P-Noy’s First SONA rating: Needs Improvement

Commentary:
P-Noy’s First SONA rating: Needs Improvement
Carl Ala, a political economist from the University of the Philippines-Manila
After the 36 minute first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III aka P-Noy, many people from congressmen, senators, critics and the usual man on the street find the speech wanting. Let us look at the speech and its contents and see its main points and see why it needs improvement.

PANIMULA
While it is good that the Aquino administration has rooted out some of the anomalies of the Arroyo regime and exposed it to the public that is already expected and what we need now is concrete action to address these. So the Truth Commission must really hit the ground running as soon as possible because it has a lot of things to do and it has to jail Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before she gets away.
Aside from this corruption is just a part of Philippine society’s problems and though it has to be addressed the current administration should first prioritize agrarian reform and building up basic industries because these will alleviate the plight of at least 90% of our population and will be the key for the country’s development. But sadly P-Noy, like in his inaugural speech did not even mention agrarian reform in his SONA. It is quite obvious that he is avoiding the issue because his own family is embroiled in the Hacienda Luisita land issue and they do not want to return the land to the farm workers.
Landlessness is still the most pressing problem in the country and even if nobody is corrupt now, poverty will prevail due to this problem. Take Batanes for example where people are so honest that stores are left unattended and nothing is stolen, but most of them are still poor, because as with most farmers all over the nation they do not own the land they till. If this is not addressed then no amount of anti-corruption campaigns can uplift our economy.
IMMEDIATE STEPS
TAX EVASION
Weekly filing of tax evasion cases is good but more big fish has to be made an example so that people will know that the government is indeed serious in going after tax evaders, but it should also stop giving incentives and tax holidays to foreign companies so that tax collection would really improve.

EXTRALEGAL KILLINGS
P-Noy should treat extra-judicial killings as a failed government policy rather than just a simple crime-solving case. He should also take note that the cases he is crowing about are just three cases what about the more than a thousand more that still has to be solved. This can only be solved if the current administration issues a categorical order stopping the killings and the culture of impunity. The recommendations of UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston should also be implemented.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Public-Private Partnerships is not sound because in essence is that we are going to sell public property to private mostly foreign corporations or governments, which for one thing is patently unconstitutional and will certainly disadvantage our country’s long term interest. To be safe it must be ensured that only Philippine companies are involved.
This should also be carefully monitored because left unchecked, this can be a source of corruption again and it can worsen the problem it was designed to address. It is due to the fact that its primary goal now is to make profit and it can corrode the government agencies and officials supposed to be their partners.
STREAMLINING PROCESSES
FREEING UP FUNDS
EDUCATION
PHILHEALTH
This is good and must be done soon.
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
While some of his legislative agenda like the fiscal responsibility bill, anti-trust bill, whistleblower’s bill and witness protection program are welcome. We should be wary of the national land use bill because it may just be another way for foreigners to have 100% ownership of land here in our country, while the revised National Defense Act may be used to curtail our rights and freedoms.
PEACE PROCESS
It would have been better if he did not make a demand before starting the peace talks because it will seem to be a pre-condition and is detrimental to confidence building measures for the talks to continue. Besides why should there be a need for the talks to continue if there is already a nationwide ceasefire, by the way this was also the tact taken by former President Corazon Aquino and look what happened. What must be done here is to really address the basic needs of most Filipinos and there would be no rebels in the first place.

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