PNoy must show his leadership now

Call him “malas” if you want, but just one day after Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III; the Supreme Court announced that the President’s first executive order creating the Truth Commission was junked with finality in a 9-2 vote because it violated the equal protection clause. Clearly the Truth Commission was created by the President to go after his predecessor, something that he and his minions are still doing today.

Old folks also say that this President is “malas” because his aunt, Josephine Cojuangco-Reyes collapsed while she was giving her eulogy during the wake for her brother Pedro Cojuangco who died last week. I’m not a bit superstitious and I don’t believe in these things as I consider them mere coincidences, but the Supreme Court’s coming up with their decision only a day after the President’s SONA was perhaps timed not to embarrass the President, if they announced it right before or during his SONA.

Anyway, the President’s SONA no doubt continues to polarize our people to one who continues to believe that the President means well and is truly on the way to solving the nation’s ills, while the other side insists that he is carrying too much political baggage. Personally, I believe in the President’s sincerity, however his problem is, he cannot find it in his heart to get rid of the people he appointed who committed mistakes in his administration.

Three people constantly being mentioned is his shooting buddy DILG USEC Rico Puno, Customs Head Angelito Alvarez under whose watch smuggling goes unabated, and the totally ineffective Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim. The President still has to decide on what to say about Margarita Juico of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) who has been caught lying through her teeth during the investigation of the so-called “Pajero Bishops” which literally boomeranged on her, especially that she blamed the media for naming them the Pajero Bishops, when in truth, all that came from her mouth.

When the President questioned the professionals, doctors and lawyers and lumped them together for only paying a mere P9.8 Billion in taxes in the year 2009, this has triggered questions stemming out of the coffeehouses of Metro Cebu as to who are the topnotch BIR taxpayers… or who are the doctors or lawyers considered the highest paying taxpayers in Cebu? There is now a search as to who are these people and it’s a bit amusing or at least, it sells a lot of coffee, though not the P1 Billion in coffee that PAGCOR shelled out from the year 2001 to the present.

But I especially admire the President’s dogged mindset to rid this nation of corruption… I salute him for this, especially when he is aiming at the jugular which is the complacent attitude of the Filipino people and our greatest folly. However changing attitudes need great examples or heroes to emulate… and we can only hope that PNoy makes the ultimate sacrifice by stopping his smoking addiction so he can truly be that example in the eyes of our people about changing attitudes.

Although it wasn’t mentioned in Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, but let me say it here that PNoy’s “Utak Wang-Wang” policy speech would not move unless he listens to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s (JPE) suggestion to amend the 1987 Constitution as he said during the second regular session of the 15th Congress at the Philippine Senate. JPE said, “This very important issue must be debated on openly and intelligently as we try to help infuse the economy with sufficient stimuli that will spur growth in our industries and businesses and create more jobs for our people.”

While JPE wants to amend the charter on its economic flaws, I still say that we need to amend the Charter because we need a genuine political reform and it can only happen through a Constitutional Convention (con-con). If indeed the President wants to reform and change the mindset of the Filipino people, then he too must look into changing our Constitution and attune it to today’s needs, after all, it’s been 25 years since we had this Constitution.

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My heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Dr. Ramon “Monching” Solano, a good friend and a good husband to Dr. Geny and father to his kids. He passed away while swimming with his friends in Panglao, Bohol, where he suffered a massive heart attack. Monching was always in a jolly mood and I won’t forget that time when my son JV had dengue fever and he was one of the first to donate blood for my son. Friends like Monching who move ahead of us will always leave a void in our hearts and that is why we will all miss him. May I request the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

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