Aquino administration---doing the same things ala Arroyo?

Columnist and avowed Pinoy supporter Conrado de Quiros wrote in his column today entitled " Mandate", this observation:

"That is the kind of corruption the public sees more than anything else. That is the kind of corruption the public wants something done about more than anything else. The voters made Noynoy Aquino president and Binay vice president because of it: Because Noynoy was the opposite of GMA and because Binay was anti-GMA, and both could be trusted to stop any rule that would extend that kind of corruption. And the public has acclaimed Noynoy by 88 percent and Binay by 77 percent because of it: Because P-noy is the opposite of GMA and because Binay is anti-GMA, and both can be trusted to prosecute GMA and all those who helped her mount that kind of corruption."

For the Inquirer columnist, the mandate is clear: be different from the Arroyo regime and prosecute GMA for her crimes.

Yet, it seems that this mandate is slowly being "corrupted" with the entry of interest groups inside Malacanang. Consider these:

1. People hate the Arroyo administration for appointing close family associates in sensitive posts in the bureaucracy.

Noynoy Aquino appointed at least three families in sensitive posts, one being the Abads. Butch Abad, who served as the campaign manager of the Liberal Party and one of the leading figures in the Hyatt 10 walkout, is now Budget secretary. His daughter, Julia, serves as the president's chief in the Management staff while her brother, Luis, is now the Chief of Staff of Finance secretary Cesar Purisima.

Margie Juico, wife of Philip Juico, an Aquino loyalist, serves as PCSO head while several other close Aquino family associates occupy very sensitive positions in the new administration. One family friend, Odette Ong, formerly Cory Aquino's associate, is also inside Malacanang, doing a very strange "audit".

The Romulos are also occupying sensitive posts. Bert Romulo serves as Foreign affairs while his daughter, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat is now undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture.

2. No brokering nor lobbying. A former Cory Aquino official, Odette Ong is said to be "brokering" for big-time smuggler Lucio Lao Co. Co reportedly offered 200 million pesos before the Aquino administration to "go easy on him".

3. No one with a case of dishonesty occupying sensitive posts in government. Angelito Alvarez, who is now banned for cheating his way in a golf game, is now Customs chief. Rogelio Singson's appointment has a conflict of interest attached to it yet he occupies a post which regulates the business of his former company. Likewise, Kim Henares, a veteran in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), is also tapped as head of the government's revenue collecting agency. Henares is quite close to Guillermo Parayno who has a company with businesses with government.

These appointments are very controversial.

4. No interference in the workings of the legislative and the judiciary. President Noynoy Aquino recently told a group of journalists what he believes is the case of Senator Antonio Trillianes IV. Aquino says, Trillianes' case was a case of injustice. The new president said Trillianes should not have been indicted since there was no crime of coup d'etat.

Aquino is actually correct. Yet, it is wrong to order the Department of Justice (DoJ) to review the case and possibly have Trillianes cleared of all wrongdoing. This, according to Senator Angara, is a clear case of Executive intervention.

 





Conrado is correct. The Filipinos are very optimistic that a new administration, a new style of governance will eventually replace the old one.