A simple balut from P(e)Noy DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 07/02/2010

A simple balut from P(e)Noy DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 07/02/2010 Before Day One of this new government, my early skepticism of the incoming regime was invariably met with a not-too-unexpected “Give him a chance” advice. Everyone wants to be hopeful. My hard-nosed rejection of this great false hope which I believe should prompt continued focus on the task of real change was understandably perceived as either a “killjoy” or “sour-graping” act instead of an exercise in foresight. Day One was a very important day for the entire nation as it was a first taste of the hopes of a number of people and an acid test of other’s skeptical views, including mine. The focal point, of course, was 21 minutes and 53 seconds of the incoming chief executive’s inaugural speech to which the more perceptive segment of 90 million Filipinos glued their ears. What was the judgment? Stand-outs were the “wang-wang” moment and the melodrama about the long waits in traffic; references to the legacy of his parents who he claims shed blood for the nation; the reiteration of his “there will be no poverty if there’s no corruption” spiel and his pledge to set himself personally as the paradigm of virtue; cutting red tape; some references to “people power,” forgiveness and reconciliation with justice (impliedly referring to Gloria Arroyo); peace in Mindanao; respecting all minorities; one sentence on the “serious commitment which harmonizes national interest with international responsibilities (a genuflection to the foreign powers and multilateral agencies no doubt); his repeated paeans to change (or pagbabago) and good governance; then some more motherhood statements and emotional-rhetorical appeals, which made up 90 percent of the speech. The few financial and economic specifics, which are really the crux, were as rhetorical — a continuation of Corazon Aquino’s infrastructure and Emergency Employment program (remembered only for the dozen or so Cory flyovers); the promise to set up “trading centers” for the procurement of farmers’ produce to eliminate middlemen and kotong cops; a “predictable and consistent place for investment where it all works;” strengthening tax collection; as well as, expanding the military and police force. Yet he misses the most fundamental point: Where’s the money for all these promises coming from? Already in his first speech, the new Chief Executive failed to mention what he would do to the greatest single drain on the nation’s finances, which is far bigger than domestic corruption — the national debt that takes up 70 percent of the nation’s annual resources (from the budget and loans combined) running up to P700 billion a year. Also announced on Day One was the final list of new Cabinet appointees, and this is where more tangible evidence of the direction of the new administration can be seen. All said, it’s a continuation of the “never had it so good” days for the Big Business sector of the country — with SGV money man Purisima in Finance, Ayala-Aboitiz man Almendras in Energy, Lopez man Ping de Jesus at the DoTC, DMCI-Maynilad man Singson at the DPWH, anti-nationalist neo-liberal “free trade” economist Paderanga at Neda, World Bank girl Kim Jacinto-Henares in the BIR, Swiss SGS agent Parayno in the BoC, and Makati Business Club honcho Bertie Lim in Tourism. Even the new DoH secretary signals the triumph of organ transplant trade with the appointment of kidney trade monopolist Dr. Enrique Ona over the service to the poor with cheaper natural and alternative herbal health advocate, and prior hands-down favorite, Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan. Public sector people are meticulously scrutinized for conflict-of-interest issues yet these corporatists believe they are exempt from this basic ethical principle. Conflicts-of-interest issues are evident with Ping de Jesus whose principals have BayanTel; Bertie Lim’s bosses, the Ayalas of the Makati Business Club have long pushed for Ayala Center to become the tourism hub; Almendras’ principals are in electricity generation and distribution (Cory appointed Ernie Aboitiz himself and Gloria appointed Aboitiz’ Ibazeta); and Purisima is a financial broker to big corporations. Venerable journalist Frank Griego, who likened today’s corporatocracy to the “sugar block” barons of old, stated at GNN Destiny Cable’s “Inauguration 2010” special coverage that “the Cabinet (today) is 70 percent ‘sugar block.’” Thus, after 24 years of economic and power crises, the new government is still reinvigorating the discredited economic paradigm. Hard as we tried to look for the pro-poor in the Cabinet appointments, we couldn’t find any single one. Dinky Soliman of DSWD, in fact, made the country poorer after her group’s Code-NGO brokered the 10-year P10-billion zero coupon Peace Bonds that earned for them a cool P1 billion, which the people will have to shell out P35 billion this year. While there is a mix of old and new faces, the current Cabinet’s overall character is no different from those of Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos or Gloria Arroyo. Much as some would like to be hopeful, the re-appointment of Bert Romulo and the mere consideration of Ronnie Puno for the DILG again (likely due to US lobbying) makes our case: The reality is that this government is a transition from the 2001 Arroyoquino regime (Gloria with Cory) to one that is Aquinorroyo today. Some may still want to wait for his first State of the Nation Address; but without doubt, P(e)Noy delivered only balut. (Tune in to 1098AM, Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6 to 7 p.m.; Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV – Infowars Edition, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the topic, “Stop Privatization of Hydro-Electric Dams;” also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com) (Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100702com6.html