‘Mar record unblemished by competence, compassion for poor’

MANILA, Philippines - A spokesman for Vice President Jejomar Binay assailed yesterday presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte’s claim that Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II’s track record is spotless.

“The record of Secretary Roxas as an executive is indeed spotless. It is a record unblemished by competence and compassion for the poor,” Joey Salgado, chief of Binay’s media affairs office, said.

Salgado again hit Roxas’ decision to replace Sumitomo as maintenance provider for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) when he was secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

“Until now the commuters continue to suffer because of the insensitive and inept decision of Secretary Roxas to favor a service contractor owned by his ally,” he said.

Rico Quicho, Binay’s spokesman for political affairs, earlier questioned the decision of Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya to award one of the MRT maintenance contracts to Global Epcom Services Inc., a company purportedly owned by campaign fund contributors of Roxas in 2010.

Salgado also said Roxas had failed to prove his capability as crisis manager when Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the country in November 2013.

“His management of government’s response to the humanitarian crisis brought about by Super Typhoon Yolanda can be best summed up in the secretary’s own words: bahala kayo sa buhay nyo (look out for yourselves),” he said.

Salgado said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), under Roxas, has been showered by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad with billions for projects that are outside the agency’s mandate like water, climate change and housing.

Roxas resigned as DILG secretary following his endorsement as Liberal Party’s standard-bearer for the 2016 presidential elections last month.

President Aquino has rejected Roxas’ resignation as his anointed successor still has to “finish a lot of things” at the department. 

Salgado said the Commission on Audit (COA) has criticized the DILG several times for its slowness in releasing funds. The COA said of 175 water projects, only eight have been implemented, he said.

Recently state auditors blamed the DILG for failing to release P2.08 billion for the modernization program of the Bureau of Fire Protection, he said.

Citing COA reports, Salgado said the fund has been idle for the past three years, because documents for the procurement of fire trucks and other equipment are still pending review and approval at the DILG.

“Yet while paperwork piles up at his desk, the DILG secretary has been very visible in media distributing patrol jeeps and inaugurating projects all over the country. And he does that on official government time. He is fast when it comes to photo op, but slow when it comes to work,” the spokesman said.

Salgado also lambasted Roxas for saying that the “horrible” traffic in Metro Manila is a good thing.

“If his party which controls government cannot manage traffic efficiently, and dismisses the daily commuter hell as a sign of a booming economy, his party and its standard bearer have no business staying in power for another six years,” he said.