The Battle of "Commissioners"

Just when things are looking up for the Macapagal-Arroyo administration (i.e. 7.4% growth, Erap conviction, etc.), another corruption scandal involving the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, COMELEC Chair Ben Abalos and DOTC Secretary Larry Mendoza has exploded, upsetting the fragile political balance in the country. Even now, leading political observers and opinion-makers are already predicting an intra-administration showdown in the House of Representatives next week. The last three years of the Arroyo administration will not be so boring after all.

During the Senate hearing on the ZTE-NBN scandal, many people were surprised to see almost all of GMA's Cabinet in attendance. I surmise that it was GMA's way of showing the senators (and others who want to topple her) that there will not be a repeat of the "Hyatt 10" mass resignation and that her entire Cabinet stands solidly behind the project. The President's message to the senators is clear: she is standing by the project and there is no backing off (no pun intended) from the ZTE-NBN deal.

While I admire the young de Venecia's courage in blowing the whistle, I find it hard to symphatize with him. I think it was Senator Joker Arroyo who most aptly described the situation as a battle between "commissioners," meaning that the current controversy is merely a fight over who gets the biggest commission. I for one find the younger de Venecia's claim that he refused the $10 million offered to him by Chairman Abalos just so he would back off from the deal simply unbelievable. I mean, judging from the information that emerged from the Senate hearing and assorted media reports, Amsterdam Holdings Inc.'s capacity to undertake the project is also doubtful. Aside from its minimal capitalization, it now seems that AHI also lacks the proven track record and the technical expertise to mount a project of this scale. So if the $10 million offer was indeed true, I would think that Joey de Venecia absolutely has no reason not to accept it. I mean, it is not everyday that one gets $10 million just for doing nothing!

From a policy perspective, I think Senator Mar Roxas hit the nail right in the head by pointing out that the computed savings to be generated by government (estimated to be P5 billion annually) from the ZTE-NBN project is totally erroneous. Given the more urgent and more important services that the government needs to provide our people, why is our government prioritizing a project that will not directly benefit our citizenry but will merely allow better communication between public agencies? Will the project improve the delivery of basic services to the public? Will the project improve the lives of our people? I think the proponents failed to adequately address these questions during the Senate hearing.

Owning its own broadband network should be government's least priority and concern, especially given the fact that our private telecommunications sector can more than adequately meet that demand. I mean, never before in our entire history has government been more "interconnected," what with cheap DSL rates and the popularity of text nowadays. So what if government is paying private telcos P3 billion or even P5 billion a year for telephone and internet connection? I find nothing wrong with that. At least, since telephone and internet subscriptions are charged under an agency's MOOE (maintenance and other operating expenses) budget, we can be sure that no enterprising head of agency is getting a commission for it. Well, at least not in the dizzying amounts mentioned by Joey de Venecia.

Goodbye Museo Iloilo?

A little over a year after the Petron Oil Spill tragedy, President Arroyo dissolves the Task Force Solar I Oil Spill (TF SOS) headed by Presidential Adviser Rafael Coscolluela (read it here). It seems that Coscolluela is off to bigger things, having been appointed Administrator of the Sugar Regulatory Commission, and with the IOCF no longer planning to release additional funds to compensate victims in Guimaras, the President has seen no more need for TF SOS.

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Museo Iloilo, which has been standing on its present site at the Capitol complex since 1971, is in danger of being demolished if plans to construct a convention center pushes thru (read more here). This idea for a convention center is not feasible for the following reasons:

1.) it will be competing against privately-owned hotels, resorts and convention centers which are presently catering to our convention visitors. We have more than enough convention facilities at the moment to fulfill the needs of our visitors. Government should support, not compete, with private business.

2.) the convention market is not big enough. It's not as if doctors and dentists are all rushing to book their conventions in Iloilo that some cannot be accommodated anymore. As it is, competition among our hotels and resorts for convention bookings is already cutthroat. The last thing they need is for government to compete with them.

3.) government has no business being in business. One sure way to make a business enterprise fail is to ask government to run it. Just look at NAWASA back then: it cannot even make money from selling water. If you cannot make money selling a most basic and vital commodity such as water, then you have no business being in business.

I recall that the provincial government of Cebu built a similar convention center for the ASEAN Summit and it is hardly being used today. While I support efforts to promote Iloilo as a convention destination, this idea of putting up a government-run convention center should be nipped in the bud moreso if the plan calls for the demolition of Museo Iloilo. The people don't need it and don't want it.

Where Have All The Bad Boys Gone?

I read the articles written by Malu Fernandez poking fun at OFWs and I have to say it was not amusing. The article's tone was mean, not funny. It was just highbrow snobbery, pure and simple. If she intended it to be a comedic take or satirical piece (which she earlier claimed) on how baduy or crass our OFWs are, then her article missed its mark by a mile. It was like she was trying to imitate Dona Buding but instead coming off like one of those one-dimensional, matapobre characters in the movies usually portrayed by Rosemarie Gil or Armida Sigiuon-Reyna. If Malu Fernandez wants to take the mantle of Dely Atay-Atayan as the new Dona Delilah, I suggest she think again because people don't find her funny at all. Now, instead of becoming the next Dona Buding, she has become the Face of Philippine Snobbery (or the "Mahaderang Matapobre" as some bloggers call her).

Now that she has resigned (and may very well have to move abroad because of her new-found celebrity or notoriety), it would be good for Miss Fernandez to do some soul searching and polish her manners, not to mention her writing skills. Writing satire and comedy requires a high level of skill - I think Malu Fernandez found this the hard way - and not everyone has the talent for it. But believe me, Malu Fernandez will be back after a couple of years when things have cooled off. People in this country have very short memories. No one "loses his reputation" in this country - people just let it hang for a while to dry. Her notoriety may even prove beneficial to her journalistic career and I wouldn't be surprised to see later on that Malu Fernandez will be able to parlay her notoriety for some financially lucrative talk show. Just look now at Ruffa Gutierrez: from the ashes of "Take it, Take it" she rose to marry a Turkish millionaire and is once again a bankable actress with several product endorsements and a primetime TV show in ABS-CBN.

It seems to me that bad girls nowadays dominate the news, not only here in the Philippines but even abroad. From the head-shaving Britney Spears to the drunk-driving Lindsay Lohan to the sex-tape antics of Paris Hilton, girls behaving badly are attracting all sorts of media attention. Just months ago, American TV networks devoted more airtime to Paris Hilton getting released from jail than say, a famine in Africa or the war in Iraq. If you reward attention-seeking behavior with media attention, I believe that TV networks are just reinforcing these celebrities' bizarre conduct. Case in point: after Paris Hilton, it is now Lindsay Lohan's turn to get caught drunken-driving. I mean with the millions they earn, why don't they just hire a driver?

It seems that the bad boys are nowhere to be found. The so-called "Bad Boy of Philippine Movies" Robin Padilla is now a reformed ex-convict and a devout Muslim to boot. He still has his swagger and still talks that "kanto boy" talk of his but viewers can see that he is just a mere shadow of his Bad Boy self. Erap Estrada, the other Bad Boy of Philippine Movies Plus Politics is now in jail facing corruption charges. Even his son, Senator Jinggoy "Fresh Prince of San Juan" Estrada, used to be haughty during their time in Malacanang but is now a pleasant enough fellow (or so I am told). Everyone's favorite whipping boy, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, is recuperating from his bypass operation and is currently out of the news (which I think is good news for his media handlers). There is also no news about Joc Joc Bolante (is he still jail in Chicago or is he already out on bail?) and Virgilio "Garci" Garcillano (who I believe is leading a quiet life in the boondocks of Bukidnon).

Of course, this is not to say that there are really NO more bad boys around. It just may be that the bad girls are getting more media attention than the bad boys. Is it because news stories about boys behaving badly don't sell anymore?

Iloilo Images: Sicogon Island From Afar

With its pure white sand and crystal clear waters, the tadpole-shaped Sicogon Island was once a world-class tourist destination until money problems forced the resort owner to close down. There have been talk of developing the island into a new Boracay, but it seems that Sicogon may lose out to Carabao Island (which, aside from its beautiful white sand beaches, is only about 30 minutes boat ride away from Boracay).

One major drawback is that it is very costly just to get to Sicogon. There are no regular ferry trips to the island (unlike in Boracay where the ferry fare costs only P25) so one has to occupy a banca for the whole day to take you to and fro the island. With banca rent ranging from P1,000 to P1,500, it is indeed quite expensive especially if you are travelling alone or in a small group.