President Aquino wants to be a reformist president, and he’s doing a good job at reforming society. His “daang matuwid” resonates with the people, and is something they want: a clean, honest government that cares. But they also want a decent life, and that he hasn’t yet provided.
I read with great interest Conrado de Quiros’ column titled “About time” (Inquirer, 4/23/13). His take on the honor conferred on President Aquino as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the Leaders category is as insightful as his analyses of the other issues that he had tackled before.
We should all congratulate President Aquino for being voted into Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. However, we should all be fully aware of the real reasons he is on the list. If you carefully read the magazine’s write-up on him, it seems that the main reason he is there is his [...]
What a difference an election makes. Three years ago, the one thing that occupied our minds was the extent to which Arroyo’s government would cheat. It was the first time votes would be counted electronically, which caused widespread anxiety and fear. The possibilities for cheating had just been jacked up a hundredfold, computerized canvassing threatening to make “Hello Garci” look like child’s play.
President Aquino and his budget chief, Secretary Butch Abad, recently announced plans to increase the budget allocations for public colleges. Although the announcement sounds all nice and well, the increase should not be seen as a solution to the problem of students having trouble paying their tuition.
President Aquino is washing his hands of the Mindanao power crisis. Since 2010, this problem has been squarely, pointedly and repeatedly brought by the people of Mindanao to his attention. Now, the President apes Pilate, telling the people of
Mindanao that they have to bite the bullet.
Just how powerful and popular is President Aquino? Well, he can make someone a viable candidate for senator even if that someone has no experience. He can appoint anyone to any position even if that anyone has a very questionable past. And he can jail and impeach the individuals he chooses to.
(Concluded from Monday) In his speech last March 18 at the 45th anniversary of the so-called “Jabidah Massacre,” President Aquino stood at loggerheads with his father, the late former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., in their presentations of the event that triggered the Moro secessionist wars in the Philippines. “It has been four and [...]
President Aquino gave three major speeches last Friday, but only one of them will be remembered years from now, as a pitch-perfect example of how to talk tough with the utmost tact. He not only told influential Chinese businessmen to pay the right amount of taxes; ever so gently, he told them off.
There she goes again, but the pattern has become familiar. It would seem that every now and then, Kris Aquino treats us to her teary spectacles. And this time, the drama was even more intense—presented on prime time TV news with an all-star supporting cast, courtesy of all three other Aquino sisters looking downcast, for a full 27 minutes and 54 seconds of airtime.
Surprisingly, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario admitted that one of the letters sent by Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to Malacañang for President Aquino was misplaced or lost for some time, although it was reported that the letter was recovered later (Inquirer, 3/7/13). As a trial lawyer, I find it very strange that a very important [...]
President Aquino’s handling of the Sabah crisis reflects his political immaturity and social insensibility. First he tells the followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to drop their guns, go back to Tawi-Tawi… and be arrested. Joke? Then he tells them to stop the aggression in order to save lives.
