We recall back when President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III was in campaign mode (as if the President ever got over such an operating mode) that the President reportedly put up the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill as an absolute priority of his administration…
Presidential frontrunner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said last Sunday that the Freedom of Information bill — a landmark piece of legislation that will lift the shroud of secrecy over government transactions and data — will be a priority of his administration.
This was after Congress adjourned sine die last Friday without the bill’s ratification by the House of Representatives due to lack of quorum.
Asked in an ambush interview if he would prioritize the Freedom of Information bill once he assumes office, Aquino categorically said, “Yes.”
The FOI Bill will have enshrined in Philippine Law the “the right of the people to information on matters of public concern, and adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.” It will also have assured penalisation of any public official who within the required period fails to comply to legitimate requests for qualified information under the Act.
But as far as priorities go, President BS Aquino obviously had other things in mind — particularly those that are more clearly aligned with the singular mission of his presidency, which is to secure Uncle Peping’s family jewels — the vast Hacienda Luisita estate in Tarlac — from subjection to agrarian reform. The key objective to take down in this mission was then Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona who many Aquino allies saw as the primary roadblock in the road to securing the family estate. With Malacañang’s saturation drive against Corona taking up practically all of the first half of 2012 serving as a backdrop, BS Aquino’s presidential attention to the hapless FOI bill looked utterly lame…
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In January 2012, at the height of the Corona impeachment trial, [President BS Aquino] all too suddenly endorsed the bill, albeit in a few perfunctory press statements only. But in the next eight months, nothing more was heard from him by way of real proof of endorsement of the bill.
The President’s Liberal Party allies in the House, led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Majority Leader Neptali Gonzalez III, did not move either. They neither pushed nor nudged the bill to fruition. Evardone did not call committee hearings until today.
Contrast this to the robust presidential resolve exhibited by BS Aquino when he personally oversaw the railroading of a sloppily-written impeachment complaint versus then Chief Justice Corona through Philippine Congress, even leveraging his fury against the entire Lower House practically all of the required number of whose members complied, tails between their legs…
[House Speaker Feliciano] Belmonte and another Liberal Party stalwart, Cavite Representative Joseph E.A. Abaya, revealed that a “furious†President Aquino wanted a “fast†impeachment against Corona after he and seven other Arroyo appointees had issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block the travel ban against Arroyo.
Contrast this presidential resolve when it comes to feudal clan matters to the limpdicked resolve when it comes to the interests of the general public and we will get a good handle on the true priorities of Philippine President BS Aquino.
* * *
So we must ask ourselves…
Will the forces of “freedom” prevail in this virtually-lost cause?
Will the powers-that-be succumb to the hapless cries of outrage of their “Boss”?
Is the FOI Bill dead?
Does the Filipino voter really care?
As usual: Abangan ang susunod na kabanata… Same Bat time, same Bat channel…
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Yes, a generic Filipino voter REALLY doesn’t give a shat about anything FOI. They are all contented with watching crappy variety shows and some news programs that revere the country’s crappiest president.
God help this country.
God helps those that help themselves. Then God must be helping all these slimy politicians that help themselves to public money while Mr. Walang Corrupt Walang Mahirap is in charge. He had a catch phrase and a last name, that’s all. I have no idea why many believed he would bring balance to the Force. God helps those that help themselves. Filipinos in general as you suggest don’t do a good job of that.
Malakanyang is insisting that the Ampatuan trials be televised so that Pinoys-of-Pinas
— will be informedget entertained.FoI was always the big aquino campaign lie.
Clearly he and his pork loving sycophants have so much to hide that it will never be passed.
Those who have sabotaged it, have as much as admitted their guilt and corruption.
Such hypocrites should be hounded out of office for breach of trust and blatant lies.
Aquino is a walking disaster and a poor apology for a leader.
It’s simple really as the GRP slogan goes. Aquino never was a leader, not at anytime or at any place. Yet he was voted in because yellow zombies totally disregarded that criteria. Leadership was not at all considered. Neither was brains. Then we are shocked when he can not make things work that don’t seem to benefit him directly.
Oh, please. He’s already almost three years into his mandate, but he couldn’t prioritize one of his PRIORITY platforms. Saying that he’s not yet finished with his term only reinforces his lame duck status.
By the way, that was supposed to be for GRP’s resident BS Aquino sycophant, whose remark was most likely deleted due to its obvious stupidity.
Jerwin,
What is it to you??? He made a promise that 2 1/2 years later he has not fulfilled. I thought he ran on platform of eliminating corruption and poverty. He seems more on track of eliminating websites. When the guy made the “L” sign in his campaign it stood for Loser and Liar. Sorry maybe you are the type who admires a head of state that enjoys making fun of disabled, sickly women. If so I am sorry I offended your sensibities.
What I think you are saying is you board a bus in Pampanga at 10 AM that says Baguio on the front. That is what is on your ticket. After an hour you realize not only are you in Cubao but other passengers are boarding the bus and going to Tagaytay.Are you telling me just because your ticket says Baguio 5PM and it’s only 11 AM you won’t complain?
Look up the word accountable in the dictionary. Then look at Noynoy. I doubt you will be seeing the same thing, The guy has a myriad of things wrong with him and our country is going to hell . So unless you have evidence that we are making stuff up here go back from where you came. Noynoy was a nobody four years ago. Now he is still a nobody trying to pretend he is a somebody.
Will the forces of “freedom†prevail in this virtually-lost cause? Yes, it will have to start in our individual families. If we eliminate apathy within then it will eventually infect others.
Will the powers-that-be succumb to the hapless cries of outrage of their “Bossâ€? Of course they won’t easily but we should realize that they are only in power because we had put them there. We should have a website that have all the names and faces of these politicians where we keep tabs on their activities so come election time we can elect the ones who gives a shit about us.
Is the FOI Bill dead? Yes it is dead but it is not the only way to expose these corrupt politicians.
Does the Filipino voter really care? They would if they can be convinced that there is another way, other solutions to our suffering.
Campaign promises are made to be broken. From the Manila Standard:
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/2012/11/14/transparent-as-mud/
P-noy and the government have created an omnishambles, ably assisted by the old men and old guard in the senate and congress, ensuring a continual cycle of failures and incompetence.
I think it is about time to warn the thinkers among you. The possibility of a smoldering social volcano slowly building a bulge and blowing up within BS Aquino’s watch is a worst case scenario.Systemic corruption continues, incompetence rules the day, automated cheating has been predicted this coming elections, crime is up and investments are down. So many problems while time is slowly running out. The Islamofascist MILF/bangsamoro and their formal alliance with the CPP-NPA-NDF is a clear and present danger. The phony peace is apparent as the ceasefire violations on the part of the Moro and its allies were not even given a first glance by Marvic Leonen. With the CPP-NPA-NDF in a formal alliance with the MILF/bangsamoro we might see more innocent people rest in peace in Mindanao and in other parts of the archipelago. Not to mention the MILF/bangsamoro terrorist alliance with the Abu Sayaff Group, J.I. Al Qaeda in Asia, bomb making and training Cadre, lawless elements, lost commands, splinter groups, regular fighters and civilian support elements in women and child fighters. What about the MNLF? Communist Legal Support Fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF are being favored by Mr. Sixto Brilliantes while the anti-communist ANAD and other partylists are subject to witch hunts and are disqualified. The big question is will the social volcano blow up center, left or right?
PersiNoynoy has his game plan towards Murad, Jaffar and others of MILF. They are KKK’s who will be given gift — chunk of Mindanao land.
“Omnishambles” has been named word of the year by the Oxford
English Dictionary.
meaning – a situation which is shambolic and disorderly from every possible angle.
Sottoshambles – a bad thing made worse through crass stupidity
Aquinoshambles – creating chaos through avoidance of responsibility – (allied to noynoying)
@ Libertas
“Omnishambles” is the word people will hear a lot in the coming New World Order. That is, if people and countries are still around after the coming world wide destruction. A new world mapping shown on the internet shows the asian continent disappearing from the face of the earth with some parts of China and India surviving the destruction. Does president
Aquino, being head of state have advance knowledge of this coming event that was shared to him by foreign sources and is holding information to the Filipino public?
The real question should be: Is Freedom of Information really that important to people and “how much information do we really want to know?” Who should be allowed to obtain classified information through the FOI rights? I am sure Filipinos would want to know if the gold bullion Marcos took from the Philipine Central Bank and deposited somewhere, still have the chance to be returned to the Philippines. There are thousands of questions to be asked but is it really that important?
obviously not to you, but you clearly miss the point.
Google today said that a philippine city mayor requested them to take down 5 blogs which were critical of him. They refused.
Maybe he will take his annoyance out on facebook users instead
FOI Bill will surely OPEN a Can of Worms on these political leaders. We don’t want to smell their stinks, do you? Or see some slithery things crawling all over the place.
15,000 duped by aman pyramid scam
15 million conned by aquino campaign lies
Only in the philippines could so many be conned by so few for so long – and accept it!
Naive, or just subservient.
The con job is continuing. How many say that he is a good man? That he is a good president? The guy is barely a stand up man and the guy is a con man. You are correct Libertas. Con people out of their money they will complain, con them out of opportunity and future they will celebrate.
“Justice will not be served (or progress achieved), until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are” – Benjamin Franklin
Here everyone needs to be outraged and stop being doormats, abuse victims, and looked down upon.
They need to get some self respect, some dignity, and some balls.
“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.” – Sigmund Freud