“Hindi tayo pareho. Hindi kami nagnakaw, at hindi kami magnanakaw.”President Aquino wants the public to believe that he and his team are God’s gift to democracy. That they can do no wrong. Corruption in government is confined to some members of the political opposition. His men are like him : upright, honest and candidates for sainthood.
Apparently, Aquino and his team have sensed the public indignation over misuse of pork barrel funds, intended in principle for the poor but ended up in public officials pockets. If everything is going well, why would he make changes in his communication setup. He enjoyed high approval ratings with the condescending Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda (aligned with Mar Roxas faction) assisted by Abigail Valte and Communications strategist Ricky Carandang as his mouthpieces. Why then the need to bring in the unassuming Press Secretary Sonny Coloma, aligned with the 2010 election Samar group that supported Vice President Jojo Binay?
Mahar Mangahas commented on this column in my FB wall:
“Ellen, the SWS report about the 2013Q2 rating of the ADMINISTRATION was NOT a recycled piece; it was simply the final release from the 2013Q2 SWS survey. It is different from the SWS report on the 2013Q2 rating of the PERSONAL PERFORMANCE OF PNoy, which was released much earlier. Our report last week on the 2013Q3 personal rating of Pnoy was the first of a series from the third quarter survey; more will follow in due course, including the rating of the Administration (not the person) again. http://www.sws.org.ph/pr20130923.htm
“Ellen, here is the earlier SWS report about the 2nd quarter rating of PNoy, that you claimed was “recycled.” SWS does not do recycling; publicity is not our occupation.
http://www.sws.org.ph/pr20130729.htm”
At the height of the pork barrel/Janet Napoles scandal and the bungling of the Zamboanga conflict involving the Nur Misuari’s Moro National Liberation Front, the SWS survey conducted June 28-30 and was reported about in July was released again and was carried by major media outlets.
The President’s spokesmanPresidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda probably thought the Filipino people are stupid or else why would he say that the reason why the President has not made statements on other national issues was because he has no access to Manila newspapers.
In this day and age of internet and cellphones!
Lacierda said Wednesday: “You know, the problem in Zamboanga is that no planes are flying there. They’re not getting news there. No newspapers are being flown there.”
Lacierda thinks we will believe that? I’d rather think he was not in the mood to think up of excuses why the President has not made a statement on the filing of charges against three senators and 34 other persons in connection with the pork barrel scam operated by Janet Lim Napoles who surrendered to him last Aug. 28. He even brought her to Camp Crame to make sure she is safe and well taken care of, remember?
Damay-damay na. Jeane Napoles releases photo with PNoy.There’s a politician I know who welcomes people having a picture taken with him marking them perhaps as a potential vote come Election Day.
In a few parties that I attended where Vice President Jejomar Binay was a guest, I noticed that he was always accompanied by a photographer. The VP gives out the website where one can view the photos.
But with the Janet Lim Napoles, alleged pork barrel scam queen exploding and dragging with her known political personalities, just being seen with her is a nightmare.
Malacañang is downplaying the importance of the picture of the luxury-loving Jeane Napoles with President Aquino which Malacañang has confirmed to be authentic.It was taken after the national thanksgiving mass for the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod in Cebu November last year.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said,“I understand the photo was taken at an event last November in Cebu. She had her photo taken with the President, as did a dozen other people who lined up to have their photo taken with him.”
Presidet Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2011.President Aquino is going on a one-day trip to China on Sept. 3 in what is seen as an effort to end strained relations with China triggered by the standoff in Bajo de Masinloc in April last year.
The President has accepted China’s invitation to attend the 10th ASEAN-China Expo (CAEXPO) to be held in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 3 to 6, Malacañang and Department of Foreign Affairs sources said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will receive Aquino and the special envoys of the other nine ASEAN countries. Aquino will also attend a forum with Chinese businessmen.
Aquino to Kiram III: “….desist from this hopeless cause.”In his Facebook wall, Cotabato-based Fr. Eliseo Mercado of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance in Notre Dame University yesterday said, “After the President’s press statement on the Sabah issue, I am continued to be deluged with question,’Who is the adviser of the President on the Sabah issue?’
“Sagot ko: Ambot… baka ang Malaysian PM. From the tone and the content would show that he/she is either Malaysian or Malaysian-Philippine.”
In his statement, which came on the second week of the standoff in Lahad Datu, a seaside village in Sabah, President Aquino several times spoke of peace. Yet, the language he used reeks of arrogance that could only come from ignorance of the root of the issue.
Lozada’s friends wonder if Aquino’s attitude could have something to do with Lozada not consenting to his request in February 2008 for him (Aquino, who was then senator) to fetch the former in Hongkong, where he was told by then Environment Secretary Lito Atienza to hide so he could not testify in the Senate investigation of the NBN/ZTE deal.
It would have been a chance for Aquino, who had a lackluster record as senator, to shine.
President Cory Aquino spearheaded the “Mass for Truth and Accountability” in support of Jun Lozada in 2008.While waiting for the arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division to be served to Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the government’s star witness in the NBN/ZTE plunder case against Gloria Arroyo, members of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines wrote Police Chief Alan Purisima requesting, among others,to make sure that “no untoward incident” would happen.
The nuns must be thinking of last month’s incident in Batangas when Fernando Morales , allegedly linked with Vic Siman who was among those killed in the Atimonan massacre, was killed while policemen were serving his arrest warrant for illegal possession of firearms.
Morales was in his underwear and was dragged out of his house at 1:30 a.m.
The arrest warrant for Lozada had nothing to do with NBN/ZTE. It’s for his alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly awarding the leasehold right of a 6,599 hectare land to his brother Jose Orlando Lozada when he was still president of the Philippine Forest Corporation, a government-owned corporation.
Aquino in 2012 Asean and dialogue partners summit in Cambodia
In a United States-written script, President Aquino performed his role very well as the American dummy in Southeast Asia at the 21st Asean summit in Cambodia.
In a speech before leaders belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the group’s dialogue partners that included the United States and China, Aquino urged the U.S. to be involved in the South China Sea dispute.
Parts of the speech:“It is especially vital to have the world’s largest national economy involved in the discussions considering the interconnectedness of our current milieu…
“Each one of our nations has a stake in the stability of Southeast Asia. The United States understands this and, for this reason, has chosen to work with us to ensure the peace and continuous advancement of our region.”
The Inquirer reported that Aquino said the US presence at the Asean summits “adds a special dimension to our regional discussions particularly on issues that have far-reaching political and economic implications.”
Penchant for unnecessary snide remarksThe day that President Aquino talks about his accomplishments without snide remarks at Gloria Arroyo, is the day I can say that he has matured as a leader of this country.
As of now, his penchant for snide remarks about people he doesn’t like gives the impression of being juvenile.
Reports from Vientiane, Laos , where Aquino is attending the Asia –Europe summit, said during his meeting with the Filipino community, he said people in the previous administration seem to be using a different kind of calculator when it comes to public works projects and rice imports.
“As other people say, maybe they used a different kind of calculator and the addition button is automatic and frequently pushed,” he said elaborating that the Arroyo administration imported 2.5 million metric tons of rice for a 1.3 million shortage , the end result of which is excess rice now rotting in warehouses.
Sharing a sick jokeBinatikos si Pangulong Aquino sa kanyang mga pinagsasabi nang siya ay nasa New Zealand.
Una ay ang kanyang patutsada kay Gloria Arroyo at ang pangalawa ay ang panlalait niya kay Rep. Teddy Casiño ng Bayan Muna.Gloria Arroyo in a wheelchair November 2011
Sa miting sa Filipino community sa Auckland, sabi ni Aquino:”Share ko ho lang sa inyo isang tawang-tawa ako sa narinig kong joke. Yung mga kababayan raw ho nating corrupt sa Pilipinas, kagagara ng kotse, kamamahal, katutulin. Pero pagka ginustong tumakas, ang ginagamit wheelchair .”
Palakpakan.
Maala-ala natin, noong isang taon, bago siya nasampahan ng kaso at naaresto, tinangka ni Arroyo na mangibang bansa. Galing sa ospital, naka-wheelchair siya ng dumating sa airport.
