Usapang Kapamilya
ABS-CBN News
A corrupted country-Arroyo’s sleazy legacy
We have become the most corrupt nation. No more can we tell ourselves that Filipino corruption scandals are by far qualitatively different from those of countries ruled by military juntas or dictators, or that the scams that shake Mrs. Arroyo’s administration were only peccadilloes that would barely make the world’s newspapers.
In her December 30, 2003 anniversary speech of the martyrdom of national hero Dr. José Rizal, gave her move more resonance, Mrs. Arroyo announced that she would not run in the 2004 elections that even her toughest critics felt compelled to define it as a “supreme sacrifice.”
Under her leadership, the Philippines would never again be out of the UN list of bad governance. And the Filipinos perpetual search of a leader to inspire them and move the country out of its poor Third World status.
With so many sleaze stories in our news pages, it is easy to become confused. Former Presidents Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino and Joseph Estrada supporters accuse Mrs. Arroyo of seeking to drag their names into the mud with her rumormongerings. Meanwhile, the Arroyo government has ordered its agencies concerned for an abrupt halt to all inquiries into multiple allegations of scandals, to wit:
1. Jose Pidal Bank Account (Unexplained Wealth, P200 Million)
2. Philhealth Scam
3. OWWA Fund Scam
4. Road Users Tax Scam
5. Fertiliser Scam / P728 Million Joc Joc Bolante Case
6. Macapagal Blvd. Scam/Macapagal Blvd. (Overprice of P532 Million)
7. Lebanon Repatriates Scam
8. Computers Scam
9. Venable Consultancy Contract LLP ( a Norberto Gonzales & Gloria Lobbygate)
10. Rice Smuggling Scam
11. Jueteng Scam
12. Pidal Accounts
13. IMPSA/Nani Perez Power Plant Deal ($2 Million)
14. Cheating in 2004 Elections (Hello Garci)
15. Juetengate (Illegal Numbers game kickbacks)
16. General Garcia and Other Military Men
17. Arroyo Million Dollar Account in Germany (Exposed by Senator Cayetano)
18. COMELEC Poll Automation Contract (P1.3 Billion)
19. PIATCO-NAIA 3 Arroyo Extortion
20. Marcos Recovered Cash
21. Bridges to Nowhere Scam
22. School Text Book Scam
23. Phil. Postal Corp.
24. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue
25. PNOC Gas Explore
26. Massive Vote Buy
27. Impeach-Me Bribe
28. Customs X-Ray Scam
29. Cataract Surgery Scam
30. Swine Scam (Exposed by Atty. Harry Roque)
31. NBN ZTE Scandal
1. SSS appointment of Hello Garci scandal star Romulo “Bakla” Neri
2. Social Security System (SSS) President Romulo Neri’s to channel
the agency’s funds to finance the administration’s “economic resiliency plan”
3. SSS members to file class suit against SSS president Romy Neri
32. Maguindanao Results of 2007 Elections (Zubiri-Bedol-Sumalipao)
33. North Rail scam, plus 2nd Probe / Northrail Project($503 Million)
34. WB stops P21.5B RP road funding
35. EU Parliment scold AFP & PNP
36. Trail alleged P1/2M Mal
37. Glorietta, more than meets the eye.
38. Arroyo’s Malacañang October, 2007 Bribery Scandal (Gov. Among Panlileo)
39. IBP Lawyers Against Arroyo
40. EU - want to see slay convictions
41. AFP systematically slay leftist UN
42. Bishops vs GMA morality
43. Gen. Lim’s Pen Hotel statement
44. Finance chief faces smuggling raps
1. Subic Freeport Custom Smuggling
2. Ilocos Norte 23 million Custom diversion
3. Smuggling BOC lawyers Eden Dandal, Gregorio Magat, Melchor Rabo,
and Jennifer Namuag
45. Overcharge POEA fails submit books CoA
46. The lowest ever recorded Satisfaction rating for a Philippine president at -38%
47. National Social Welfare Program 45billion Fund Scandal
48. Arroyo Appointees in the Supreme Court on JPEPA Decision.
49. GSIS boss Winston Garcia and DOTC boss Leandro Mendoza: The magic of CTPL
monopoly
50. GSIS boss Winston Garcia and Board of Trustees Illegal Diversion of 1Billion pension
fund surplus
51. War in Mindanao cause by the Arroyo initiated expanded Muslim Ancestral Domain
52. GSIS chief Garcia, counsel Elamparo, director Jesus Santos and PCGG chief Camilo
Sabio and CA Justice Jose Sabio syndicate
53. FG Arroyo lawyer Jesus Santos lobbying for GSIS over Meralco at the Court of
Appeals (CA) via CA Justice Jose Sabio
54. Big Cut On Commission On Audit (COA) 2009 Budget: The Only Performing Agency
Exposing Anomalies of the Arroyo Administration
55. Arroyo-Villar conceals 2008 budget doubled insertion(while other senators bare
their insertions)
56. Agriculture Secy Arthur Yap and the P218.7-million Ginintuang Masaganang Ani
Program Anomaly
57. Agriculture Secy Arthur Yap and the P135 million worth of vegetable seeds Gulayan
ng Masa Program Anomaly
58. Arroyo-Yap Fertilizer Subsidy Discount Coupons worth P250 per hectare Scandal
59. DBM Secy Rolando Andaya and the Anomalous P45 Billion “National Welfare Program
for the Poor”
60. NAPC Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban and the Arroyo Administrations Anomalies in
the 22 Billion National Anti-Poverty Commission Fund and the 126 Billion Fund for the
Small and Medium Enterprises Unified Lending Opportunities for National Growth
(SULONG) Program
61. WB report on FG Mike Arroyo and former Sen. Robert Barbers collusion and extortion
activity in all public works (DPWH) bid rigging just as other foreign government begins to
suspect corruption (eg. US, German, Chinese corporations).
The sheer storms after storms of allegations can leave us sun-blind. Perhaps, we tell ourselves, this is what all governments of this world do (or simply puts weder-weder nga lang ba talaga at inggit lang ang mga taga-oppositions). Perhaps Arroyo and party is no different from its predecessors. After all, wasn’t Joseph “Erap” Estrada brought down after a series of marital infidelities and financial scandals?
Yes, he was. But what is happening now is of a different order. The central accusation against this administration - that it has sold the country and its people, possibly even places in the legislature, to criminal groups - is one that has not been seriously leveled at a Philippine government since the introduction of the “political coalitions”.
The Arroyo administration differs from past administrations in two regards.
The first has to do with changed political circumstances. In the old days, political parties used to fund their candidates because it would deliver the kinds of policies they wanted; legal big businesses used to fund the candidates for national elections because they, conversely, wanted lower taxes, fewer regulations and less competition.
But now, with Arroyo’s Kampi party has become the representative of the criminal groups business (aka gambling lords, drug lords, etc.), who were more specific, more particular, for their money.
At the same time, Gloria Arroyo’s belief in the superiority of her motives leads her to reason that, when the country and peoples economy is at stake, the ends justify the means.
We saw this within weeks of her accession when she sought to explain the Perez affair as mere dirty politicking - the first of many extortion scandals - on the basis that she was already “plenty” and pretty straight kinda woman. That, essentially, remains her attitude: she regards complaints about integrity as petty next to what she is doing for the country’s economy.
Seven years later with forty-five (45) and more scandals to come, the House of Congress is cheapened. On October 11, 2007 More than 200 lawmakers and provincial governors were present in the meeting called by Malacañang Palace, Some local politicians confessed that they received a bagful of cash after attending a meeting where they also met the president.
To show that all is well in President Arroyo’s official family amid calls for their mass resignation, the Chief Executive, her Cabinet officials and the Armed Forces and National Police chiefs went on a political gimmick of “solidarity walk” and “walk of unity” or more popularly known as “walk of shame” on the Palace grounds and at EDSA on February 25, 2008.
That, more than the transformation of her economic vision for the country, more than Marcos dictatorship, more even than Estrada’s alleged probity, will be her legacy.
Inggit lang kayo dahil wala na kayong pupuluting marangal na pangalan after your weder-weder lang sa nakaw na kapangyarihan.
Magpaka-saya at magpaka-sarap kayo sa pag-lamon ninyo ng mga ninakaw ninyong pera ng bayan at magpa-sawalang hanggan naman naming ipapakain sa isipan ng sambayanang Filipino ang marumi at mabaho ninyong pangalan. Amen.
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