year, the excess rice that had to be stored in warehouses ended up rotting, just like what happened in 2008.

Is this not a crime, letting rice rot, despite the fact that there are 4 million Filipinos who do not eat three times a day?

The result is NFA’s current debt of 177 billion pesos.

This money that was wasted could have funded the following:

- The budget of the entire judiciary, which is at 12.7 billion pesos this year.

- The Conditional Cash Transfers for the following year, which cost 29.6 billion pesos.

- All the classrooms that our country needs, which cost 130 billion pesos.

This way of doing things is revolting. Money was there only to be wasted.
You have heard how the public coffers were squandered. This is what is clear to me now: change can only come from our determination to stamp out this extravagance and profligacy.

That is why starting now: we will stop the wasteful use of government funds. We will eradicate projects that are wrong.

This is the point of what we call the zero-based approach in our budget. What used to be the norm was every year, the budget merely gets re-enacted without plugging the holes.

Next month we will be submitting a budget that accurately identifies the problem and gives much attention on the right solution.

Those that I have mentioned were only some of the problems we have discovered. Here now are examples of the steps we are undertaking to solve them.

There is a case of one pawnshop owner. He purchased a vehicle at an estimated cost of 26 million pesos.

If he can afford to buy a Lamborghini, why can’t he pay his taxes?

A case has already been filed against him. Through the leadership of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, every week we have new cases filed against smugglers and against those who do not pay the right taxes.

We have also already identified the suspects of the cases of Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio and Miguel Belen, 3 of the 6 incidents of extralegal killings since we assumed the Presidency.

Fifty percent (50%) of these incidents of extralegal killings are now on their way to being resolved.

We will not stop the pursuit of the remaining half of these killings until justice has been achieved.

We will hold murderers accountable. We will also hold those who are corrupt that work in government accountable for their actions.

We have begun forming our Truth Commission, through the leadership of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide. We will search for the truth on the alleged wrongdoing committed in the last nine years.

This week, I will sign the first ever Executive Order on the formation of this Truth Commission.

If the answer to justice is accountability, the answer to the dearth in funds is a new and creative approach to our long-standing problems.

We have so many needs: from education, infrastructure, health, military, police and more. Our funds will not be enough to meet them. TAGALOG VERSION CLICK HERE

No matter how massive the deficit is that may keep us from paying for this list of needs, I am heartened because many have already expressed renewed interest and confidence in the Philippines.

Our solution: public-private partnerships. Although no contract has been signed yet, I can say that ongoing talks with interested investors will yield fruitful outcomes.

There are some who have already shown interest and want to build an expressway from Manila that will pass through Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, until the end of Cagayan Valley, without the government having to spend a single peso.

On national defense:

We have 36,000 nautical miles of shoreline, but we only have 32 boats. These boats are as old as the time of (US General Douglas) MacArthur.
Some had this proposition: they will rent the Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard and the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio.

They will take care of the funding necessary to transfer the Navy Headquarters to Camp Aguinaldo. Immediately, we will be given 100 million dollars. Furthermore, they will give us a portion of their profits from their businesses that would occupy the land they will rent.

In short, we will meet our needs without spending, and we will also earn.

There have already been many proposals from local to foreign investors to provide for our various needs.

From these public-private partnerships, our economy will grow and every Filipino will be the beneficiary. There are so many sectors that could benefit from this.

We will be able to construct the needed infrastructure in order to help tourism grow.

In agriculture, we will be able to have access to grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, orderly road networks and post-harvest facilities.

If we can fix out food supply chain with the help of the private sector, instead of importing, we will hopefully be able to supply for the needs of the global market.

The prices of commodities will go down if we are able to make this efficient railway system a reality. It will be cheaper and faster, and it will be easier for travelers to avoid crooked cops and rebels.

A reminder to all: creating jobs is foremost on our agenda, and the creation of jobs will come from the growth of our industries. Growth will only be possible if we streamline processes to make them predictable, reliable and efficient for those who want to invest.

We make sure that the Build-Operate-and-Transfer projects will undergo quick and efficient processes. With the help of all government agencies concerned and the people, a process that used to take as short as a year and as long as a decade will now only take six months.

The Department of Trade and Industry has already taken steps to effect this change, under the leadership of Secretary Gregory Domingo:

The never-ending horror story of registering business names, which used to take a minimum of four to eight hours depending on the day, will be cut down drastically to fifteen minutes.

What used to be a check list of thirty-six documents will be shortened to a list of six, and the old eight-page application form will be whittled down to one page.

I call on our local government units to review its own procedures. While we look for more ways to streamline our processes to make business start-ups easier, I hope the LGUs can also find ways to implement reforms that will be consistent with the ones we have already started.

All will certainly benefit from this streamlining — be it businessmen, soldiers, rebels and ordinary Filipinos. As long as the interests of Filipinos will not be jeopardized, we will explore all available avenues to make this a reality. We must start now, and we should all help achieve this and not stand in each other’s way.

The time when we will no longer be made to choose between our people’s security and the future of our children is upon us now.

Once we implement these public-private partnerships, we will be able to fund public service in accordance with our platform.

This will enable us to fund our plans for education.

We will be able to expand our basic education cycle from seven years to the global standard of twelve years.

We can build more classrooms, and we will fund service contracting under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Program (GASTPE).

Conditional cash transfers that aim to lessen the burden of education on parents will also be funded if this partnership becomes a reality.

Our plans for improving PhilHealth can now be within reach.

First, we will identify the correct number of Filipinos who sorely need PhilHealth coverage, as current data is conflicting on this matter. On one hand, PhilHealth says that eighty-seven percent (87%) of Filipinos are covered, then lowers the number to only fifty-three percent (53%). On the other hand, the National Statistics Office says that only thirty-eight percent (38%) of Filipinos are covered by Philhealth.

Even as we speak, Secretary Dinky Soliman and the Department of Social Welfare and Development are moving to implement the National Household Targeting System that will identify the families that most urgently need assistance. An estimated 9 billion pesos is needed in order to provide coverage for five million poor Filipinos.

Our country is beginning to see better days ahead. The private sector, the League of Provinces headed by Governor Alfonso Umali, together with Governors L-Ray Villafuerte and Icot Petilla, are now ready to do their share when it comes to shouldering the financial burden. I know that the League of Cities under the leadership of Mayor Oscar Rodriguez will not be far behind.

If the local governments share in our goals, I know that I can surely count on Congress, the institution where I began public service, to push for our agenda for change.

Our Cabinet has already showed it skill by identifying not just problems but also proposing solutions in a matter of three weeks.

In the aftermath of Typhoon Basyang, we were told by those in the power sector that we would be without electricity for four days. The quick action of Secretary Rene Almendras and the Department of Energy resulted in the restoration of power to almost all those affected within twenty-four hours.

The so-called water shortage in Metro Manila was quickly attended to by Secretary Rogelio Singson and the Department of Public Works and Highways. Secretary Singson did it without prodding, which alleviated the suffering of those affected.

We also witnessed the competence and initiative of those we appointed to be part of our Cabinet. It is but just that they not be forced to go through the eye of a needle to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. Should this happen, competent Filipinos will be encouraged to help our country by becoming public servants.

In the soonest possible time, we will convene the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to discuss the important bills that need to be addressed. Rest assured that I will keep an open mind and treat you honorably.

We will push for the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, which will limit spending bills only for appropriations that have identified a source of funding. We need 104.1 billion pesos to fund those laws already passed but whose implementation remains pending because of lack of funds.

We will re-evaluate fiscal incentives given in the past. Now that we are tightening our purse strings, we need to identify those incentives that will remain and those that need to be done away with.

We will not allow another NBN-ZTE scandal to happen again. Whether from local or foreign sources, all proposed contracts must undergo the scrutiny of correct procedures. I now ask for your help with amending our Procurement Law.

According to our Constitution, it is the government’s duty to ensure that the market is fair for all. No monopolies, no cartels that kill competition. We need an Anti-Trust Law that will give life to these principles, to afford Small- and Medium-Scale Enterprises the opportunity to participate in the growth of our economy.

Let us pass into law the National Land Use Bill.

It was in 1935, during the Commonwealth, that the National Defense Act was passed. There is a need to amend for a new law that is more responsive to the current needs of national security.

I appeal to our legislators to pass the Whistleblower’s Bill to eradicate the prevalent culture of fear and silence that has hounded our system.
We will strengthen the Witness Protection Program. We must remember that from 2009 to 2010 alone, cases which involved the participation of witnesses under the program resulted in a ninety-five percent conviction.

There is a need to review our laws. I call on our lawmakers to begin a re-codification of our laws to ensure harmony in legislation and eliminate contradictions.

These laws serve as the basis of order in our land, but the foundation of all rests on the principle that we cannot grow without peace and order.
We face two obstacles on our road to peace: the situation in Mindanao and the continued revolt of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Our view has not changed when it comes to the situation in Mindanao. We will only achieve lasting peace if all stakeholders engage in an honest dialogue: may they be Moro, Lumad, or Christian. We have asked Dean Marvic Leonen to head our efforts to talk to the MILF.

We will learn from the mistakes of the past administration, that suddenly announced an agreement reached without consultations from all concerned. We are not blind to the fact that it was done with political motivation, and that the interest behind it was not that of the people.

We recognize the efforts of the MILF to discipline those within its ranks. We are hopeful that the negotiations will begin after Ramadan.

To the CPP-NPA-NDF: are you prepared to put forth concrete solutions rather than pure criticism and finger-pointing?

If it is peace you truly desire, then we are ready for an immediate cease-fire. Let us go back to the table and begin talking again.

It is difficult to begin discussions in earnest if the smell of gun powder still hangs in the air. I call on everyone concerned not to waste a good opportunity to rally behind our common aspiration for peace.

Our foundation for growth is peace. We will continue to be shackled by poverty if the crossfire persists.

We must understand that now is a time for sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that will pave the way for a better future. With our freedom comes our responsibility to do good unto our fellows and to our country.

To our friends in media, especially those in radio and print, to the block-timers and those in our community newspapers, I trust that you will take up the cudgels to police your own ranks.

May you give new meaning to the principles of your vocation: to provide clarity to pressing issues; to be fair and truthful in your reporting, and to raise the level of public discourse.

It is every Filipino’s duty to closely watch the leaders that you have elected. I encourage everyone to take a step towards participation rather than fault-finding. The former takes part in finding a solution; from the latter, never-ending complaints.

We have always known that the key to growth is putting the interest of others beyond one’s own. One thing is clear: how do we move forward if we keep putting others down?

How will those without education secure quality jobs? How will the unemployed become consumers? How will they save money for their future needs?

If we change all this, if we prioritize enabling others, we will open a world of opportunities not just for ourselves but for those who direly need it.
We have already begun the process of change, and we are now able to dream of better things for our country. Let us not forget that there are those who wish us to fail, so that they will once again reclaim power to do as they please at the expense of our people.

My firm belief is that our fate is in the hands of God and our people. While we focus on uplifting the lives of our fellow men, I have an unshakeable faith that Almighty God will give us His blessings and support. If we remain firm in our belief that God is on our side, is there anything impossible for us to achieve?

The mandate we received last May 10 is testament to the fact that the Filipino continues to hope for true change. The situation is not what it was before; we can all dream again. Let us all become one in achieving a fulfilment of our hopes and aspirations for our country.

Thank you very much! TAGALOG VERSION CLICK HERE

 

STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

• SONA 2011 FULL TEXT
• SONA 2010 TAGALOG VERSION
• SONA 2010 ENGLISH VERSION
• SONA 2009 FULL TEXT
• SONA 2008 FULL TEXT
• SONA 2007 FULL TEXT

 

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Did Willie Revillame sink Manny Villar?

May 14, 2010

Do you think Willie Revillame’s endorsement hurt the candidacy of Manny Villar?

 

Some observers have said that Willie Revillame’s endorsement hurt the candidacy of Manny Villar following the backlash against the controversial host of “Wowowee”.

 

Do you agree? Why or why not?

Iglesia ni Cristo names 12 senatorial bets for May 10 election

May 5, 2010

Iglesia Ni Cristo on Wednesday named the 12 senatorial bets it is supporting.

They are: Ruffy Biazon, Frank Drilon, Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Tito Sotto III, Teofisto Guingona III, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ralph Recto, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, and Juan Ponce-Enrile.

Iglesia ni Cristo officially endorses Noynoy Aquino & Mar Roxas May 10 election

Iglesia Ni Cristo has officially endorsed Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III in the presidential race, and his running mate Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II in the vice presidential race.

It said the announcement came from Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo, who also urged INC members to vote early and not to engage in arguments over who they voted for. Manalo announced the names of the candidates through a “palibot liham” distributed during Wednesday’s worship service at the INC central temple in Quezon City.

Beginning Wednesday during early worship service in various locales of the INC nationwide, church ministers read to the faithful members the list of the INC’s candidates in the coming elections.

The support of the religious group is courted by many candidates, both national and local, since the INC votes as a bloc. The practice is rooted in the INC’s belief in the principle of unity.

The INC’s endorsement is one of the most anticipated endorsements in the May elections. INC voters account for around 3% of the electorate or between 1.5 million to 2 million votes. Voting as a block, a report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer said the INC has estimated command votes of 5-8 million.

The INC previously endorsed the candidacies of Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo in the 1998 and 2004 presidential elections, respectively. In a close election, such as the 2004 race between President Arroyo and actor Fernando Poe Jr., INC’s support can spell the difference between victory and defeat.

Many local politicians who need the support of the INC also often support the presidential candidate chosen by the INC leader.

Aquino admitted Saturday he and his sisters met with Manalo and sought the INC’s support for his presidential bid. They also thanked him for his prayers for their late mother, Corazon Aquino, who died August 1, 2009 from colon cancer.

Cheating Philippine Election 2010

February 27, 2010

This has been considered part of the game, provided you do not get caught and if caught you are prepared to defend yourself in court.

Filipinos know cheating during election. this is a fact of life. this usurps the popular will which is the very essence of a democratic institution.

Automated election is the answer to this. But even if there is an automated election, automated cheating is still possible.
In some areas in the country, voters have never seen even a calculator much less a computer. And because there is now automation in our election , people have to deal with a new type of machine. A machine that swallows their ballots, makes a score and piles up the score needed for the municipal, provincial and national canvass.

Is the computerized voting procedure easy? In some areas in the Philippines, electricity is lacking and maybe no transmission signals. Would automation be still possible?

When automation takes place, Filipinos will no longer witness the reading of the ballots and the scores in the blackboard. After the voting, Filipinos have to contend going to their homes in the evening not knowing who won the elections.
Will automation provide us Filipinos more faith or revitalized faith in out electoral process?

We will try to answer this in 2010!

Manny Villar Senatorial line-up

February 22, 2010