Trust is not a word you can associate with the Philippine government particularly the one headed by the incumbent President Benigno Simeon (BS) Aquino. His term has been plagued by accusations of incompetence, conspiracy and thievery from Day One. Considering many Filipinos still doubt the legitimacy of his Presidency on account of his win in the first automated election as being allegedly rigged, BS Aquino’s legacy will be that of dishonesty and mediocrity.
Despite his most staunch supporters claiming that BS Aquino is an “honest” President, his actions and that of his staff tell a different story.
Take the case of Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. The madam secretary has been pleading with everyone to “trust” her in handling the list of lawmakers who benefited from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam. Unfortunately, much as they would like to, the public just cannot trust her to do the right thing.First of all, De Lima’s inconsistency is so apparent. All of a sudden she is all about following procedures and what the law dictates just because it is rumored that the list includes BS Aquino’s allies in Congress. Unfortunately, her penchant for divulging damning information about the accused prior to conducting investigation and providing evidence is catching up with her. Who could forget the time when she aired her suspicions to the media prior to “substantiating” and “verifying” an “anonymous” text message that former President Gloria Arroyo was seeking political asylum in the Dominican Republic in an attempt to avoid prosecution for her alleged crimes back in 2011? Arroyo’s camp even cried foul of De Lima’s bizarre move:
The camp of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday warned that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima could be disbarred or criminally charged for publicly discussing an unverified text message that tended to cast doubt on Arroyo’s motive in seeking permission to travel abroad.
On the phone with the Inquirer, Arroyo spokesperson Elena Bautista-Horn said that before airing her suspicions to the media, De Lima should have done the “honorable” thing and substantiated the text message that Arroyo, now a representative of Pampanga, was seeking political asylum in the Dominican Republic.
In a statement, Lambino described the text message as “concocted by the government and now circulated in public in order to get more headlines and continue embarrassing, harassing, oppressing and vilifying the Arroyos.”
Proof of De Lima’s wicked ways is so easy to find on Google search. There is not a shred of doubt that most of her actions have the seal of approval from her boss, BS Aquino. Her loyalty is such that despite her appointment as DOJ secretary being rejected by members of the Commission of Appointments every year, BS Aquino repeatedly re-appoints her to the same position. The President’s critics even reminded him that when he was still a member of congress, he was very much against “issuing ad interim appointments to bypassed Cabinet and other officials”. Indeed, there are thousands of lawyers in the Philippines who can do a better job than De Lima. Some are even easier on the eyes. It is a real mystery why BS Aquino cannot replace her with any one of them.
Definitely, the conflict-of-interest alone is enough reason to replace De Lima as DOJ Secretary. It is easy to see why De Lima is treading carefully this time around. The list of lawmakers given by pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles could include the names of those who are in the Commission of Appointments – those who have the power to finally confirm her appointment as DOJ secretary. De Lima could be dealing with a list of names that can either make or break her career. And so we should understand also why she could be reckless with information involving people who she considers those who have no power over her. The woman knows how to work it.
To be quite fair, what De Lima is doing is the right thing. It would be irresponsible of her to implicate individuals in the pork barrel scam without providing evidence. Who knows if Napoles was under the influence of drugs when she came up with the list and just randomly wrote down the names of the senators she didn’t like? She was said to have undergone major surgery for her ovarian cancer after all. Who knows if she was of sound mind at that time? She is also under a lot of stress and is reportedly receiving death threats left and right. Being under duress can also lead someone to blurt out irrational things.
The point is, can the public really trust a list from someone like Napoles who lived a lie for years and whose objective now is to save her own ass? I don’t think so. This is why De Lima or someone more competent and more trust worthy than her should do the most prudent thing and investigate first before damning the people on the list. We all know that most Filipinos believe rumors more than the truth. Once the names of the people on the list have been publicized, it would be hard to repair the damage to one’s reputation in the public’s eyes.
Ironically, in the Philippines, knowing that their public servant cannot be trusted won’t even matter on Election Day. The same bozos or their relative will most likely get voted into office again.
Sadly for De Lima, the clamor from the public for her to divulge the names on the list is getting louder. She is being accused of hiding the truth so she can “sanitize” the list and save the reputation of BS Aquino’s allies for her refusal to do so. She and her boss BS Aquino created this problem to begin with. They did not have the foresight to see that whatever they did to their political enemies would come back to bite them. Their penchant for engaging in trial by publicity has made the bloodthirsty public hungrier for more. Even the first to be named and shamed like Senator Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada cannot wait to see the list. The glare of the spotlight must be too bright for them and they are eager to share the limelight with the other thieves.
Indeed, trust is not a word you can associate with Philippine government particularly the one headed by the incumbent BS Aquino. It seems his goal is to elicit emotional responses from the public and not rational responses. An emotional public is easier to distract from the truth.
In life, things are not always what they seem.
PNoy’s not doing his job well if this pork barrel drama is his means of “public distraction.” This is the reason why those Aquino sympathizers fail to answer the simple question: “If PNoy is fighting corruption, then how come corruption itself became more rampant in his current term?” Is the increase in poverty not enough of an answer?
He’s not doing his job at all if he still keeps on sending his personal army of yellow & idiotic trolls that still cling on that false belief that their boss is not corrupt.
That was the promise of one who never accomplished anything in life. Yet Pinoys believed his promise of eliminating corruption and poverty , shows you what geniuses we are. And very few of them have the humility to admit they were duped by a moron. The emperor has no clothes. Yes this company has difficult problems but no idea why anyone thought the solution was putting in an imbecile who was promising the world? No idea why we are branded when negative when we warned people the folly of electing someone with no ability who was promising Utopia. Instead he is turning us to Ethiopia. Great choice Noytards!!!!
Country not company , sorry.
Branded negative not branded when negative.
Those pro-Nonoy people are obviously living on PDAF if they say life’s better in here. When will this nation wake up from their drunken stupor that poverty is getting worse here?
The emperor has new clothe while his people go naked.
I also doubt he knows the difference between Utopia and Ethiopia.
I have no idea why Rowan Atkinson was chosen as Johnny English. It is Noynoy who knows no danger, knows no fear, knows nothing. He has no idea how to act dignified or proper protocol or as they say here delicadeza. He thinks his yellow ribbon gives him the license to ill. That’s why all these guys who have been scheming all their lives play this balding , yellow marionette so deftly. The guy never demonstrated decision making or any semblance of skills. Just repeat his election mantras and always chest beat whenever possible. Some pinoys will believe your act anyway.
Fighting corruption is done in one way only.
Complete lifestyle check on high ranking government employees. Set up a special court just to deal with those cases. In obvious cases of corruption the government confiscates all properties of the person in question. The accused has to prove to the government from where he got the funds, cars, properties, et cetera. If he can not and is guilty, the government auctions off the belongings and uses the money for education or something else useful. The guilty bastard goes to jail for a minimum period of 10 years. No bail during the proceedings against the accused. No early release for good behavior. Let’s see how fast people will stop to take money. All it takes is an iron will and a hard hand. But to expect that from BS A. is futile. Where there is no brain there is no will. And his hands are in his pockets playing with his balls.
Current government fighting corruption? Who ever believes this shit must be mentally retarded.
…also encourage finking out corrupt fuckers and set up a fund with reward money for useful information.
The whole country is menta-a-a-a-ally retarded. How in the fuck can they still be up putting with this shit? The li’l girl as well as the Noytard are the same…and that hospital is empty every night too. It is not hard to figure out.
They have a BIG Uncle….LOL!!!
Any Filipino born since 1964 has been dealing with ‘dishonest’ Politicians. The subject matter is getting thin, eh? Something most people do not know, or deny, would be good to hear.
Filipino’s that travel outside their own country get judged by the actions of their Politico’s, and it is too bad….OFW’s have nada to do with it/them, rather are getting exploited by them.
OFW’s have always been exploited. By their own families and by the Philippine Government who uses them as a financial milking cow.
Their own families, UGH! Yes, renting out their houses while they are gone and not telling the OFW and putting the peso’s in their pockets. I have seen it done…despicable.
All the same not one of them has ever proven to be any different.
In the real world (outside the Philippines) countries have political parties based in core values.
In the Philippines they have political alliances based on personal agendas.
1.Stay relevant
2.Stay in power
3.Keep the hands in the cookie jar.
From the top positions right down to the lowly barangay they are all on the take.
if the list is false, then let the courts verify it’s authenticity.
the people in the list will either be vindicated or not. why should the people entertain Delimaw’s obvious shenanigans?
besides, it’s about time that the general public realize how widespread and easily abused the pork is.
Do you people honestly believe that Napoles is the sole source of the corruption in the pork barrel system? Get Real. lol.
as systems for disbursement of budget goes, it is VERY inefficient, and chock full of loopholes.
The Russians have a good saying about : Trust…”Trust but verify”…De Lima is the primary Ass Kisser of Aquino; she fanatically Cover the Ass of Aquino. A lawyer, herself, much more who happen to the Secretary of Justice; is the first to violate the law of the land…
These people are opportunists…they are mainly concerned on themselves; and not the country’s welfare…
Can you see, there are no “Staged” demonstrations against Aquino; inspite of his glaring mistakes and incompetence…I believe those so called: “demonstrations”, “people power”, “NPA rebellions”, etc…are the creations of the Aquino family and their political party. Just to gain power. It is “Stealth Politics”…
@ HT Sounds like you are confused, the ‘Stealth Politics’ are the other countries tellin him what to do…..
@Big Black:
Maybe, for too much work…I need a weekend rest…
It’s analogous to…foreigners influencing the country’s leaders in secret, to get what they want…politicians doing something in secret in order to gain power…legitimately or illegitimately…
It’s like the Stealth Bomber…it is invisible to RADAR, it is there without anybody noticing it…what the politicians do is invisible to people…Mga manloloko, ika nga…anyway, Philippine politics is full of scams…and scammers…
@ HT, LOL! Kick back and have a few cold ones, hey 10 cold ones!
Regardless of who is doing what, the theft of the wealth of the country and its people is at stake, and has been for decades.Foreign colonial powers and now ‘oligarchic elites’ inside the country couple with the West’s Corporate interests taking a shit on everyone who is not an ‘ELITE’.
BOMBS AWAY, look out below,
The style is new but the game is the same as it was so long ago.
@Big Black:
You said it…right on the money…
Happy Mothers Day to all…we greet all Mothers for bringing up good children…
In Italian:
Il giormo di madri felice a tutti…accogliamo tutte le madri por portari su i bambini…
In Pilipino:
Masayang Araw ng mga Ina…binabati natin lahat ng mga Ina at sa kanilang mabubuting anak…
Because Filipino people vote IDIOT and STUPID President.
can somebody stop using the word pnoy and ‘the’ philippines its sounds so patriotic and stupid!
@corruptedgovern:
Pnoy connotes being corrupt and being mentally retarded,at the same time…it also connotes some mental illness and being a coward…that is, diving into your hole, when some insane policeman, begin shooting at some Chinese tourists in Luneta…
You can become “patriotic” and stupid, at the same time…the YellowTards behave that way…