HUMONGOUS

By REY O. ARCILLA  

Malaya

(GSIS head, Robert “Pretty Boy” Vergara, received the obscenely humongous remuneration of P16.36 million in 2012 alone, according to COA. What has Noynoy got to say about that?)

Robert Vergara (Photo credit: Rappler)

He was sidelined for a while for being such a bad presidential mouthpiece and was even rumored to be considered for a seat in the Supreme Court. (What?! Mabuti na lang hindi raw siya interesado.)

But for some unknown reason, Edwin Lacierda, the Boy Pickup of pork barrel queen Janet Lim-Napoles when he fetched and brought her to Malacanang ostensibly to surrender to President Noynoy Aquino, is again back in full swing as a purveyor of government information and disinformation.

In fact, he is as of this writing (January 28) in Kuala Lumpur attending as an observer (kuno) of the ongoing talks between the government and the MILF panels on the hoped-for Bangsamoro state. So he could talk sensibly in case he is asked to brief the media on the matter? That’s good.

Lacierda really needs to be more forthright and sensible, especially after the disinformation he had just spewed out on the matter of excessively huge bonuses and allowances of Noynoy’s appointees to government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), courtesy of the useless Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) headed by Cesar Villanueva.

He obviously did not know whereof he spoke when he said that the highest emolument that GOCC board members can get now is P3 million a year.

Apparently, this fellow does not know that, for instance, the head and vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Robert “Pretty Boy” Vergara, got the obscenely humongous remuneration of P16.36 million in 2012 alone, according to COA, making him the highest paid government servant! Anong say mo?

Incidentally, according to the GCG website, the following cabinet members are in the governing board of various GOCCs, some with multiple membership as of 21 January 2014: Ona-DOH, Abad-DBM, Purisima-DOF, Baldoz-DOLE, Domingo-DTI, Balisacan-NEDA, Alcala-DA, Luistro-DEPED, Singson-DPWH, Ochoa-ES, Paje-DENR, Gazmin-DND, Abaya-DOTC, Petilla-DE, and Del Rosario-DFA.

The following officials are also in other GOCC governing boards: Duque-CSC, Vergara-GSIS, De Quiros-SSS and Tetangco-BSP.

Question: How much did these officials get in terms of bonuses and per diems from the GOCC boards where they sit? Now, be honest! Remember, daang matuwid!

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After the Supreme Court rejected the administration’s move to postpone once again the resumption of the oral arguments on the un/constitutionality of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), it is hoped that the Court will now decide promptly on the issue.

This evil thing called pork barrel in all its form has to go. Everybody is of the view that it should be the number one priority of the Aquino administration to be consistent with its daang matuwid policy.

Unfortunately, Noynoy himself doesn’t want to let go of his pork barrel. He should. It is good for the country. It is what his bosses want!

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After more than three and a half years in power, Noynoy has not really accomplished much. The much-vaunted economic progress since he took office has not really made an impact on his bosses. On the contrary, 55% of the people now claim that their lives have become even worse.

Criminality is increasing at an alarming rate. The drug problem has become so widespread that the incidence of gruesome crimes has multiplied.

Graft and corruption has become even more rampant, as perceived by businessmen.

Smuggling alone has deprived the government of billions of pesos in revenue.

Even the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona has not led to the hoped-for improvement in the country’s judicial system. There is still rampant corruption in the judiciary today.

Noynoy’s promise of a Freedom of Information law is still hanging fire. So does the Reproductive Health law.
In short, his campaign slogans of “kung walang kurap, walang mahirap” and “daang matuwid” are abject failures up to this point. With barely two and a half years left, last two minutes in Noynoy’s words, it isn’t likely much of what he has set out to do will be achieved.

Even the implementation of a final peace agreement with the MILF is still uncertain, notwithstanding the accord reached on the annex on normalization. The emergence of a Bangsamoro will take a while yet, maybe even beyond the end of Noynoy’s term in June 2016.

Although it is still a bit early to hand down a verdict on what he has accomplished in the field of foreign affairs, it looks like there is nothing much to crow about there either.

Our relations with China, with which we should have been talking in earnest from the start, is not on an even keel.

Neither is our relations with the United States which is now trying to bamboozle us into going back to the days before Mt. Pinatubo helped us get rid of her military bases here in 1991. And with a foreign secretary and an ambassador in Washington who both appear to be more pro-American than pro-Filipino, I dread the day when a lopsided agreement on the so-called increased rotational presence of US troops in our midst would make us a virtual American colony once again.

Noynoy (and his minions) had better get cracking from now on if he wants at least some of the things he had set out to do for the national good gets done. Time is of the essence. Last two minutes, remember?

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Alleged plunderers Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada both said that Budget Secretary Florencio Abad was present together with DILG Secretary Mar Roxas when they met with Noynoy at the latter’s Pangarap residence.

Both also confirmed that the subject discussed was the then ongoing impeachment trial of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The question that people are now asking is what has a budget secretary got to do with an impeachment trial? Why was he there? Were there budget implications in the trial? And what did he mean when he allegedly said “let us help each other”?

We, of course, now know that, according to Noynoy himself, 9 percent or more than P1 billion of the so-called Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) concocted by Abad went to twenty senators in varying amounts.
Draw your own conclusion.

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Noynoy began his term with bitter criticism of the alleged anomalies that took place in the National Food Authority during the unlamented Arroyo regime. Billions of pesos squandered and millions of tons of rice rotted in warehouses. He even said there were documentary evidence to prove the guilt of those responsible beyond reasonable doubt. Strangely too, he kept mouthing the same thing whenever he went abroad.
Alas, what has he done to right the wrong that took place in the NFA? Nada!

I am, therefore, not surprised that he has uttered nary a word on the scandalous and unmitigated smuggling of rice that is now hogging the headlines. His secretary of agriculture Proceso Alcala has been charged with plunder, not once, not twice, but thrice. Still Noynoy seems unperturbed. What gives? His bosses want to know.

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Although she may have the hide of a rhinoceros, surely Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Zenaida Ducut can read the proverbial handwriting on the wall.

Malacanang already said she can either resign or be suspended. Two solons have already formally accused her of gross neglect of duty for approving the P4.15 per kilowatt-hour rate increase of electricity last month without consulting the public.

Ducut was also charged late last year in the Ombudsman for malversation in connection with the pork barrel scam.

But she’s still around.

I am reminded of what Noynoy once said about Bureau of Customs officials:

“Saan kaya kumukuha ng kapal ng mukha ang mga taong ito?”, or some such words.

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Reminders (for Noynoy):

1) Filing of charges against officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) during Arroyo’s illegitimate regime. Noynoy himself said on several occasions that there is documentary evidence to prove the venalities in the past in that agency.

2) Investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia and ordering his successor, Robert “Pretty Boy” Vergara, to file the proper charges, if warranted, against the former.

Noynoy should also order Vergara to report to him on COA’s findings that:

(a) He received the obscenely excessive compensation of P16.36 million last year making him the highest paid government servant and;

(b) That, as of seven or eight months ago, at least P4.13 billion in contributions and loan payments made by 12 government offices to the GSIS had not been credited to the offices as of Dec. 31, 2011.

COA also said the amount of unrecorded remittances could go much higher because only 36 agencies have so far responded out of the 186 that were sent confirmation requests by government auditors. Of the 36, 27 confirmed “discrepancies” in their premium and loan payments ledgers when compared with those of the GSIS.

There are three questions being raised when remittances, or parts thereof, of government agencies are not recorded by the GSIS on time: a) Where are these huge sums “parked” in the meantime?; b) Do they earn interest?; and c) To where (whom?) does the interest, if any, go?

Pray tell, Mr. Vergara, what is the present status of these funds, including those that may have been remitted since and not yet recorded by the GSIS?

3) Facilitating the investigation of rampant corruption in the military and police establishments.

4) Resort to his immense presidential powers to expedite the resolution of the Ampatuan massacre case that is now on its fourth year.

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Today is the 254th day of the seventh year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance

The Justice Department has dismissed the charges against several of those accused in Jonas’ disappearance. Cleared were former AFP chiefs of staff Hermogenes Esperon and Alexander Yano, ex-PNP chief Avelino Razon, retired Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, Brig. Gen. Eduardo Ano and Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano. Only Maj. Harry Baliaga will be charged for arbitrary detention, murder and obstruction of justice on the disappearance of Jonas.

“Pwedeng kasuhan ang kamay ng krimen pero ang utak ay hindi?” rued Lorena Santos, daughter of a desaparecido like Jonas.

Mr. President, is this what you meant when you called for a “focused, dedicated and exhaustive” probe of what really happened to Jonas?

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From an internet friend:

MY NEW BOYFRIENDS! I am seeing 5 gentlemen (give or take) every day! As soon as I wake up, Will Power helps me get out of bed. Then I go to see John. Then Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of the day. He doesn’t like to stay in one place very long so he takes me from joint to joint. After such a busy day, I’m really tired and very glad to go to bed with Earl Grey. What a life! Oh, yes, I’m also flirting with Al Zymer; or whatever his name is. I forget! And I’m thinking of calling Jack Daniels, Jim Beam or Johnny Walker to come over and keep me company. Now remember: Life is like a roll of toilet paper – the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. So have fun, think ‘good thoughts’ only, learn to laugh at yourself, and count your blessings!

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Email: roacrosshairs@outlook.com