President Aquino’s two hour fudged State of the Nation Address exhausts Sign Language guy
Benigno’s Analysis of the Fourth State of the Nation Address of President Noynoy Aquino basically states that Presidential term launched by hazy goals has produced hazy results. Following it up, what I am going to take a stab at is why this happens and will continue to happen every year unless something changes.
Article VII Section 22 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states: “The President shall submit to the Congress, within thirty days from the opening of every regular session as the basis of the general appropriations bill, a budget of expenditures and sources of financing, including receipts from existing and proposed revenue measures.”
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Simply explained, this is actually the basis for the yearly State of the Nation Address and the speech usually given by the President before congress should be an accounting of what was done with the previous year’s budget and an exposition of the main justifications for the proposed budget for the following year. One can assume that the intent behind this is to make the President accountable and transparent about his administration’s performance or non-performance.
In essence, what the State of the Nation Address should be is the people through its representatives asking the President, “What did you do with the money we gave you and why should we give you more money?”
However, it is debatable whether there is real accountability and transparency in the yearly SONA — thus giving some basis for the suspicion that the yearly SONA is nothing more than a fudged report.
This problem really has its roots with vaguely stated campaign promises, which in Aquino’s case was to lower corruption as a way of decreasing poverty. Being generally stated, even a slight decrease in either corruption or poverty could make for a justification for the Aquino Administration’s Php 1.8 Trillion 2012 National Budget.
In assessing the Second Aquino Administration’s performance, Benigno points out the following:
(1) Corruption: CPI of 2.4 (out of a 10.0 representing “Very Clean”) and ranked 134 in the world at end of year 2010. The Philippines was given a CPI of 34 for the year 2012 (100 representing “Very Clean”) — an improvement of one point and accompanied by an improvement in ranking to 105.
(2) Human Development: HDI of 0.642 ranked 97 worldwide at end of year 2010. In 2012, the Philippines was given an HDI rating of 0.654 — a slight improvement but accompanied by a sharp fall in ranking to 114.
The question that now arises is, of what consequence is this proof of the Second Aquino Administration’s underwhelming performance? Well, granting that most senators and congressmen haven’t grown principles and backbones overnight, I’d say it will be of little consequence.
Ordinarily, when someone either achieves so little despite being given so much resources, that person is usually given the boot. But there is no way that’s going to happen given that:
A) The length of a president’s term is not based on performance.
B) There is no way to sack a President other than impeachment, which essentially needs an overwhelming number of votes from both houses of congress.
Given that, the only other consequence should be congress looking at the underwhelming performance in 2012-2013 and determining whether or not to approve the proposed 2014 Php 2.3 Trillion National Budget.
Now that President Aquino has more allies in both houses of congress, I have no doubt that the proposed national budget will pass — seeing that it’s the only way they’re going to get their hands on their pork barrel.
Writer.
Mr. BS Aquino should have apologized/reported to the people in the SONA for the infamous coplan armado which resulted in the Atimonan massacre. BS is the commander-in-chief. He approved the coplan and gave the green light which resulted in the commission of multiple murder. His lapses in judgement if any, were never revealed. Under the doctrine of command responsibility can he be held liable for conspiracy to commit murder? Many of us fear the repercussions of such a summary execution. Did BS Aquino report to the people what he intends to do in light of this heinous murders the planning of which can be traced to Malacanang? The silence in the SONA is deafening.
The people who know the truth about that should file a case against him. Otherwise, it will be dismissed as mere black propaganda.
The need for an ever increasing budget, but no major projects, clearly underlines that even more money is being pocketed by all and sundry. Recent exposes are just the tip of the iceberg.
Smuggling is rampant and bribes are now standard operating procedure in customs, where every criminal is happy that buffoon biazon is in ‘charge’!
Pnoy as always avoided the big issues specifically FoI, PDAF, 60/40 economic provision, the 3 of which would combine to change the social, political and economic landscape and pave the way for genuine progress
So instead of the 3 pillars of change we remain with an unholy triumvirate (aquino, drilon, belmonte) hell bent on maintaining the status quo.
I can’t believe how the Filipino people remain inactive in light of the recent events. There are exposures left and right and clearly, that monkey on top is visibly incompetent. Is there nothing we can do but wait out and quietly suffer under their greed and stupidity?
Fuck you, Benigno Simeon
nag sayang lang nga pera.walang kwenta na SONA.kung gusto nya na ma sugpo ang kurapsyon,di man lang binangit ang FOI bill.bakit?may tinatago ba si Noynoy at mga KKK nya???
Here is a real eye-opener from Mr. Rigoberto Tiglao:
http://www.manilatimes.net/kung-walang-corrupt-walang-mahirap/21425/
With no counter SONA, it seems no-one even cares anymore.
And ABS-CBN, ANC, have put the intellectually challenged and sibservient lynda jumilla as political reporter, otherwise known as every politicians favourite free PR person.
Talk about an easy ride.
how can we move on from this bumbling of a President and his government? lahat nalang ng bagay nagtataasan – presyo ng gas, kuryente, tubig, bigas, at sa mga sususnod – pamasahe! sobrang walang kwenta naman itong presidenteng ito!
I did not bother to watch nor to listen to the SONA because it is just a waste of my time. It is better to clean the house which is more productive than listening to all those lies and hallucinations!
What will happen to us is something I’m scared of. We live in a country with people who only thinks of themselves. Acting as if they have a care in the world but in fact they just like to sit and spend money that doesnt even belong to them in the first place. I can’t even begin to fathom what will happen to our country next 10 years. I’m scared for my kids.
The SONA is a pieceof sh*T parang nanood kalang ng teleserye, complete with actors and actresses, pretending that they have done something for their country. ofcourse Pnoy is the director, producer, and the leading actor.