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Watching the presidency
Weekly Summary
September 18-24, 2010

President Aquino’s U.S. trip

34 business tycoons with Aquino in U.S.

In President Benigno S. Aquino III U.S. trip, 34 known business tycoons are joining the Chief Executive in his mission to attract investors from the U.S.

Among the 34 businessmen are the following: First Pacific Co. Ltd. head Manuel Pangilinan; Mantrade Development Corp. head Antonio Cojuangco; Makati Business Club president Ramon del Rosario, Jr.; Philippine Multimedia Systems head Manuel Abellada; Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. president Erramon Aboitiz; San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang; Ayala Corp. head Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala; Century Properties, Inc.’s Jose Antonio; Del Monte Pacific Ltd. head Joselito Campos Jr.; Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries head Francis Chua; DMCI Holdings, Inc. head Isidro Consunji; Philamlife Vice President Jose Cuisia Jr.; Transnational Diversified Group head Jose Delgado; Manila Economic Cooperation Office Director Manny Dimaculangan; Galeo Equipment and Mining Co. head Francis Gutierrez; Magsaysay Group of Companies head Doris Magsaysay-Ho; Bank of the Philippine Islands head Aurelio Montinola III; Lopez Holdings head Oscar Lopez; ABS-CBN Foundation head Eugenio Lopez III; SM Investments Vice-Chairperson Tessie Sy-Coson; Planters Bank head Jesus Tambunting; Clark Development Corp. head Rizalino Navarro; ICTSI’s Enrique Razon Jr.; Equicom Group head Antonio Go; Jollibee Foods Corporation President and CEO Antonio Tan Caktiong; and Alberto D. Lina, chairman of the Lina Group of Companies.

Aside from being the veritable “who’s who” in Philippine business, some of the tycoons accompanying Aquino III were business cronies of Gloria M. Arroyo. Not one from the grassroots communities was invited to the delegation. Talk of the now-famous presidential saying, “The Filipino people are my boss.”

 

Roxas joins U.S. trip

Former Sen. and vice presidential aspirant Manuel A. Roxas II is joining President Benigno S. Aquino III on his week-long U.S. trip as his “senior adviser” on business matters. Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda clarified that Senator Roxas’s knowledge on trade and investment as former Secretary of Department of Trade and Industry will be a big help for the President.

One can understand that Mar Roxas II champions neo-liberalism – the same economic platform toed by the new president and the business group joining the trip to the U.S. But having him together with DTI’s current top honchos is a bit redundant.

 

No fancy food for Aquino III

No Fancy meals for President Benigno S. Aquino III while he is in the United States. Upon his arrival in San Fransisco Airport, he opted to eat a burger from In-N-Out at the airport’s holding area.

Presidential spokespersons said this will be a regular menu while the president is in his trip unlike his predecessor, former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was fond of eating in fancy restaurants.

The P25-million U.S. trip budget covers airfare, hotel accommodations, meals, transportation and others. It is cheaper than the five-day and 10-day trip worth P50 million and P151 million, respectively.

Rather than hyping about no-fancy meals, wouldn’t it be more productive talking about what the president has done so far for the Filipino people?

 

Gov’t hires a PR firm for U.S. Trip

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisma justified the government’s decision to hire a PR firm during the president’s visit in the U.S. He said it is quite normal for any organization or a country for this matter to seek assistance especially abroad.

He added that it was done for the sake of the business media, so that the international business community will “get the message transparently, clearly on time.” The deal with the PR firm costs the government $15,000.

Jueteng* under Aquino Administration

Versoza and Puno in jueteng take – Archbishop Oscar Cruz

During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, former Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz revealed the names of government executives who are said to have been receiving jueteng (illegal numbers game) payolas. Among the names he disclosed were retired police chief Jesus Verzosa and Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno.

The others who were allegedly involved in the illegal numbers game are Pampanga Gov. Baby Pineda, Paul Dy of Isabela, retired General Eugene Martin, Mayor Mauricio Domogan of Baguio City, Danny Soriano of Cagayan, Governor Amado Espino of Pangasinan, and Boy Jalandoni of Bacolod.

Puno, who attended the hearing, denied the allegation.

 

Puno resigning to spare Aquino from controversy

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Rico E. Puno announced that he is prepared to resign to spare the president from what he believes is a demolition job to ruin the Aquino administration.

Puno speculates that this is just a plan to oust him from his position since many people are eyeing his post.

 

Aquino: Puno should undergo due process

For President Benigno S. Aquino III, DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno’s resignation offer is a manifestation of a man who is not trying to cling to his position. An act like that, according to the chief executive, shows commitment to help the government in its change it wants to bring. The President asserted that the undersecretary under fire also deserves to be accorded due process.

We have due process, which is always given to non-allies so why not give the same due process to an ally and a friend?” said President Aquino.

On Hacienda Luisita

Luisita farmers ask SC to rule on land case

Hacienda Luisita farmers filed a 49-page memorandum to the Supreme Court in compliance with the request of the court that all parties involved must submit a memorandum. The memorandum was submitted by the lawyers of the farm workers to the SC September 22.

In their memorandum, the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Hacienda Luisita (Ambala), stated that it is wihin the jurisdiction of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) to revoke the Stock Distribution Option (SDO); and that there was no abuse amounting to lack and excess of jurisdiction in revoking the SDO.

The farmers are asking the SC to uphold the PARC decision, to lift the temporary restraining order in the distribution of the land, and to order the actual distribution and to refund the 33% of the proceeds paid for the 500 hectare land if it is unproductive for the farmers.

Hostage fiasco

Bigger heads must roll - Lagman

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman expressed dissatisfaction over the probe of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) headed by Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on the August 23 hostage crisis. Lagman said the Presidential office’s decision not to disclose immediately the IIRC report saved three big executive officers- Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, Presidential Communications and Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, and Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang.

“Let me say if heads must roll, bigger heads must roll…” the Albay 1st district representative said. He and the minority bloc of the lower House are calling for the resignation of the three officers-in-charge. He also noted that the three were not included in the investigation.

The House minority leader asked the House Leadership to conduct a separate investigation on the issue which must include the three Cabinet members and Justice Secretary de Lima.

Peace talks

Dean Marvic Leonen, chief of the government peace panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), welcomed the pronouncement of the rebel group that it no longer demands to be an independent state.

MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagder Igbal declared that his group no longer asserts to be an independent state but a sub-state. Igbal clarified that the sub-state they want in Mindanao does not include full control on four areas of governance - foreign affairs, national defense, currency and coinage, as well as postal services. This is a part of the final compact they are arranging with the government.

Other Issues

Presidential office cutting costs; 10 offices abolished

“The President wants to lead by example. He cannot ask other agencies to cut costs if his own office is not prudent in the use of the people’s money,” Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. said as the President cut down his own budget to P4.075 and abolished 10 redundant offices.

The presidential action will save the government a total of P304.62 million in expenditure for 2011, Ochoa said.

The offices abolished are: the Mindanao Development Council, Office of the North Luzon Quadrangle Area, Office of External Affairs, Presidential Anti-Graft Commission, Minerals Development Council, Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group, Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region, Bicol River Basin Watershed Management Project, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Global Warming and Climate Change, and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on New Government Centers.

 

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