Noy wants only good news from aides

NIXES 3 SECRETARIES WHO ALWAYS GIVE HIM ‘BAD NEWS’

President Aquino may be far removed from the reality of numerous problems the country faces, and the reason nothing moves in Malacañang.

He yesterday bared in a speech of “two or three” of his Cabinet members who have brought him nothing but problems and “bad news,” saying that whenever they try to get an appointment with him, he is reluctant to give them his time and invariably wonders: “What bad news are they going to report to me again?”

Aquino made this pronouncement during the 113th anniversary rites of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), days after two polling firms simultaneously reported a drop in his satisfactory and trust rating.

Airing his exasperation over their performance, Aquino said the still unnamed Palace officials have not given any

contribution to his administration and have instead caused him nothing but suffering due to the problems they present to him, upon his assumption to the presidency.

Their lackluster performance, Aquino said, is in complete contrast to the performance of DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo and Budget Secretary Butch Abad who helped him a lot in solving the country’s woes.

“To tell the truth, I have two or three Cabinet members who, everytime I see them, I really wonder just what bad news they are going to give me again, but Secretary Singson, Secretary Mario Montejo, and many more, including Secretary Abad, when I see them often, they always give the good news and solutions to the problems,” Aquino said.

The chief executive added that this batch of “good news” secretaries, when they want something approved, quick as a wink, their requests are approved.

“This is why, when they ask for an appointment with me, my approval comes faster than 4’o clock while the others who bring me bad news, I just force myself to see them (and steel myself for the bad news),” Aquino added.

“I really force myself to see them, and I tell you, it has been a year of penitence for me. This seem to be my penitence in this world,” he stressed.

Aquino, despite complaining about his “bad news” secretaries, did not say why he has not fired them, if they bring him problems and refuse to give him “good news’ all the time.

His statement also came at a time when his administration is under severe criticism for his penchant for protecting malfeasant cronies dubbed by the opposition as KKKs which stands for Kaibigan (cronies ), Kaklase(classmates) and Kabarilan (shooting buddies).

Ironically however, his shooting buddy, Land Transportation Office chief, Virginia Torres has been stirring up controversy after contraversy, especially her raid of a private firm, yet he coddles her, which may make her one of the “good news” officials who has easy access to him, as the “good news” she gives Aquino is by way of blaming everything on her foe, Stradcom. As he said, it is Torres who blows the whistle on the Stradcom deficiencies and overpriced fees.

Just the other day, Mr. Aquino openly defended Torres whom he described as one who has instituted anti-corruption reforms in the LTO despite the recommendation of the Department of Justice (DoJ) which pushed her dismissal from the service.

Aquino also minced no words in criticizing Stradcom Corp., which is LTO’s Information Technology provider, for its alleged inefficiency and even accused the LTO’s Information Technology provider of overpricing its service fees.

The president left no clue as to the identity of the Cabinet members but Aquino’s pronouncement came after Sen. Chiz Escudero and presidential sister Kris Aquino blamed the president’s communication staff for the pattern of decline on the president’s survey ratings.

Escudero claimed that the seeming failure of the president’s communications team in accurately delivering the message of the administration to the people can be largely blamed for the president’s consistent drop in his survey ratings, an observation that was quickly refuted by presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

Lacierda said that the pattern of decline on the president’s rating was caused, not by a faulty messaging by the communications group, but by the delay in the implementation of the government’s infrastructure spending since the Aquino administration had to plug funding leakages that is causing the systemic corruption in government.

Lacierda said that the president’s downward rating will be reversed as soon as the administration commences in investing on infrastructure.

At the same time, former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday chastised what he described as the “cavalier” attitude being displayed by the President in dealing with criticisms against his appointees, especially his KKKs.

“The prime example here is (Executive Secretary Paquito) Jojo Ochoa. He might be the best man in the world to occupy the highest appointive office in Malacanang, which is the executive secretaryship, but to saddle him with other jobs that also call for so much attention and dedication, would in effect, reduce his effectiveness.

“The executive secretary is a 30-hour, eight-day a week kind of a job and there is no room for Ochoa to breathe if he is given another task like the PAOCC (Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission). Even Jesus Christ carried only one cross to the cavalry.

“The point is, there is much to be desired in the way the President is handling his basic powers and to top it all, the law and order situation in the country is most alarming. It is not only journalists but also simple Maria or Pedro who are either killed or kidnapped daily in Metro Manila as well as other parts of the country. Noynoy is the top cop of the country. As the chief executive, he cannot pass the buck to another person,” he said.

There’s one area where the President seems to be missing the point, that of his own campaign slogan “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap,” the former senator said, pointing out that the premise of this assertion is doubtful.

“It does not necessarily follow that if there’s no corrupt (official) there’s no poverty in the country. But assuming that it is right, then why is that there is still corruption in LTO, (Bureau of) Customs, PPA (Philippine Ports Authority), to mention only some of these agencies.

“The problem of corruption in this country is herculean. Noynoy is not Hercules but he seems to give a message that he does not favor outright firing of people, especially if they belong to his KKKs. He wants them to go on leave but going on leave is hardly the solution because once the leave credit is done, the official concerned goes back to the office and so the wheels of corruption are oiled again.

“Firing them does not mean that they should be put behind bars. Jailing people is something else, disciplining them within the administrative structure of government is one thing and putting them to jail under a criminal system is another,” he pointed out.

Pimentel said that by exercising his powers of administration, President Aquino can fire his own people.

“The important thing is that Noynoy has to buckle down to serious work. In other words, to see the substance and not the superficiality of things. In addressing poverty for instance, he has to see not only with his eyes but with his heart. What does the public really need? One of the things that he misses out is the fact that he is not holding regular sessions with his Cabinet. He need not convene the entire Cabinet but certainly he must have sessions with people responsible for certain areas of governmental concern. Otherwise, he will be faced with the situation like when he went to Maguindanao yesterday. He goes there, he looks at the water lilies and says: there are too many of them, whuch is why it cannot be cleaned up.”

“In the meantime, the people of Maguindanao have been suffering from floods for about a month. I understand they have been expecting something more than just that. And this is where his advisers, who are probably more perceptive of what is happening, could give him ideas on what to do and what to bring to the stricken areas when he goes there.

“But unless he does that, the wasted one year cannot be brought back to life again. It is bound to haunt him through the remaining five years of his life unless he really buckles down to work,” he said.

Pimentel said the President cannot always wash his hands and give an excuse that he merely inherited most of the current problems of the country.

That is precisely why he was elected, to do something about it. And if all they hear from him is that he’s still new or say ‘I still have to think more deeply about it,’ he will run out of time giving the same excuse. So I am sorry that this is probably not a good way to show the people that he is doing something to solve the problems of the nation,” he said. –Gil Bugaoisan and Angie M. Rosales, Daily Tribune