Time for talk is over

ON DISTANT SHORE
By Val G. Abelgas

Apparently stung by his declining satisfaction and popularity ratings, President Benigno S. Aquino III has recently assumed a fighting mood. Whether that will redound to the country’s benefit would depend on how serious he was and how long he would stay the course.

In a speech before students at the national conference of the Student Catholic Action on April 11, Aquino said he was at “war” with Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, while insinuating that she was blocking his efforts to curb corruption and punish corrupt officials.

Aquino was obviously bringing his case against Gutierrez to the people, preempting the scheduled impeachment trial of the Ombudsman in the Senate, where the outcome remains uncertain.

Days later, tax evasion charges were filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue against party list Rep. Mikey Arroyo and his wife Angela for the couple’s alleged failure to pay taxes on undeclared incomes earned between 2003 and 2009 at the height of the term of Mikey’s mother, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The tax evasion case against Mikey, coupled with the impeachment moves against Gutierrez and an earlier corruption case against Lakas stalwart, former Congressman and Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) head Prospero Pichay, prompted Lakas president Sen. Bong Revilla to call on party members to “go on the offensive” and launch frontal attacks on the integrity of the Aquino administration. Revilla made the directive allegedly on instruction from Gloria Arroyo, who had met the Lakas officials earlier.

So far, Aquino has not backed down.

In another speech before graduating students of the University of the Philippines, Aquino carried the “war” a notch higher by reiterating his fight against the Ombudsman and calling Arroyo and her allies “paranoid” for thinking the Aquino administration was going after them.

In the same speech, Aquino turned his combative mood against the Catholic Church, which has intensified its campaign against the Reproductive Health Bill that is now pending in Congress. He said he would have the responsible parenthood bill passed despite threats from some groups to have him excommunicated.

“My conviction is firm to have the responsible parenthood bill passed, Aquino said. “I am aware that there are sectors opposed to this, but I have an obligation as a leader to dialog with all sectors and to calmly explain our position to them, even if some have been calling for my excommunication.”

By reiterating his commitment to put the brakes on the Philippines’ rapid population growth, it is hoped that the presidential vacillation on the issue has finally ended, and that Malacanang would finally put its seal in support of the bill that is an important component of any poverty alleviation program.

The recent aggressive stance by Aquino was obviously triggered by the concern over sliding ratings in an effort to picture him as a serious leader bent on pushing his reform agenda. He is nearing his first year in office and he has yet to show his determination to curb corruption and poverty. What started as a bomb with his fiery inaugural speech has apparently fizzled out amid allegations of insensitivity in buying a Porsche sports car in the midst of poverty, and the government’s lack of direction and political will.

Aquino and his advisers are hoping that the renewed drive against corruption and poverty would earn him “pogi” points with the people and pull up his ratings again. We have no quarrel with that as long as he backs his statements with concrete actions, and as long as he does not slide back to his seemingly lackadaisical behavior.

The next few weeks will put to serious test Aquino’s determination to pursue his war against corruption, a war he said was synonymous to the war against the Ombudsman and against certain officials of the previous administration; and his war against poverty, a war that would be headed to defeat unless rapid population growth is stopped.

After nearly 10 months since he talked tough, Aquino is talking tough again. The time for talk is over; let’s see the walk.

(valabelgas@aol.com)