By Paul Atienza
The Daily Tribune
The Daily Tribune
AQUINO BACK TO HIS DISCREDITED CAMPAIGN SLOGAN
Three years into the presidency and President Aquino, in a bid to project his image as a graft buster, yesterday again blamed all the ills of his government on detained former President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, projecting and presenting himself and his administration as squeaky clean and completely incorruptible.
He was back to his old, discredited slogan of “without corruption, there is no poverty” even in the face of rising poverty among Filipinos under his watch, as well as his government being seen even by the international governments as a corrupt government.
Even as his spokesman in Malacañang claimed that the Palace is “ecstatic” over the Sandiganbayan’s grant of Arroyo’s petition to ease the restriction on visiting time as imposed by the Philippine National Police (PNP), and granted her wish to have her family to be with her on Christmas and New Year in the Veterans Memorial Medical Hospital (VMMC) where Arroyo is detained, Aquino, speaking at the first state conference on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, blasted away at the former President, saying that a decade before he assumed office, the government was in a quagmire of severe corruption.
Aquino said the Filipinos are well aware of what kind of damage brought by corruption to the government system.
“I myself have pointed out that the 10 years before I stepped into office that this decade had been called a lost decade—one in which our country could have developed strong foundations to build upon. Instead, after my predecessor stepped down, our administration found a system of governance long decayed by corruption.
“Our first actions were not to build on what had been achieved, but to fill the fissures in our public institutions,” Aquino said.
The UNCAC occasion was attended by Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, all of whom are his allies and appointees, and other top officials of government from the three branches of government.
Aquino said that it is fair to say, however, that there is “no gulf between his agenda and the public’s collective desire to curb corruption, to end the vicious cycle of self-centeredness, secrecy, and apathy, and to replace it with a virtuous cycle, where the government truly works for its people.
“Filipinos know more than any other nation just how corruption can damage a society. Not only does it deprive the people of resources that are justly theirs, it saps public morale; it loosens the ties that bind institutions and the people together; and it breeds inequality,” Aquino said, adding that it was the “people’s collective cry during the 2010 elections”, when they voted for the idea behind Aquino’s campaign for the presidency which was, simply put: Where there is no corruption, there will be no poverty.”
Aquino said his administration has since heeded their call and worked non-stop to shine daylight on the government.
“The very first element we identified in the fight against corruption is that no one can be above the law. It should not matter what position you hold in the bureaucratic ladder: If you do wrong by the people, then you should be held accountable,” Aquino said.
It is irony for him to state that, since he knows that the public is aware of the fact that he protects his allies and aides while he destroys the reputations of his political foes and has both his Justice chief and his appointed Ombudsman to file cases against his political foes.
Moreover, neither Aquino nor his aides ever acknowledge responsibility or accountability for anything. Instead they place the blame on others.
But Aquino claimed that he has followed through his his beliefs.
“We have filed cases against a former president, who is now under hospital arrest. Like-minded reformists in the legislature have removed from office a Chief Justice who chose to lie on his Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth, this, after they impeached an Ombudsman who apparently saw it fit to put the interests of her political patrons over those of the people,” Aquino said.
Aquino failed to mention that the congressmen and senators were bribed by him with the Disbursement Acceleration Fund (DAP) to have the Chief Justice impeached and convicted, and that he wanted the CJ impeached because the high court gave away the Hacienda Luisita, his and his family’s hacienda, to the tenant-farmers.
Aquino also wanted the CJ impeached, to have his own appointed CJ, Lourdes Sereno, who flunked the psychiatric and psychological tests, to head the high court, to influence all the justices to see issues his way.
Aquino also cited that cases were not limited to those in public office but even those who are in private sector whose taxes or duties are questionable.
“This also means that regardless of your professional accolades, if you do not pay your taxes, the state will pursue you. It means that no matter how many resources you have at your disposal, if you choose to smuggle goods, you cannot escape the government,” Aquino said.
He said in the past three years, they have filed a total of 423 cases under run against the smugglers (RATS), and run against tax evaders (RATE, and revenue integrity protection service (RIPS) programs.
He said in the past three years, they have filed a total of 423 cases under run against the smugglers (RATS), and run against tax evaders (RATE, and revenue integrity protection service (RIPS) programs.
“This is why we ended the era of mere cosmetic changes in the Bureau of Customs by hitting the reset button,” Aquino said.
Aquino said he appointed an entirely new set of Deputy Commissioners to take charge of the agency with newly appointed Commissioner Sunny Sevilla, “all of whom are honest and competent”.
Aquino said that they also realized the importance of empowering the bureaucracy itself to truly serve the public.
“We did this first by bringing common sense back to the national budget,” Aquino said.
He said, “three years ago, the Department of Budget and Management instituted the zero-based budgeting system”.
He said, “three years ago, the Department of Budget and Management instituted the zero-based budgeting system”.
“ The idea is simple: Instead of continuing funding the same projects every year, regardless of their effectiveness, we have committed and are doing the studying of every single project to make certain that they are of true benefit to the Filipino people,” Aquino said.
He said that by having the system, “we have minimized bureaucratic red tape, and have given rise to a more dynamic and high-functioning government that can render better and faster service to the citizenry.
“Again, no point in funding useless projects: use the scant resources to where it will benefit our people truly and best,” Aquino said.
Aquino emphasized that “this is what unity of purpose can achieve”.
“Lest I be accused of naiveté, allow me to also say: We are well aware that the road ahead will not be without its difficulties. But these past three years, we have proven that together, the drastic turnaround of this country’s fortunes is within our reach,” Aquino said.
He said that all it requires is that “we put common sense ahead of partisan interests; that we lead by example and not merely appeal to the lowest common denominator; that we empower the public to participate, and measure for themselves the progress of their own campaign against corruption.”
The UNCAC is an international anti-corruption treaty ratified, accepted, approved and acceded by 168 countries including the Philippines.
As State Parties, the are obliged to implement preventive and punitive anti-corruption measures, including asset recovery, affecting their laws, institutions and practices.
The convention emphasizes the importance of international cooperation as well as the need to help each other through technical assistance, as it recognizes the cross-border nature of corruption.
Press Secretary Hermino Coloma earlier said Malacañang was elated over the decision of the anti-graft court, the Sandiganbayan to grant the petition of the detained former Presidentto spend Christmas with her family.
“We are gladdened that the Sandiganbayan has granted the wish of former President Arroyo to celebrate Christmas and New Year together with her families,” Coloma said.
Coloma added that it has been a consistent desire of the Aquino administration for every Filipino to have a meaningful holiday season.
“Everyone of us expects to have a peaceful Christmas and prosperous new year,” Coloma said.
The Sandiganbayan earlier ruled that Arroyo’s family can spend their time starting Dec. 24, 25, 31, 2013 and Jan. 1, 2014.
The court gave a favorable response to the urgent motion of Arroyo filed last Dec. 13,citing humanitarian reasons thus it granted the motion in the absence of any objection or opposition from the government panel.
Arroyo in a statement praised God for the humane action of the court as it understands the customs and traditions of the Philippines wherein close relatives observed the Christmas and New Year together.
Normally, visiting hours end at 9:30 p.m. every day except Monday when absolutely no visits are allowed.
Raul Lambino, chief of staff of Arroyo expressed thanks to the court for its decision to allow the close family members of Mrs. Arroyo to stay at the VMMC.
This will have a good effect for Mrs. Arroyo because she will e buoyed by the presence of her close family members. Alvin Murcia
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