Punchline
Shameful
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
THE (partial) veto message of City Mayor Benjie Lim was littered with venomous language directed at the sanggunian, i.e., “sinister political agenda”… “wrongfully and fictionally portraying”… “blatant ignorance” …”perverted, counterproductive and unconscionable system”… “tragically and incomprehensibly”… “tedious round of power play”…”politically-motivated malevolence, without shame”… “leadership obsessed with a self-serving and myopic political agenda”… “egocentric political agenda”… “heartless emasculation”… “typical case of mala fide or bad faith”… “no ethical and moral force”… “no guiding principle”… “unambiguous abuse”… “conspicuously pretentious knowledge, shameful ignorance”.
If one did not read the title of the document, one would readily think that the document was actually describing the city mayor’s office and its occupants.
* * * * *
ZERO-BUDGET. For the first time in the city’s budget history, the 2011 budget (aka Ordinance No. 1963-2011) did not spare anything for 11 offices and activities, not even a peso. For the first time too, the unit heads or responsible officers of these offices snubbed the budget hearings, refusing to explain details of programs for their requested budget.
Labeled as “Wholly Reduced” (meaning disapproved) in the veto message were: Youth & Sports Development, P3M; Tourism, P1M; Publication and Information Program, P3.4M; Various Events, P1.298M; Cultural Heritage Commission, P1M; Management Information System, P5M; Topograhic survey PP4M; Repair and Maintenance of buildings and other structures, P3M; Maintenance and Improvement of People’s Astrodome, Parks and Plaza, P3M; Various infrastructure Projects, P7M.
If only Mayor Benjie had allowed and encouraged the responsible officers to rush to the sanggunian to give the specifics, I am certain the activities would have been amply funded if justified. But the mayor’s “gag” order was hanging like a Damocles’ sword over the unit heads and all decided to be a no-show at the hearings. Evidently they have been assured that the city council would not dare deprive them. That was a serious miscalculation, gambling as they did taking the word of someone whose credibility and integrity was already in tatters. They should have known better after the illegal and anomalous transactions in the city hall were discovered during the budget hearings.
The rejection of the unexplained budget requests can be likened to parents who tell off their children who ask for a P50,000 monthly allowance each yet think they cannot be compelled or obliged to explain the need for such an allowances. The kids uniform reply to their parents is: “Kasi sabi ni Uncle!” Tsk-tsk.
So serves them right. They only have themselves to blame for getting zero-budget.
* * * * *
SHAMEFUL. There was one paragraph in the veto message that was patently hypocritical and obscene.
It reads “We cannot bear to see children begging in the streets, families wallowing in poverty, school children deprived of quality education, and pregnant mothers dying because of poor health interventions while the city government maintains a hefty sum of unappropriated surplus.“
The gall of the city mayor and his cabal to claim this after he and his key officials were caught red-handed misusing people’s money by utilizing calamity funds for political partisan purposes and rigging a pubic bidding in order to overpay favored suppliers for basic food commodities intended for the children’s feeding program.
If that doesn’t make you puke, I don’t know what will.
* * * * *
WRONG SIGNALS. This early, I am afraid we are seeing a national government that is clearly devoid of any national vision or strategy particularly in combatting transnational crimes like drug-trafficking. Instead we are seeing a media-driven-issue government with a penchant to be populist unmindful of consequences to national interests.
At the risk of being branded as insensitive, I cite the case of the 3 Pinoys recently executed in China for drug-trafficking, caught for having 4-6 kilos of illegal drugs in their possession!
Indeed, families who experience deaths of loved-ones overseas, particularly if meted death by execution, suffer extreme trauma and, therefore, communities cannot but empathize. Their stories are the types of human drama that media love to portray and project since these make for perfect scenes to touch our bleeding hearts.
The three executed Pinoys (who were obviously not OFWs as many in media had mistakenly described them), could very well have been victims of a society that cannot provide livelihood opportunities for them and their families and, therefore, their families deserve sympathies of all. But that’s where the story should end for there is the morale of the story that says – The three are not to be emulated for they (whether victims of deception by recruiters or not) knowingly violated a law that is considered just as heinous in this country.
Alas, our government assumed a stance seemingly treating the three like they were homegrown heroes, guiltless and accused wrongly when in fact they were part of the supply chain that destroy countless homes and families around the world. By offering to provide the children of the three convicted Pinoys with free education is sending the wrong signal – in exchange for brownie points offered by the human drama made popular by the media.
While I agree that our government must be quick to assist Pinoys who are in dire need after suffering from a war or natural calamity or events through no fault of theirs, I cannot but fear the consequences of the Aquino government’s policy to provide for all families of Pinoys found guilty, convicted and executed for dealing in deadly illegal drugs overseas.
Consider how the government should now deal with the families of drug traffickers caught, convicted and imprisoned here. Given the unusual precedent played out by Malacanang, would it not now be discriminatory on its part not to extend the same sympathy and support for the families of those caught here who also invoke a cruel society that deprives them of opportunities for decent livelihood?
If one were to follow the logic of the Aquino government’s skewed populist policy, families who can hardly fend for the education for children or siblings can now consider engaging in drug-trafficking because it is a win-win situation. If they don’t get caught, they are amply rewarded with cash bonuses; if they get caught and convicted or even executed, their children/siblings get scholarships!
Gee, at the rate PNoy is leading this government, a discredited President Arroyo would appear to have been a blessing for us after all.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
