YEARENDER: New job, fewer wrinkles for Noynoy

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is banking on the love and support of the people to fulfill his campaign promise of reforms.

He said there are now fewer wrinkles on his forehead than when he was just starting as the country’s leader, as good news has been coming in earlier than expected.

He said his Cabinet was readying the government’s programs for 2011 and they should be ready to roll them out by the second week of January.

With a new budget and in anticipation of new investments, the President’s officials said the people would begin to see the fulfillment of the promises they made when Aquino was seeking the presidency.

Simple policies like the ban on blaring sirens, stricter enforcement of traffic rules, the ban on the posting of politicians’ names on billboards announcing government projects have endeared the President to ordinary Filipinos.

Also seen to have drawn favorable reactions from the public were news of his prudent spending of resources even in his trips abroad as well as his suspension of the lavish perks and privileges of officials in government-owned and controlled corporations and government financial institutions.

The President has also implemented a zero-based budgeting scheme to make sure that people’s money would not be spent on wrong projects or on non-existent or non-performing agencies.

And in keeping with the administration’s effort to raise revenues without burdening the people, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs started filing cases against tax evaders and smugglers.

Business partnership

The administration has also cut down the processes in business registration to encourage more investors. The President said he was more than happy with the close to $6 billion in investments that his economic team was able to attract in his first six months in office.

In launching the Public-Private Partnerships, the President noted that participation from local and foreign businesses was very encouraging and that this was a reflection of the improving perception of the country.

From his trips to the United States, Vietnam and Japan, Aquino said he was able to bring home investments and assistance that would provide jobs for the people.

Aside from stopping profligacy, he vowed there would be no more kickbacks for government workers and officials dealing with private contractors.

Challenges

But it has not been all smooth sailing for the Aquino administration, which had to deal with legal setbacks early on.

The earliest and perhaps the biggest setback was the Supreme Court’s voiding of Executive Order 1 creating the Truth Commission. The administration, through the commission, hopes to probe alleged anomalies during the previous Arroyo administration, and eventually put closure to unresolved irregularities.

Critics said the President’s inefficient and fractious Cabinet is to blame for the Palace’s gaffes.

Early in the campaign, there had been doubts on the capability of Aquino’s party – the Liberal Party – to propel him to the presidency. A staunch critic, Sen. Joker Arroyo, had even quipped that LP members could fit into a Volkswagen beetle, referring to the compact but dependable car that was popular in the 1970s.

But after pulling an election magic act, the President’s men now had to deal with blunders prompting Senator Arroyo to call Aquino’s Cabinet a “student council.”

It remains to be seen if they can shake off such perception, but they have six years to prove their mettle in improving the lot of Filipinos.

Aquino insists he is happy with his team and that many of them have performed very well in their first six months even if they are not experienced government officials.

The Aug. 23 hostage incident again tested the administration’s mettle in handling crises.

The President admitted he committed mistakes and trusted too much in the police officials assigned to handle the crisis, which ended in the deaths of eight tourists and the hostage taker.

Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno, a close friend of the President, came out of the crisis almost unscathed, although he was the one tasked to oversee police operations.

When Puno’s name was dragged into the controversy on the illegal numbers game jueteng, he went to a newspaper to say there was a vilification campaign against him because many were interested in his position. But Puno did not only defend himself, he also bragged about his closeness to the President and how he could tame him even after he had become chief executive.

The President reportedly scolded Puno for saying such things, but did not fire or otherwise punish him.

But none of the lenient treatment he reserved for friends like Puno was felt by others who had committed mistakes, like Prisco Nilo, former chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Nilo was sacked for reportedly giving wrong weather forecast on several occasions.

After being implicated in jueteng, Puno offered to resign but later chose to stay on.

Critics said presidential friends in the Cabinet involved in or suspected of irregularities should just resign and not wait for the President to agonize whether to fire them or not.

One of Aquino’s closest friends – Romy Mercado – did not accept any position but was seen assisting Aquino on many occasions.

Tourism Undersecretary Vicente Romano III resigned after his brainchild slogan “Pilipinas kay Ganda” drew widespread criticism.

The legal team of the President led by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa had also been getting a lot of flak for some questionable legal moves.

The President said the Palace has other legal consultants , including former Presidential Commission on Good Government chairman Magdangal Elma.

Self-inflicted

There is no strong opposition yet to the current administration but critics said the President and his officials seem to be their own worst enemies.

For instance, officials of the communications group of the President are perceived to be incapable of getting their act together. There is not much information coming from the communications group and they hardly set the agenda for the news.

Most of the time, Palace officials are left simply to react on issues. This can be both good and bad, although this early, the President is complaining that the bad news is highlighted more by the media.

Normally, the good news is spread by the government’s media people and this must be strengthened if Aquino wants positive reports to have greater prominence.

One of his communications officials, Assistant Secretary Maria Carmen Mislang, had even carelessly tweeted about her dislike for Vietnamese wines while the President was guest of Vietnam’s leader.

Balay, Samar and PinBall

Although factionalism is perceived to be weighing it down, the administration may actually draw some benefit from differences among its officials, according to some analysts.

Analysts said the differences actually may compel officials from different factions to excel, provided they don’t operate against one another.

But it is still important that the President’s officials work in harmony and protect one another.

Sources said a Cabinet revamp was announced by the President because vetting of appointees was continuous and that members of the official family would not really know who among them would be affected by the shake-up.

The factions are usually referred to as the Balay Group composed of LP stalwarts led by former Sen. Manuel Roxas II, Aquino’s running mate in the last elections, while the other is the Samar Group, led by Ochoa and Sen. Francis Escudero and the other lawyers who helped the President in the campaign.

Aquino’s sisters, Pinky Abellada and Ballsy Cruz, are called “PinBall” because as the President said, they were assisting him in obtaining information about his appointees.

The President also likens his sisters to his “guardian angels” because they also get to find out whatever is happening behind his back.

Better days ahead

Aquino promises better days ahead and is bent on improving the country’s peace and order situation by making the fight against violent crimes a “personal one.”

Even unexplained killings, he said, would have to be resolved quickly as part of his administration’s strong stand for human rights.

As he protested the issuance of travel warnings by several foreign governments against the Philippines without proper coordination with local authorities, the President emphasized that he was aware of the security problems that must be addressed.

He had also ordered a review of the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States and had spoken strongly about protecting national interest over and above anything else when dealing with other countries, including China.

Aquino also vowed to pursue peace talks with communist rebels and Muslim separatists. His administration has declared a ceasefire with communist rebels. that is in effect until Jan. 3.

In his six months in office, Aquino has consistently and steadfastly shown his dedication to transparency and to fighting corruption. Aquino, in his first foreign trips as president, was able to attract attention and articulate the Philippine position on many issues.

Unlike his predecessor who had been constantly pestered by allegations of poll mischief, Aquino has an indisputable election mandate and is in the position to carry out his promise of sweeping reforms. But he said he needs all hands on deck to make things happen. He also said the Church’s having finally spoken with government regarding responsible parenthood to address the issue on population has been an encouraging development.

He said the legacies of his parents and the people’s faith in him have been his biggest motivation and source of inspiration.