Exploiting Filipino Urban Poor

The ‘politically correct’ term now being used now is ‘informal settlers’ instead of squatters.

But the double talk did little to change the fact that the Quezon City North Triangle area turned into into a war zone with the squatters resisting their transfer to a resettlement site 23 kilometers away in Montalban, Rizal engaged in a stone-throwing spree to keep demotion men of the National Housing Authority from tearing down their shanties.

As anarchy prevailed, the stretched of EDSA bordering TriNoMa was forcibly closed.

But what’s galling is now the government of Quezon City which tolerated the entry of squatters into the public property and actively courted the residents’ vote in the last elections is now washing its hands of any moral responsibility to convince the squatters to peaceably vacate the area.

The picture that emerges, rightly or wrongly, is that commercial interests matter more than helping the urban poor.

There is no question that the squatters do not have any legal claim on the property.

But our politicians are, at the very least, being mentally dishonest in dealing with the squatters whom they exploited politically but are now blind to their troubles and simply tags them as "professional squatters"!

That maybe true in certain instances.

But the truth is the government also makes money from the business that spout within the squatter areas.

Shame on you!!!

Will The NFA Close Shop?

Most of us have been transfixed on juetengate 2010 and the striptease routine in the release of the report into the botched rescue of a busload of foreign tourists.

Now it’s time to read this:

For years, the National Food Authority has been the guaranteed buyer of palay from Filipino farmers and buffer importer of rice to the tune of 20-plus percent of the total rice supply in the market and making prices stable.

But while we were not watching, the National Food Agency has seen its requested P15 billion allocation in the 2011 budget slashed by the Cabinet to P8 billion.
Simple belt tightening to curb the budget deficit?

Not really it seems.

The budget has actually been strangely transferred it to the DSWD without prior consultation with NFA officials.

Answer me the question:

How is it that the DSWD itself will now become involved in rice importation minus any track record of conducting such activities?

NFA Administrator Lito Banayo is warning of a looming shortage of NFA rice for the poor should the Aquino administration fail to release the remaining P6 billion budget of the agency.

"We’re close to putting up the shutters on our retail operations. If the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) will not release our remaining budget this year, we will have to close Batanes, Aurora, Masbate, Catanduanes, the entire CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Bohol, Cebu, all of Regions 8 and 9. Even Coron and Busuanga will be closed for selling rice.

Banayo notes that of the NFA’s total allocation of P8 billion for 2010, only P2 billion has been released.

This was surprisingly decided on at Cabinet level as domestic production of palay is projected to be flat as previous events last year and this year will just even out with bad weather conditions having brought down second quarter farm production by 2.18 percent and by 2.88 percent in the first quarter of the year.

Banayo admits that the NFA has been losing money from selling cheap rice at prices below the purchase price. Records show that NFA losses had ballooned to P177 billion of which P54 billion consisted of suppliers’ credit.

"We cannot do anything about that. It is our mandate to ensure there is food for the poor, to provide a way for poor people to have something decent on their table," Banayo says.

Banayo is worried about the prospects of the proposed 2011 budget based on a restructured NFA.

The DBM has slashed the proposed P58 billion budget requested by the agriculture department to P37.7 billion

But the NFA chief rightly points out:

"We cannot work on a zero budget as what is being proposed by the budget department
based on their version of a restructuring program for the NFA. I worry about provinces like Occidental Mindoro where 30 percent of palay produced is being bought by the NFA.”

If this comes to pass, what are the feared consequences?

A sampling from recent news reports:

Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano: The proposed budget of the DA for 2011 "will further worsen the rice crisis and food insecurity in the country."
"Unscrupulous rice traders operating the domestic rice cartel will have a heyday with NFA’s zero budget and intervention in the market through unjust rice pricing and manipulation.

Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile (NPC):
“Just imagine the nationwide confusion and economic exploitation if this is implemented by a department that has no experience in farmer subsidy operation, warehousing and marketing.
I cannot allow this abrupt change of policy that can cause an adverse effects on farmers as well as rice producers and consumers. Without the budget, NFA would cease to be socially and economically relevant and worse the poor farmers would be placed under the mercy of profiteers and other exploiters.
The honorable secretaries of Budget, Finance and Welfare should explain their action to our people. They may have the noble intention of suddenly changing the policy but it’s also possible that they overlooked the political, social, economic and national security implication of their collective action. Their timing alone is bad enough because obviously they did not consider the plight of our farmers who have just been through a series of typhoon and El Niño calamities that devastated thousands of hectares of their farmlands in many regions of the country.

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo:
The possible removal of government support in the NFA importation of rice will move inflation rate higher by 0.37 percentage point for 2010 and 1.24 percent for 2011. BSP assumes a fare hike of P5 for jeepneys and P10 for taxis. The price of rice will likely increase if subsidy such as tax exemptions will be reduced or removed. NFA rice is priced at P25 per kilo.

This could very well pull retail prices of rice to as high as 34 to near 40 pesos per kilo!


Verily what could happen now is local farmers will see the further depression of palay farm gate prices with the private rice cartel raking in profits and government abandoning its long running commitment to keep politically-sensitive the supply and price of rice within reach.

Further, instead of shutting down the NFA shouldn't it be be reformed to make it more efficient, cleanse operations prone to graft, and make it more responsive to the "matuwid na daan" agenda?

Or will the Aquino administration rather play with fire?

An Open Letter To DILG Usec Rico Puno

Dear Mr. Puno,

That was a performance you gave at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Juetengate 2010.

But Filipinos are wondering why despite your avowed efforts to fight jueteng, our Senators tagged your answers as evasive while you were seemingly just experiencing ‘senior moments’, memory lapses about the names of the enjoys of jueteng kingpins who wanted to schedule meeting with you, being the President’s point man for the Philippine National Police.

You certainly must must have felt being ganged up upon by our lawmakers.

But without meaning to cast doubt on your integrity, given your seeming unshakable brother-like closeness to the President, the problem your are facing now is really akin to what called the “Caesar’s Wife Test.”

As legend goes, Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, when asked why he divorced his second wife Pompeia despite the fact that there was no proof that she was having an affair, reportedly answered: “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.”

While our President, your President, is away on a mission to tell the world that “the Philippines is open for business”, it would be a major, major exercise for you to reflect upon whether you would pass Caesar’s test on two counts: Juetengate 2010 and the botched handling of the RizaL Park hostage crisis.

Humbly posited.

Finally, The IIRC Report Is Made Public, Sort Of

So it is that the report of the inquiry team into the August 23 Rizal Park hostage taking is finally out.
But much like a striptease act, Filipinos are only being given a peep into the recommendation that certain police official, political figures and media practitioners and organizations will face either criminal, administrative, or industry-specific sanctions for their lapses that supposedly contributed to the fiasco's blood-soaked end.
But we are told not to hyperventilate just yet because the inquiry findings led no less by the justice secretary will yet be reviewed by legal minds apparently enjoying a higher degree of presidential trust.
We are also now learning the deeper meaning of the word prerogative, executive prerogative.
It applies in this case in the same way it applied to the decision, for “courtesies’ sake” that Hong Kong and Beijing have been given the privilege of examining the full report with the ‘larger’ goal of smoothing out our frayed diplomatic ties with the two jurisdictions.
The gesture should surely make up for the phone call of Hong Kong’s chief executive which got lost in the Malacanang trunk line along with the failure of Manila to take the initiative of communicating with the former British colony during the 11-hour-long crisis.
So let’s concede that presidential prerogative is sacrosanct and just wait for the Chief Executive to return from his week-long maiden foreign mission which is, anyway, widely expected to brinf home the bacon in the form of new aid from Uncle Sam, and the promise of new investments that will result in new jobs and other major, major benefits.
Anyway, the matter of Filipinos engaging in armchair punditry in the coffee corners and barbershops can never be circumscribed by presidential prerogative.
Gusto nila happy pa rin tayo.

Waiting For The Report

We've all been waiting for the official findings of the inquiry into the botched police assault on the busload of Chinese tourists from Hong Kong.

But Malacanang says Filipinos can't be told just yet until Hong Kong and Beijing see the report submitted yesterday by the panel led by Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.

The only snippets revealed thus far is that the 8 hostages all died at the hands of dismissed police captain Rolando Mendoza and no one among the casualties were felled by friendly fire - meaning no one was mistakenly hit by gunfire from the SWAT assault team members nor from police snipers.

It's also ben disclosed that up to 12 people will face criminal or administrative proceedings over the helter-skelter way the assault was carried out, and the manner news media covered the event.

Members of the probe panel and several Senators have roundly scolded how journalists supposedly gave "more importance to their news gathering needs over the safety of the hostages and their live coverages' painted a negative image" of the Philippines.

The scuttlebutt:
1. At least two political figures "will be recommended for prosecution or suspension.
2. Up to eight police officers will also be leveled with severe sanctions.
3. Two news media personalities and their media entities will be publicly reprimanded while further investigation may be sought with regard possible infractions of the terms of their broadcasting franchises.

It may surely be concede that the matter of Hong Kong getting first crack at seeing the findings is well within executive prerogative.

But something feels amiss.

Sure the people of the former British colony were 'traumatized and angered' by the fiasco that left 8 of their compatriots dead.

But what about Filipinos who've been humiliated and been put on the receiving end of insults about the incompetence of our police forces?

Why the seeming discriminatory gesture of delaying the report's release to us

Aren't we the bosses???

Danding And The 2010 Polls

Kind, astute, cunning.

These adjectives separately, and collectively, describe Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco, the former ambassador, failed presidential candidate, and 'Boss' of the nation’s biggest business conglomerate.

Danding is also chairman emeritus of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, opposition party-cum-bedfellow of the ruling modern-day Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD combine.

Mr. Cojuangco’s business acumen and generosity towards his employees is legend.
And so are his potent political dominance instincts.

So while he failed in his own bid in 1992 for the land’s highest office, Mr. Cojuangco is acknowledged still as king maker.

It also is true that critics consider him the brains behind the continued failure of Filipino coconut farmers to gain their fair share of proceeds from the Marcos era coconut levy funds.

Most recently Mr. Cojuangco’s name surfaced anew when the Supreme Court, in lightning fashion, gave its judicial imprimatur to the Presidential Commission on Good Government's approval of the conversion of coco levy San Miguel Corporation common shares (which have voting rights) into preferred shares, premised on the fact that such action would funnel some 57-B in earning from the conversion.

The action covered 753,848,312 Class “A” and “B” common shares of SMC registered in the name of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) Holding Companies representing around 24% of the total SMC voting shares.

The subject block of shares is sufficient to elect four of the 15 members of the SMC Board of Directors.

Sources inside the PCGG told this writer the path for the deal to be smoothed out was done in confidential meetings held in Davao by to lieutenant of Mr. Cojuangco between September 2, the day the PCGG Resolution was approved, and September 17, the day the high court okayed the action whose legality was questioned by citizens led by former Senate President Jovito Salonga.

The wheels of justice do move expeditiously.

The political point is how the reticent Mr. Cojuangco finally did speak up over the weekend about the ongoing shuffling of political cards ahead of the elections now just 6 months away.

Why did he issue the denial?

Well that’s because the latest political trial balloon had thee Little President, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita saying the administration combine is angling to get NPC’s beauteous vice presidential standard bearer to pair up with Defense Secretary Gilbert Gibo Teodoro.

The statements:

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, interim president of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD:

You can see [Defense Secretary Gilbert] Teodoro and the party leadership might just succeed in enticing or talking successfully with the NPC to join up with the majority party.

200 leaders of Tarlac took their oath [of membership to Lakas-Kampi-CMD]. Most of the people are from the NPC ranks in Tarlac.

The “exodus” of political leaders joining the Lakas-Kampi-CMD happened after Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero resigned from NPC and failed its members’ expectations of running as their president in 2010.

The party is wooing Sen. Loren Legarda, NPC’s vice-presidential candidate, to run in tandem with Teodoro for the 2010 elections.

I believe Legarda might also be contemplating on accepting the offer of running as Teodoro’s partner as she maybe fully aware of the talks happening between the two parties. It is in the consciousness or Sen. Loren Legarda that those talks are going on. She will be properly guided.

Business tycoon and NPC chairman emeritus Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. :

Hindi ko alam (talks with other political parties for the 2010 national elections). Sila na ang bahala. Hindi na ako nakikialam (I don’t know anything about that. It’s up to the party leaders).

Cojuangco said he has also stopped meddling into the NPC's selection process for candidates. He declined to reveal the reason behind Sen. Chiz Escudero's recent surprise resignation from his party.

So you’d have Mr. Cojuangco finally surfacing to support his nephew who ‘bolted’ the NPC just before thwarting Bayani Fernando’s bid to get his party’s nod as standard bearer

It all becomes clear now.

The result: the planned November 19 declaration of a Nacionalista Party tactical marriage with with the NPC feature a Manny Villar-Loren Legarda ticket suddenly goes kaput.

So is the popular Sen. Loren going to the highest political bidder?

Too Much To Bear

The fighting in Mindanao, the debate over the bungled Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, and yes, the highest inflation rate in 14 years of 12.5% are hugging the headlines, along with the extended presence of ‘visiting’ American troops in Zamboanga.

So it is understandable that the tragic sinking of MV Princess of the Stars nearly three months ago is not on the top of our minds of late.

But there is movement on the ground with salvage work on the ship wreck due to commence in several weeks at a cost of some P350-M to the owner, Sulpicio Lines. The Cebu-based shipping firm has recently reported that it has extended berreavement and other financial aid to more than 500 or is it 600 families of the dead and missing, many of whose remains are still entombed inside MV Princess of the Stars, once the lead vessel in Sulpicio’s fleet of inter-island passenger and cargo vessels.

It’s previously been reported that Sulpicio ships carry up to 40% of the commercial cargo ( including motor vehicles) to and from the Visayas, and Mindanao, making it a truly vital cog in the supply chain, as businessman call it.

The government has been trying to project acute awareness of this reality, attempting to balance the still highly emotional issue of the recent tragedy with the economic imperatives.

It is no surprise then that a key lieutenant of President Arroyo, her former Assumption schoolmate Elena Bautista, already undersecretary for maritime affairs, has just taken over the helm of the Maritime Industry Authority.

The MARINA, in turn has laid down a strict time-bound schedule for Sulpicio Lines to comply with stringent maritime safty standards, including retraining of its sea-going personnel, and upgraded insurance coverage.

To be fair, Sulpicio Lines appears to have shed its earlier bad handling of the crisis which including claiming the incident “was an act of God” and its seeming all-out ’sue everyone” legal tactic.

Government itself is not blameless in the affair with the negligence of key agencies in both the micro and macro sense (the inadequate seaworthiness certifications, the ‘white elephant’ maritime emergency communications system, and PAGASA’s failure to procure properly-budgeted weather tracking nd forecasting systems).

There is also the matter of the ticking environmental time bomb, given Del Monte Philippines’ highly toxic cargo of the Israeli-manufactured endosulfan pesticide which, if it leaks together with some 200,000 liter of bunker fuel still in the overturned ship, could wreak untold harm to the rich fishing waters of the Visayas.

But still, public perception, and blame-selection remains decidedly against Sulpicio even as the firm itself is reportedly struggling to literally stay afloat, operationally and financially.

Its competitors are even suspect of adding fuel to the fire by nudging negatively-slanted news and opinion reportage.

The Department of Justice’s Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has also been ‘eager’ to stay in the news, prodding victims’ relatives to pursue damage, and criminal cases against SLI.

This writer has confirmed that the legally-required conduct of indigency certification tests for all litigants getting pro bono PAO legal aid has been waived.

Both houses of Congress are also not done yet with their inquiries “in aid of legislation” and there is, of course, a pending Board of Marine Inquiry recommendation for Sulpicio’s franchise, its Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) to be revoked.

So given these very dire circumstances, what does lie ahead for Sulpicio Lines?

It almost seems too much to bear that last Thursday, Sulpicio’s MV Cotabato Princess rammed the Iloilo pier after reportedly being pished by heavy currents.