What SONA?

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO 

March Fianza

We all have friends and relatives who belong to the Iglesia Ni Cristo, but they will not talk. What’s with the INC? Last week, Angel Manalo, the brother of Ka Eddie who now heads the church group, said that the “doctrine of the INC is now damaged”. In front of newsmen in Quezon City he mentioned about “anomalies and acts of corruption in the Church”.

He also claimed that he was expelled from the 100-year-old church by his own brother even as he later appealed to the latter not to listen to corrupt officials belonging to the INC Council who were allegedly behind anomalous deals being entered into by the INC.

An INC spokesperson dismissed the corruption allegations of Angel. As the INC drama unfolds in the days to come, the Catholic Church, Anglicans, Protestants and other church groups in the country and abroad are watching. Is there corruption in the INC?

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 Many are now talking about President Noynoy’s SONA (State of the Nation Address) even while he has yet to deliver it on Monday, (July 27, 2015). While his detractors are mum and unaware of the contents of PNoy’s speech, they are prepared to criticize him. On the other hand, supporters expect that PNoy will mention their accomplishments in their respective provinces and districts, at least.

           

As usual, all of us look at PNoy’s SONA, his fulfilled and unfulfilled promises, particularly in the areas on corruption, economy, poverty and misuse of people’s money. On corruption, I doff my hat to President Aquino for being the most determined fighter and maybe the most honest one among the country’s leaders. As we all know, the past administration was led by one who tolerated corruption. 

            

With his rallying cry “Kung walang k orap, walang mahirap”, he condemned the past administration and pursued the case against President Arroyo until she was placed under house arrest, putting a steady blame on her for the country’s present problems.

            

This was followed by the impeachment of former chief justice Renato Corona in 2012. However, even while graft and corruption is PNoy’s prime enemy, his administration is now being criticized, considering that his allies are now being accused of links to corruption.

On issues pertaining to misuse of funds, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional Malacañang’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) while it acknowledged and lauded the positive effects of the misused funds to the country’s economy.

Lately, family members of the 44 police Special Forces who were the unwilling victims in the Mamasapano massacre in Mindanao expressed their objections against the government's allotment of a P2.4 billion package in payment for only 75 guns surrendered by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The package also supports the livelihood projects of decommissioned members of the MILF. In comparison, only P80 million worth of cash and benefits were given to the families of the SAF 44 – an unfair treatment by PNoy’s administration.

On another case, the Department of Transportation and Communications was accused last month by no less than Senator Recto for taxing Filipinos too much by collecting from motor vehicle owners extra payment for newly designed plate numbers. Recto said, plate numbers were already paid during the first time that the motor vehicles were registered.

The same is true with the franchises used by public transport motor vehicles, and the computerization fees collected in LTO offices all over the country. With all these, the DOTC has practically become the money-making agency of PNoy’s administration. Surely, we do not expect these issues to be mentioned in the SONA. 

In addition to the category, consider the medicines, rice and other supplies intended for calamity victims that are selectively disposed and distributed and are now rotting in DSWD offices. By the way, do not forget the social funds in the form of burial assistance that were inserted by lawmakers for the use of people in their district. Accordingly, the funds were being disbursed as if the agency owned it, to the disadvantage of the real beneficiaries identified by the congressmen.

Consider also the funds allotted for newly printed DepEd books for the implementation of the K-12 education system. The books are unacceptable because the texts were spelled incorrectly, meaning these were not edited.

On poverty issues, this administration has repeatedly mentioned about economic gains but many Filipinos have yet to feel the benefits. In the news, it reports of higher averages in economic expansion that are much better than the long nine years that Arroyo ruled over us.

President Aquino prides over the 4Ps or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, an anti-poverty program that, according to Malacanang, benefited 4.4 million household-beneficiaries. However, if you ask some recipients, they will say that life has not changed for the better.