It seemed only yesterday when I first wrote about what we can expect from the Aquino presidency. That was, in fact, already two years ago. It was in the June 2010 issue of the SBFCC newsletter where I wrote The Subic Freeport, the Aquino Administration: What’s in Store? While there wasn’t much information to go by at that time, I was still reasonably close in my assumptions. Below.
“…looks like we have gathered and should expect that the Aquino
administration is pro-labor, does not like re-appointing government officials,
strict about human rights abuses by the police and military, and hates graft and
corruption…”
Three SONA’s (State of the Nation Address) later, on labor, more than 30,000 out of work nurses had been deployed to 36,000 barangays, more than three million jobs were created, government workers will get bonuses based on performance and achieved targets, even pensioners will receive at least P5,000 per month, from previously as low as P500. Although his proposed bill when he was still senator, SB1370−An act granting an annual productivity incentive to all workers in the private sector, never saw the light, I’d say it is pretty clear that he leans reasonably enough towards labor (although the left-wing militants might not agree).
On limiting the re-appointment of government officials, this was apparent from the get go. Barely a month after assuming office, he signed Executive Order No. 2 ordering the immediate removal of all midnight appointments. Also, the PNoy-backed Republic Act No. 10149 regarding fiscal discipline in GOCCs, includes limiting the term of office of GOCC Appointive Directors to just one year or until a successor is appointed.
However, the original senate bill that then Senator Noynoy Aquino authored, SB1719, was anchored more on limiting the re-appointments of presidential nominees bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA). On this, the House minority reminded PNoy of that bill he filed and urged him to do the things the way he tells others to. Note that the bicameral CA already bypassed several times the appointments of five Cabinet members—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr, Interior Secretary Jessie Robredo, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, and Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman.
PNoy must now be realizing that limiting re-appointments is easily said than done; especially from the executive side of governance where trust is primal.
On human rights abuses by the police and military, PNoy ordered, in his first year, the Department of Justice to “begin the process of providing true and complete justice for all.” While the number of killings and disappearances implicating the military has gone down, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims that the Aquino administration has not taken the needed steps to bring recent cases of serious abuse to trial. While PNoy did not include anything about human rights abuses during his SONA, he did mention in an earlier occasion that the government is “working overtime” to prevent new cases of human rights violations and to resolve previous cases. No success yet but he is into it and has pleaded for patience.
Fighting graft and corruption is I think the area where PNoy made great strides. Almost on a daily basis, one can read success on this front from the news media. A number of proclamations and executive orders were made including EO 46 which further strengthens and reorganizes the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission for a "steadfast, strong-minded, and unwavering campaign to eradicate organized crime along with the graft and corruption it breeds." He is also currently urging Congress to pass amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act to strengthen measures to hold the corrupt accountable.
It will be a long and hard battle for PNoy especially considering that corruption exists in almost every level of Philippine society—tax evasion, public bidding evasion in awarding of contracts, ghost projects and payrolls, nepotism and favoritism, protection money and extortion, bribery—but it is a fight that has started and already reaped results. While corruption is still thriving especially in the lower rungs of government, there is without a doubt that PNoy’s reform agenda has reduced corruption in public service.
As expected, the government’s trust rating has increased. This had positive effects on the business climate and economy, too. Our GDP in Q1 of 2012 increased by 6.4%, the highest in Southeast Asia and second only to China in the whole of Asia. Total approved investments in 2011 has increased 37.6% from 2010. Even agencies such as Fitch and Standard & Poor’s has upgraded the Philippines’ credit rating to just one notch below investment grade.
While good and honest governance does not necessarily equate to good economics; while PNoy’s slogan, “There will be no poor if there is no corruption,” is not necessarily accurate as 1−1=0, is there even any doubt that progress had been made on graft and corruption? Only the purest of skeptics would have any.
Truth be told, I really wasn’t expecting much from the Aquino presidency two years ago. My only hope was that he would not renege on his promise to fight graft and corruption tooth and nail. For me personally, graft and corruption is the primary evil in government. Even just reducing it would make things start to fall into place; maybe not perfectly, but better than before. Fight graft and corruption! That is all I asked and prayed.
Three SONAs later, President Aquino proudly showed results. Unlike in the past when we only get the middle finger from the corrupt, it seems they now have their tails between their legs. That alone makes me smile.
(SBFCC Newsletter Volume 17 Issue 8)
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