Clueless by the Pasig DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 06/14/2010

Clueless by the Pasig

DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 06/14/2010 What really struck me among the things the supposed president-to-be said he will be doing first is his “inventory of the problems” being left behind by the Arroyo regime. Given the fact that he was pushed to make a bid for the presidency almost a year ago when his mother passed away, then campaigned for months and made several promises to his audiences, not to mention that for the past 24 years, it has been his Yellow ilk that has charted the country’s precipitous decline, to say that he still needs to do an inventory today betrays an utter cluelessness that bedevils his mind and soul. Ask any serious political alternative and one can expect more concrete answers, such as how the nationalists would espouse “a national-democratic program,” or Estrada’s “addressing poverty,” or Bayani Fernando’s proffering nationwide “discipline.” Benigno Simeon Aquino III was a three-term congressman and later a one-term senator. He has had 12 months since inheriting the political mantle of his parents. Yet he still has to do an inventory? Isn’t a “to-do” list way too late at this point? Simply put, a serious leader will prepare a lifetime for the moment to lead; a dilettante will never be prepared… ever. If such cluelessness is already unnerving, then consider BSA III’s apparent cluelessness on the matter of who to appoint to well over 1,000 key political positions and about four times the number of underlings. I spoke to two individuals concerning this. One is a staff executive of one of the country’s largest firms (that has no record of public service) who asked me what position he should ask for. “Friend ko kasi ang sisters,” he claims. In fact, he was asked, “Ano’ng gusto mong position?” (What position do you want?), even when he was not in the campaign. One criterion, it seems, for many of BSA III’s upcoming appointments will not be who is right for a particular post but who is a “friend” to the family. Another person I spoke to, an old friend who found himself on the losing side of a Gloria turf battle during the time of “Hello Garci,” has joined the lawyers’ circle of one of Gloriaquino’s cronies who is now an Aquinorroyo stalwart. After languishing jobless in the US for years due to the Wall Street collapse and for always going where the wind blows, my friend should be called the “weatherman” henceforth. But this classic “weder-weder lang” syndrome in Philippine politics that Erap’s homespun wisdom so aptly depicted is a truism the Yellows hypocritically despise yet practice to the hilt since Edsa I and II. Prime examples today include Joey Salceda, Bert Romulo, Bebot Bello, Ralph Recto, and many others. In fact, it was Erap who was really careful not to appoint on a “weder-weder” basis as we shall see below. One of the key positions in the cabinet is the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) portfolio. The name insistently being floated for that post under BSA III is Jose “Ping” de Jesus — a Lopez man who’s been in many Lopez firms and also DPWH chief during Cory’s term. He used to sit at a Thursday media breakfast club. During Gloria’s time, a well-known family had an expressway project that had to undergo scrutiny by the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) under Romy Neri. In the review of the project, the Neda chief pryingly questioned a P700-million item for “legal and information” fees. The barefaced answer given, as my source reveals, was: “Pabayaan mo na yan. Alam na doon (referring to Malacañang)” or words to that effect. Under a BSA III regime, in which that family is heavily invested, there’s no chance this will ever be investigated. During Estrada’s time, the Secretary for Public Works was truly a professional engineer and public servant — a soldier-engineer, in the person of retired Gen. Gregorio Vigilar. This man whom Estrada retained was a sparing personality; low keyed; professional; and absolutely devoid of any links to vested interests. Thus, the contrast between the Cory Aquino and, now, the probable BSA III appointee to that of Estrada’s is crystal clear. Now, I don’t know if BSA III knew what he was talking about when he highlighted his “anti-corruption” stand during the campaign but clearly, this sleeping-in-bed with vested (and oligarchic) interests also smacks of corruption — the kind of corporatist corruption where leaders such as “Dubya” Bush rub elbows with big-time swindlers such as Enron. Could BSA III be clueless about the implications of making such appointments that are so intricately linked to vested interests? Further, in BSA III’s political hierarchy, one personality looming large is former Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte. In light of the former’s “anti-corruption” stand, I am reminded of the recent campaign debates among QC mayoralty bets. At one such occasion, vice-mayoralty candidate Joy Belmonte stood up and declared loudly over the microphone that, if elected to the position, she would “eradicate corruption” in City Hall; whereupon rival Annie Susano stood up and reminded her that corruption has been her father’s hallmark all these years. This just shows how clueless and naïve Joy Belmonte is about politics and campaigning. So is BSA III equally clueless about what went on in Quezon City, especially in light of Sonny Belmonte’s era of unprecedented local pork barrel that makes a mockery of his anti-corruption stance? It’s clear we’ll have a clueless government for some time to come, but it may not matter for a majority of the Yellow fevered crowd that is as clueless, if not more. It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the people wake up from the post-election stupor to realize what kind of a clueless government Smartmatic has saddled us with. This is why I don’t want to use the term “president-elect” for there was never any legitimate election to begin with. For a detailed presentation of massive fraud in the recent automated elections, with new evidence and witnesses, be sure to catch “MIGHTe2010” at the Manila Polo Club, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on June 19, Saturday. (Tune in to 1098AM, Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV — Infowars Edition, on “Synarchism and the Committee of 300,” Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.; also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com) (Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel) Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100614com4.html

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