EDITORIAL – Why Philippine politics has such a bad name

Rep. Luigi Quisumbing of Cebu's sixth district has reported meeting with public works and highways secretary Rogelio Singson regarding a plan of his to build a coastal highway from the South Road Properties in Cebu City all the way to the town of Liloan some 20 kilometers to the north. Quisumbing wants a feasibility study on his plan, which he believes will help ease mounting traffic to the north, especially that which passes through Mandaue City.

Any infrastructure project at this time, especially of this magnitude, is always welcome. Cebu has not seen a project such as the one proposed for quite some time. If the plan pushes through, then it will be a tremendous boost to the economy and provide much needed relief to traffic weary Cebuanos who are starting to feel what it must be like in Manila.

But the Quisumbing plan also brings with it some questions, two of which will be asked right now, The first is a hypothetical one: If Quisumbing is pushing for a project of this magnitude, does that mean he is seeking reelection as it is only by way of Congress that he can truly push for and follow up the plan? The question is asked because talks have it that he will be trading places with Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes -- Cortes for Congress, Quisumbing for Mandaue mayor.

The second question is the more important one: Granted the Quisumbing proposal materializes and indeed a coastal highway is built from the SRP to Liloan, what happens then to the still-unfinished Cebu North Road initiated by then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, part of which has been built, the rest apparently abandoned? If the Quisumbing plan materializes, it will prove once and for all how vengeful, callous and wasteful the practice of politics in this country really is.

The Cebu North Road, which starts from Mandaue City and also ends in Liloan, has already been started by Arroyo. It involves the building of a causeway over Cansaga Bay in adjacent Consolacion and the widening of the existing road from Mandaue to Liloan. The causeway has already been built. About a kilometer of road from either end of the causeway has already been widened.

But then President Aquino was elected in 2010 and all work on the Arroyo project has ceased. The Cebu North Road would have provided exactly the same benefits envisioned by Quisumbing in his own plan. It is a good project. The only thing wrong with it can be summed up in one word -- Arroyo. Arroyo is the mortal enemy of Aquino. And because this is the Philippines, even such a good project as the Cebu North Road must be stopped, for no other reason than that it was started by an enemy.

Why the benefits and the amount of money already spent are never given any consideration is the reason why people have come to have such a very low regard for politicians. Sure they occupy the choicest places in any gathering and play stellar roles in any program, but the reason why people say such nasty things about politicians behind their backs can also be summed up in three words -- Cebu North Road.