Whether out of conviction to make known the huge and scant details about things or inspired by the growing possibilities and positiveness of true reforms or simply sentiment or history review, lets read this piece from ex Mayor Johnny Caballero. SO THE IVATANS MAY KNOW By: Johnny Caballero Not too long ago, the issue on PDAF scam was the center piece of all tabloids like a blockbuster movie in the making. It was the most sensationalized piece of story in every print and broadcast media. Lawmakers fought hard to defend it, believing that it is their duty to their constituents to assist in the countryside development. PDAF, per se, is not bad as the critics of the Aquino Administration would have you believe. It has been in existence since the birth of congress and even during the past administrations. The negative publicity on PDAF came when some congressmen under the Arroyo Administration manipulated it for their own personal gain, as in the infamous Napoles case. Not all congressmen diverted their Pork Barrel for personal use. Majority utilized it to fund programs and projects in their respective districts i.e., scholarship programs, medical assistance to poor patients who cannot afford to pay their hospital bills and medicines and even as far as defraying the cost of transportation for patients that needed to be airlifted to Manila, and including projects requested by LGUs for funding and many more. As the issue on PDAF worsened, those who opposed it went to the Supreme Court and challenged its constitutionality. It took sometime before the Supreme Court ruled on the issue. But whether or not the declaration was with merit, the ultimate losers are the constituents who are dependent on their representatives for quick assistance. The irresponsible act of some made poor constituents suffer. The Chief Executive was not spared. The office of the President was dragged into the controversy by reason of command responsibility. And since the House of Representatives is dominated by those who are allied with the ruling party, it is not surprising that the opposition used the issue on PDAF as an instrument to derail the Aquino Administration’s progress towards Daang Matuwid. However, those who were riding on the issue were dismayed. The opposition failed to succeed in their effort to destabilize the government by sowing intrigue that the PDAF was a major source of corruption among lawmakers. And so the only option left was for them to question the legality of DAP. Again, the angry opposition filed a petition to the Supreme Court assailing its constitutionality. The Aquino government was quick to defend it on the grounds of convenience, legality, and practicality. According to Sec. Butch Abad, unlike PDAF, DAP is not a fund and therefore should not be misconstrued as a bundle of money susceptible of ending up in the pockets of unscrupulous individuals. DAP is a label conceptualized by the economic technocrats of Pnoy to fast- track the implementation of programs and projects and funded through the savings of the Executive. Through this mechanism, public spending has practically been faster leading to a more vibrant economy. While the opposition claims otherwise that the Aquino Administration did not perform well even with DAP, the World Bank gave a vote of confidence to the government of PNoy. This means that all the economic reforms introduced by the President’s Economic Think Tank, including DAP, yielded positive results for the Philippine economy, way beyond target. This validation, coming from the President of the World Bank, runs counter to the claim of those in the opposite fence. We cannot change the lives of every Filipino overnight, but let me tell you straightforwardly that the Administration of PNoy since its inception to power, initiated radical economic reforms to set the crooked road straight. Among these reforms is the controversial DAP- intended to speed up public spending to achieve its goal of providing a better life for the Filipinos. Every Filipino deserves the right to speak and live a decent life. Let us allow other voices to be heard instead of just the opposition’s ruthless chanting of slogans and blaming government for inaction and worst, acting beyond its powers. This is a simple act of destabilization by manipulating the minds of the people, making it appear that government is corrupt and the economic advisers of the President are doing nothing to move this country forward in the right direction. Not everybody will bite the bait of the opposition. But what if the men around the President will give in to the pressure of the opposition? Eventually, the various institutions linking the Office of the President to the Filipino masses will become weak and every men behind him will fall one after the other like a domino in motion. That to my mind is the foreseeable effect of the opposition’s grand plan. Like the President, Secretary Abad was not spared. He was the victim hardest hit by the critics of the administration. He handed over his resignation as an act of delicadeza to pacify the opposition’s hungry lust for blood. However, the President turned down his resignation. If the president was weak and compromising, he would have accepted Abad’s resignation for convenience to silence the opposition and finally lay the matter to rest. But he still believes in the integrity and capability of the man in command of DBM. I share this belief with the highest official of our land, having known Secretary Abad and his family that well and for all these years. Secretary Butch Abad came from a family of politicians. His late father Sec. George Abad served the province of Batanes as its Representative to Congress in the mid 60s. He later served the administration of then, President Diosdado Macapagal as his DPWH secretary. It was during his term as congressman and secretary, that Batanes begun to savor the aroma of development. Infrastructures like roads, ports and airports were constructed to serve the needs of the Ivatans. The late George Abad was well loved and remembered by the Ivatans to this day, for his great achievements. The Abads are not as they are made to appear in the front pages of our morning dailies. The opposition and those of the left are fuelling the issue on DAP just to derail the economic momentum of the present administration. DAP is not bad, neither is DAP a fund per se. It is an economic stimulus and a mechanism designed to accelerate development in our country. It is a way of fast- tracking the implementation of programs and projects to improve the lives of Filipinos. In my honest opinion, this is nothing less than a politically motivated plan by the opposition to gain media mileage in preparation for the 2016 National Election. And while the issue on DAP ran almost every day in the headlines of tabloids, protesters who are perceived to be pro- opposition took to the streets and took advantage of the volatile situation depicting DAP as if it was the worst economic reform of the Aquino Administration. I reiterate my stance on the issue that DAP is not bad and is neither a fund. It is a means of disbursing money from the savings of the National Government- the Executive in particular, to fund projects that are necessary like school buildings and hospitals, to name a few. But the Supreme Court in its decision ruled that some portions of the DAP is unconstitutional and that all spending should come from programmed appropriations approved by Congress. I believe in the independence of the Judiciary under our Constitutional Democratic Government. However, I still insist that the judiciary, as the last bastion of justice, doesn’t exist on its own. Rather, it complements the two existing branches of government- the Executive and the Legislative. It has a role to perform to speed up the development of our country and bring a better life to its citizenry. Ergo, the Supreme Court’s decision against DAP, if I may say, was to the disappointment of the Aquino Administration and an insult to the intellect of the Filipino people. My dear kaydians, let us go slowly and revisit our past. Where were we as Ivatans in the mid-year of 2010, and where are we now after four years? Was there a change in the outlook of our lives? Did we move forward as an indigenous people? Did we get what we expect from our Representative in Congress? Did we earn more and contribute to the national coffers because of effective representation and good governance? Were we able to send our children to school to earn the degree that they wanted? Who laid the foundation of our local economy to make every Ivatan the ultimate beneficiary? Who strengthened our basic institutions and gave a bright future to our children? Who built for us the most number of roads, bridges and schools for our children? Who introduced eco- tourism in Batanes as a means of livelihood for the Ivatans and initiated the nomination of Batanes to the UNESCO World Heritage list? Who empowered the women sector, gave pension to the elderlies and assisted the weak and sickly? Who helped us get back to our feet in the aftermath of a strong typhoon and restored electricity in the entire province? Wake up my dear kaydians. Let us remove the blinders from our eyes so we can recognize and appreciate the efforts of a woman who dedicated her life to the service of the Ivatans. She may not be an Ivatan by breed, as some may claim it, but her heart belongs to the Ivatans. She made Batanes a model of progress more than any other Solons combined before her. The woman I am referring to, is the better half of the DBM Secretary, the Hon. Congw. Henedina R. Abad. She assumed office on July 1, 2010 as the Representative of the Lone District of Batanes to the 15th Congress. It was the height of widespread corruption in government and eroding credibility in the leadership of our Land. The newly installed Aquino Administration then, has to institute quite a number of fiscal sector reforms to set a crooked road straight and make this country great again. The Office of Congw. Abad did its part as a partner in rebuilding this nation and gain the confidence of the Filipinos, particularly the Ivatans, whom she represents in Congress. She never brags about her achievements nor displays what she did for Batanes in a giant billboard for all the Ivatans to see. We owe to her the greatness of Batanes today. In gratitude, we can only say, “Thank you Madam Congresswoman”. Indeed, the Abads are the symbol of progress and development of Batanes. Let us join hands together and support the Congresswoman in every effort she does, to make Batanes a haven of prosperity. But let us not forget the man behind her who fought hard to defend the economic reforms in government to improve the lives of one hundred million Filipinos.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 07:25:07 +0000
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