(Conclusion)

HUNDREDS of junior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who took over the Oakwood Hotel in 2003 in a mutiny against military corruption continue to face the consequences of their actions, with lives derailed and careers destroyed.

Most of them spent years in jail, were physically and mentally tortured, and endured the betrayal and humiliation from a government they had rebelled against. But they are now trying to rebuild lives and careers outside the military.

“We may not have suffered as much as our tormentors wished us to but to this day we are suffering the consequences of what we have done: lost opportunities, destroyed careers, broken friendships and homes, and the ‘rebel’ stigma,” said former Air Force 1Lt Francisco Ashley Acedillo, one of the accused and Magdalo spokesman, now the group’s chairman.

Acedillo was among the more than 300 junior officers who seized Oakwood the morning of July 27, 2003, and were led by captains in their thirties belonging to the PMA Class of 1995. A TV anchor christened the group “Magdalo” after mistaking the officers’ red armbands with an image of a radiant sun with 16 rays, inspired by Andres Bonifacio’s Katipunan logo, as the symbol of Magdalo, Emilio Aguinaldo’s faction in the Philippine revolution.

The young officers declared their withdrawal of support from the Arroyo government and the AFP leadership over the sale of arms and ammunition from military arsenal to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf and the New People’s Army. They also accused the government of instigating the bombings in Davao City to obtain antiterrorist funds from the United States and claimed to have discovered a plot by Arroyo to declare martial law to perpetuate herself in power. The Magdalo group also exposed corruption in the AFP, including the Retirement and Separation Benefits System.

Core leaders of the group and negotiators sent by Arroyo headed by former AFP Chief of Staff Roy Cimatu later forged a “gentleman’s agreement”: Only five leaders—former Navy lieutenant senior grade Antonio Trillanes IV (Navy), lieutenant senior grade James Layug (Navy) and Captains Gary Alejano (Marines), Gerardo Gambala (Army) and Milo Maestrecampo (Army)—would be charged in a military court and all the rest only admonished under the provisions of Articles of War 105 authorizing the commanding officer to impose disciplinary punishments without the intervention of a court martial for minor offenses.

But immediately after the rebels returned to barracks, Malacañang turned around and filed charges against all the more than 300 officers before a military court, ranging from mutiny to disrespect to the president, conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman, conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline. Trillanes, 28 other officers and two enlisted men were charged with coup d’etat, a nonbailable offense, in Makati RTC Judge Oscar Pimentel’s court.

Arroyo’s military did everything to break up the group, subjecting them to physical, mental and psychological torture. Aside from solitary confinement, many were deprived of food and exposed to loud, jarring noise during the night. Female members of the family were subjected to malicious body searches during their visits.

In their detention cells, some friendships were strained and others strengthened. One officer related how on Christmas eve, they would communicate by tapping the walls of their cells, their way of holding on to each other when they were at their most vulnerable.

The group endured various forms of public humiliation. In September 2004, 14 months into their incarceration, Malacañang staged a televised apology from the group. Trillanes, the group’s spokesman then, refused then Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye’s request for him to read the prepared statement. The burden fell on Gambala, PMA ’95 class valedictorian. The public apology earned the freedom of more than 200 enlisted men who were in Oakwood.

In April 2008, in what looked like a carefully scripted series of actions, nine officers, including Gambala and Maestrocampo, changed their plea in the coup d’etat case to “guilty.” In a military-arranged televised press conference, they pleaded for—and were granted— Arroyo’s pardon. Maestrecampo later joined Esperon at the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process while Gambala pursued his search for spiritual renewal.

The trial of the Magdalo was characterized by clumsy prosecution and blatant disregard of due process. In April 2007, the military court panel declared “with deep sense of justice” that they were dropping charges against Army 2Lts Ceasar Daen and Percival Alcanar, admitting that the evidence against them was “manifestly weak” and that the two were never near Oakwood on July 27, 2003.

Betrayed anew

On Nov. 29, 2007, Trillanes and 11 other Magdalo officers charged with coup d’etat walked out of the hearing at the court of Makati Judge Oscar Pimentel, as Lim took the witness stand to attest to the government’s commitment to prosecute only Trillanes and four other Magdalo leaders in a military court for the Oakwood siege, based on the July 27, 2003 gentleman’s agreement.

Lim joined Trillanes and his group as they marched with their security escorts to Manila Peninsula where they holed themselves up and demanded Arroyo’s resignation. The Police Special Action Force forced them out of the hotel and rounded them up, along with members of the media.

Last year, before the two-year prescription period lapsed, Lim and the Magdalo officers, except for Trillanes, were charged in a military court with mutiny and other minor infractions that stemmed from the Peninsula incident.

It was another betrayal for the Magdalo officers who had an understanding with Gen. Alexander Yano, then newly installed AFP chief, who had promised they would not be subjected to a military trial for the Peninsula episode, if they pleaded guilty to Oakwood-related charges, which they did in June 2008. Some of the Magdalo officers were discharged a month later.

Yano, they said, even asked them whether they planned to return to the service, to which they replied they just wanted to get out and move on with their lives.

The AFP, however, asserted its jurisdiction over them, saying they were still active on the day of the Peninsula standoff took place.

The cases were resolved last April with the dropping of the mutiny charge, as it has been absorbed in the rebellion case filed before the civilian court. The 10 Magdalo officers, minus Faeldon, pleaded guilty to conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman, disrespect to the president , conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline and breach or escape from arrest. They were sentenced to eight months’ detention which was deemed served.

Following their discharge, the officers refused to seek clemency from Arroyo. As a result, the benefits due them could not be processed.

The Magdalo officers charged before the civilian courts or military tribunal say they can only hope and pray for a favorable decision so they can reintegrate to mainstream society.

(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”)

The July 27, 2003 Oakwood siege

Makati RTC Branch 148

ACCUSED

• Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV
• Capt. Nicarno Faeldon (M)
• Capt. Gary Alejano(M), who had an unsuccessful ran as Sipalay Mayor in Negros Occidental
• Lt. (sg) James Layug (PN)
• Lt. (sg) Eugene Gonzalez (PN)
• Lt. (sg) Andy Torrato (PN)
• Lt. (sg)Manuel Cabochan (PN)
• Capt. Segundino Orpiano(PAF)
• Lt. (jg) Arturo Pascua (PN)
• 1Lt. Francisco Ashley Acedillo (PAF)
• 1Lt. Billy Pascua (PAF)
• 1Lt. Sonny Sarmiento (PA)
• 1Lt. Warren Dagupon(PA)
• 1Lt .Nathaniel Rabonza (PA)
• 1Lt. Lawrence San Juan (PA)
• 1Lt. Audie Tocloy (PA)
• 1Lt. Von Rio Tayab (PA)
• 1Lt. Rex Bolo (PA)
• 2Lt. Jonel Sanggalang (M)
• Ensign Armand Pontejos (PN)
• Enlisted man Cesari Gonzales
• Enlisted man Julius Mesa

The Nov. 29, 2007 Peninsula rebellion case

Makati RTC Branch 150

ACCUSED:

• Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV

• Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim (PA)
• Capt. Nicanor Faeldon (M)
• Capt. Gary Alejano (M)
• 2Lt. Jonnel Sanggalang (M)
• Lt. (sg) James Layug (PN)
• Lt. (sg) Eugene Gonzalez (PN)
• Lt. (sg) Andy Torrato (PN)
• Lt. (sg) Cash Cabochan (PN)
• Lt. (jg) Art Pascua (PN)
• Ensign Armand Pontejos (PN)
• 1Lt. Dan Orfiano (PAF)
• 1Lt. Billy Pascua (PAF)

(Except for Trillanes and Faeldon, all are out on bail)

HEARINGS on the Maguindanao massacre resumed Wednesday, the first under the Aquino government, with former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. and 16 other suspects pleading not guilty to the murder of the 57^th victim, UNTV journalist Victor Nunez.

Ampatuan, the alleged mastermind, and the other suspects, mostly police officers, were each asked in Filipino and entered their pleas separately.


Arraigned were Inspector Sukarno Dicay, PO3 Rasid Anton, Takpan Dilon, Esmael Canapia, PO2 Hernanie Decipulo Jr., PO2 Saudiar Ulah, PO2 Saudi Pasutan, PO1 Herich Amaba, PO1 Esprielito Lejarso, PO1 Rainer Ebus, Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon, Michael Joy Macaraeg, PO1 Pia Kamidon, Muhamad Sangki, Maot Dumla and Thong Guimano.

Arraignment of four other accused police officers—Supt. Abdulwahid Pedtucasan, Inspector Abdulgapor Abad, PO1 Michael Macarongon, PO1 Mohammad Balading–has been deferred.

In a faded yellow shirt, Ampatuan rose from his seat from the far right of the courtroom when his name was called. He proceeded to the middle aisle, ushered by his lawyer and security escort.

When the clerk of court finished reading the information, Ampatuan was the first to be asked what plea he would enter. He replied in a resounding but emotionless voice, “Not guilty.”

The relatives of the victims seated to the far left to where he was standing stared at him intently. Others looked away. One of them shook his head while another looked down.

The arraignment marked the start of what may be a long and arduous trial in seeking justice to those who were summarily executed, mostly journalists, on Nov. 23 in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.

But Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, who lost the most family members among the victims, said he hopes that justice would be swift under the new government.

A pre-trial conference to pre-mark evidence and evaluate witnesses will begin on the afternoon of Aug. 4.

The arraignment of the Ampatuan patriarch Andal Sr., four members of his family and six policemen was postponed pending resolution of the various motions they had filed in court.

Andal Jr. has petitioned for the inhibition of Judge Solis-Reyes from the case, a petition rejoined by another defense lawyer for the other accused. Reyes said she would take up the motion, the sixth to be filed by the accused, in the next court hearing.

A total of 196 stand accused in the case, including 15 policemen, three soldiers and 21 members of the Ampatuan clan. All have been issued warrants of arrest, but 135 remain at large. This is the biggest criminal prosecution in terms of number of respondents that the country has seen since World War II.

Earlier, the court dismissed the murder case against one policeman, PO1 Johann Draper, for lack of probable cause.

The respondents faced the court in a police camp in Bicutan, with one group in yellow T-shirts and the other in orange. Ampatuan’s lawyer questioned the apparent distinction of two groups, and the judged asked the prosecution to explain.

It was learned that those clad in orange belong to the group whom the government has petitioned to be transferred from Camp Bagong Diwa to the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City. Prosecutors sought the transfer after a reported “clash” between Ampatuan supporters and some of the accused who earlier announced their intention to turn state witness.

Ampatuan’s counsel said the apparent distinction was unnecessary while the petition for transfer was still pending before the court. But Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon said while awaiting for the court’s ruling, one group has been moved to another cell for security reasons, hence the difference in the color of the shirt they were wearing.

At the close of the hearing, a statement in a yellow pad paper was tossed to the media from the prison cells, in which the accused police officers who appeared in “yellow” belied the alleged confrontation inside their cell.

Claiming loyalty only to the republic and the PNP organization, the accused policemen said, “There’s no such thing as Ampatuan loyalists inside as reported in a rumored rumble inside our cell. Please consider also our welfare because we have also dedicated our lives to our country.”

The handwritten statement further read: “We are loyalists of the PNP organization and not to anybody. We cry for justice.”

THE stockades at Camps Crame and Aguinaldo in Quezon City and the Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig that once held scores of soldiers accused of rising up against the government are now empty except for three prisoners—a senator, the Armed Forces’ most bemedalled officer and a Marine captain who was a fugitive until a fortnight ago.

Their lives put on hold as their cases drag on before civilian and military courts, these three prisoners are stark reminders of a restive military that rebelled against its former commander in chief, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and represent government’s unfinished business with senior and junior military officers.

Each of the three stockades has a lone occupant.

Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy lieutenant senior grade and a civilian since his election to the Senate in 2007, remains in jail at the Phlippine National Police headquarters at Camp Crame, waiting for a Makati court to resolve coup d’etat charges filed against him and 21 other members of the “Magdalo” group. They were charged for laying siege on Makati’s Oakwood Hotel exactly seven years ago yesterday (July 27), on the eve of Arroyo’s third State of the Nation Address, to protest what they said were Malacanang-sanctioned irregularities in the military.

Over the years, nearly all the 300 soldiers who had joined the 19-hour siege at Oakwood had been freed after they apologized to or asked for pardon from Arroyo or pleaded guilty to lesser offenses before a military court.

Trillanes also awaits a military court action on his motion to dismiss the case of conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman which is punishable with discharge from the military service.

Meanwhile, the trial of a rebellion case, also by a Makati court, against Trillanes, former Army Scout Ranger Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and 11 Magdalo officers for leading the Nov. 29, 2007 standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel, during which they withdrew their support from Arroyo and asked her to step down from office, has yet to begin.

In lone detention too—but at the Marines headquarters—and awaiting the court’s decision on the Oakwood siege like Trillanes is Magdalo’s Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon. Faeldon took part in the Peninsula standoff but escaped. He surrendered to his superior on July 7, after nearly three years on the run and a week after Arroyo stepped down as president. He has yet to be arraigned before the Makati court and a military tribunal for his participation in the Peninsula incident.

At the Intelligence Service detention facility in Camp Aguinaldo languishes the Armed Forces’ most bemedalled officer: Marine Col. Ariel Querubin, under arrest since February 2006 on charges of mutiny for his supposed involvement in an alleged plot to withdraw support from Arroyo. He and other officers had protested alleged cheating in the 2004 elections, including the participation of the military, that led to Arroyo’s victory.

Querubin’s co-accused, including Lim, are now out of detention, after petitioning the Armed Forces chief of staff for provisional liberty. But Querubin, who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in the May elections, has refused to file a similar petition, insisting that any offer of provisional release should come from the AFP leadership.

Unresolved cases

President Benigno Aquino III has vowed to put closure to many issues that have hounded the past administration. Querubin is hoping that their cases would be among those that would be resolved soon.

“It’s just either there was mutiny or not. The military court has to decide once and for all,” Querubin said in an interview. “What’s a provisional release to the officers if they are not cleared? They can neither be assigned or lead nor be promoted with this case hanging on their shoulder. This record, unless cleared, can always pull them back.”

Court-martial proceedings against Querubin, Lim and their 26 co-accused will resume on Aug. 27.

The fate of Trillañes, Faeldon and 20 others also depends on how Makati Judge Oscar Pimentel would define coup d’etat. Pimentel is expected to decide the case within the year.

The prosecution rested its case in 2007. It had taken prosecutors four years to present 19 witnesses, including former AFP chiefs of staff Efren Abu and Delfin Bangit. The defense wound up its offer of evidence early this month, presenting five former chiefs of staff: Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, Angelo Reyes, Roy Cimatu, Narciso Abaya and Generoso Senga.

Although Aquino said he has no intentions of interfering with the judiciary, he has repeatedly said the charge of coup d’etat and Trillanes’ seven-year incarceration are a “travesty of justice.”

He has said the siege on Oakwood did not constitute the crime of “coup d’etat” defined in the Revised Penal Code as “a swift attack accompanied by violence, intimidation, threat, strategy or stealth, directed against duly constituted authorities of the Republic of the Philippines, or any military camp or installation, communications network, public utilities or other facilities needed for the exercise and continued possession of power, singly or simultaneously carried out anywhere in the Philippines by any person or persons, belonging to the military or police or holding any public office of employment with or without civilian support or participation for the purpose of seizing or diminishing state power.”

The Oakwood siege ended several hours before Arroyo delivered her SONA in 2003. No attack took place; no blood was shed.

“We were willing to die but we were not willing to kill,” said former Air Force 1Lt Francisco Ashley Acedillo, one of the accused and Magdalo spokesman, replacing Trillanes, who is now the group’s chairman.

If convicted, prison awaits Trillanes and his companions. He would forfeit his Senate seat after final judgment.

Trillanes and his co-accused could regain their right to stand for public office only if Aquino grants them absolute pardon. Sen. Gregorio Honasan has proposed amnesty for Trillanes’ group, an executive grant that requires congressional concurrence. Honasan himself was granted amnesty for his involvement in several coup attempts against the late president Corazon Aquino.

Provisional liberty

The only officer still in jail for the alleged Feb. 26, 2006 mutiny, Querubin received on July 19 an order placing him under the custody of Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Ordonez, head of the Philippine Defense Reforms Office.

But Querubin has refused to comply with the order, because the directive was supposedly issued “upon his request,” which he denies.

In a meeting with AFP Chief Gen. Ricardo David on Thursday, Querubin stressed he never petitioned for release. He said he turned down months earlier a similar offer of provisional liberty from Bangit, then chief of staff, who had asked him to file a request to the chief of staff.

Assured personally by David that it was his (the chief of staff’s) “initiative” to place him under Ordonez’s custody, Querubin said he relented and is now awaiting a written order clarifying the terms of his provisional liberty.

Lim, who ran for the Senate in the last elections, was released to the custody of Ordonez after he made such a request to Bangit. Nine of his Scout Rangers officers followed suit and were released from their detention in Tanay. They are under the custody of the Army at the Transient Officers Quarters at Fort Bonifacio.

Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, whose relief as Marine commandant in February 2006 for his supposed participation in a destabilization plot sparked the protest among his officers and men, has also accepted Bangit’s overtures for temporary release to the custody of the Marines, as well as three colonels and the lone female officer in detention, Lt. Belinda Ferrer. Miranda retired while in detention.

Querubin said the last thing he wants under the Aquino administration is political intervention in their case. Politics, he said, was the very reason that landed him and fellow officers in jail in 2006 and was the same reason the four AFP chiefs of staffs appointed by Arroyo since then never resolved their mutiny case.

Unlike in civilian courts, the general court martial is convened—and dissolved—upon orders of the chief of staff. Senior military officers and a lawyer make up the panel of judges that recommends a decision to the chief of staff, who can overrule or uphold the decision. The chief of staff can also withdraw or drop charges against the accused by granting a recommendation of nolle prosequi (no prosecution) from prosecutors.

In the mutiny case against Querubin and his colleagues, prosecutors recommended to then AFP Chief Gen. Alexander Yano in October 2008 against pursuing the case against half of the accused for lack of evidence. But Yano chose not to act on the recommendation.

Defense counsel Vicente Verdadero said the Manual for Courts Martial puts no limit on the prosecution’s nolle prosequi recommendation. He said the acquittal last October of 12 of the 28 military officers originally accused in the mutiny case also weakens the case against Querubin and his co-accused. Gen. Victor Ibrado was chief of staff at the time.

“The earlier the resolution of the cases, the better for the Armed Forces,” said AFP Spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta. “We need to move forward. The AFP clearly wants to resolve this mutiny case as soon as possible.”

He denied allegations that the AFP was delaying the court-martial proceedings. He cited the petition of the defense, not the prosecution, seeking to postpone the hearings pending the filing of a motion for reconsideration to the tribunal’s March 2 decision denying the motion of the accused for a not guilty finding.

February ‘mutiny’ revisited

Gen. Generoso Senga was AFP chief when some 600 Marines in full combat gear, including Querubin, protested Miranda’s relief as their commandant in February 2006. Thousands of civilians, including the late Corazon Aquino and her son, now President and Commander in Chief Benigno Aquino III, also braved the emergency rule and showed up at the Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio to support the officers.

“Ang gusto lang naman namin ay isang malinis na halalan (All we wanted was clean and honest elections),” said the six-foot-tall Lt. Col. Achilles Segumallian who led the march of Marines. The officers had also demanded disclosure of the findings by Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga on the 2004 poll cheating participated in by members of the military and caught in the wiretapped “Hello, Garci” conversations.

Miranda, eight Marine officers and 19 officers from the Army Scout Rangers led by Lim were subsequently charged with “conspiracy to attempt to create and begin a mutiny.”

Forty enlisted personnel from the Army First Scout Ranger Regiment jailed along with these officers were dishonorably discharged on Christmas day of 2007 by Yano, then Army chief, after being detained for more than a year. They never had a day in court.

When he succeeded Senga as chief of staff, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon reversed the recommendations of a pre-trial investigation team that recommended minor charges and not mutiny charges against the officers. He also ordered the creation of the military tribunal to try the officers through an unsigned pre-trial advice.

Esperon was among the four generals mentioned in the “Hello, Garci” tapes and was Miranda’s “mistah” at the Philippine Military Academy.

In the military, the pre-trial investigation report by practice is reviewed by the Judge Advocate General Office to determine if it is in order and conforms to form and procedure. The JAGO cannot reverse the recommendations, and the commander in chief or the convening authority is empowered to sustain or lower the recommendations, not reverse these to raise the offense as charged.

Upon their retirement as chiefs of staff, Senga and Yano were appointed ambassadors to Iran and Brunei by Arroyo and are among the 26 political ambassadors whose stints have been extended by Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo until Sept. 30. Esperon became Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and later chief of the Presidential Management Staff. He ran for a congressional seat in Pangasinan but lost. Ibrado retired from government service for good. Bangit, who headed Arroyo’s Presidential Security Group, opted for early retirement after Aquino’s election and was replaced by David who was handpicked by the new president. (To be continued)

The Feb. 26, 2006 mutiny case:
Special General Court Martial #2

ACCUSED

• Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda (M)
• Col. Ariel Querubin (M)
• Col. Orlando de Leon (M)
• Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon (M)
• Lt. Col. Achilles Segumalian (M)
• Lt. Belinda Ferrer (M)
• Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim (PA)
• Maj. Jason Laureano Aquino (PA)
• Maj. Jose Leomar Doctolero (PA)
• Capt. James Sababan (PA)
• Capt. Montano Almodovar (PA)
• Capt. Joey Fontiveros (PA)
• Capt. Isagani Criste (PA)
• Capt. William Upano (PA)
• Capt. Dante Langkit (PA)
• Lt. Homer Estolas (PA)

ACQUITTED

• Col. Januario Caringal (M)
• Col. Armando Bañez (M)
• Lt. Col. Nestor Flordeliza (PA)
• Lt. Col. Edmundo Malabanjot (PA)
• Maj.Francisco Domingo Fernandez (M)
• Capt. Ruben Guinolbay (PA)
• Capt. Allan C. Aurino (PA)
• Capt. Frederick Sales (PA)
• Lt. Ervin Divinagracia (PA)
• Lt. Jacon Cordero (PA)
• Lt. Sandro Sereno (PA)
• Lt. Richiemel Caballes (PA)

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government;

Mga minamahal kong kababayan:

Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan.

Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; at pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan.

Sa kabilang banda ay ang pag-una sa pansariling interes. Ang pagpapaalipin sa pulitikal na konsiderasyon, at pagsasakripisyo ng kapakanan ng taumbayan. Ito po ang baluktot na daan.

Matagal pong naligaw ang pamahalaan sa daang baluktot. Araw-araw po, lalong lumilinaw sa akin ang lawak ng problemang ating namana. Damang-dama ko ang bigat ng aking responsibilidad.

Sa unang tatlong linggo ng aming panunungkulan, marami po kaming natuklasan. Nais ko pong ipahayag sa inyo ang iilan lamang sa mga namana nating suliranin at ang ginagawa naming hakbang para lutasin ang mga ito.

Sulyap lamang po ito; hindi pa ito ang lahat ng problemang haharapin natin. Inilihim at sadyang iniligaw ang sambayanan sa totoong kalagayan ng ating bansa.

Sa unang anim na buwan ng taon, mas malaki ang ginastos ng gobyerno kaysa sa pumasok na kita. Lalong lumaki ang deficit natin, na umakyat na sa 196.7 billion pesos. Sa target na kuleksyon, kinapos tayo ng 23.8 billion pesos; ang tinataya namang gastos, nalagpasan lang natin ng 45.1 billion pesos.

Ang budget po sa 2010 ay 1.54 trillion pesos.

Nasa isandaang bilyong piso o anim at kalahating porsyento na lang ng kabuuan ang malaya nating magagamit para sa nalalabing anim na buwan ng taong ito.

Halos isang porsyento na lang po ng kabuuang budget ang natitira para sa bawat buwan.

Saan naman po dinala ang pera?

Naglaan ng dalawang bilyong piso na Calamity Fund bilang paghahanda para sa mga kalamidad na hindi pa nangyayari. Napakaliit na nga ng pondong ito, ngunit kapapasok pa lang natin sa panahon ng baha at bagyo, 1.4 billion pesos o sitenta porsyento (70%) na ang nagastos.

Sa kabuuan ng 108 million pesos para sa lalawigan ng Pampanga, 105 million pesos nito ay napunta sa iisang distrito lamang.

Samantala, ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan na sinalanta ng Pepeng ay nakatanggap ng limang milyong piso (P5M) lamang para sa pinsalang idinulot ng bagyong Cosme, na nangyari noong 2008 pa.

Ibinigay po ang pondo ng Pampanga sa buwan ng eleksyon, pitong buwan pagkatapos ng Ondoy at Pepeng. Paano kung bumagyo bukas? Inubos na ang pondo nito para sa bagyong nangyari noong isang taon pa. Pagbabayaran ng kinabukasan ang kasakiman ng nakaraan.

Ganyan din po ang nangyari sa pondo ng MWSS. Kamakailan lamang, pumipila ang mga tao para lang makakuha ng tubig. Sa kabila nito, minabuti pa ng liderato ng MWSS na magbigay ng gantimpala sa sarili kahit hindi pa nababayaran ang pensyon ng mga retiradong empleyado.

Noong 2009, ang buong payroll ng MWSS ay 51.4 million pesos. Pero hindi lang naman po ito ang sahod nila; may mga additional allowances at benefits pa sila na aabot sa 160.1 million pesos.

Sa madaling sabi, nakatanggap sila ng 211.5 million pesos noong nakaraang taon.

Beinte-kuwatro porsyento (24%) lang nito ang normal na sahod, at sitenta’y sais porsyento ang dagdag.

Ang karaniwang manggagawa hanggang 13th month pay plus cash gift lang ang nakukuha.

Sa MWSS, aabot sa katumbas ng mahigit sa tatlumpung buwan ang sahod kasama na ang lahat ng mga bonuses at allowances na nakuha nila.

Mas matindi po ang natuklasan natin sa pasahod ng kanilang Board of Trustees. Tingnan po natin ang mga allowances na tinatanggap nila:

Umupo ka lang sa Board of Trustees at Board Committee meeting, katorse mil na. Aabot ng nobenta’y otso mil ito kada buwan. May grocery incentive pa sila na otsenta mil kada taon.

Hindi lang iyon: may mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, at Financial Assistance. May Christmas bonus na, may Additional Christmas Package pa. Kada isa sa mga ito, nobenta’y otso mil.

Sa suma total po, aabot ang lahat ng dalawa’t kalahating milyong piso kada taon sa bawat miyembro ng Board maliban sa pakotse, technical assistance, at pautang. Uulitin ko po. Lahat ng ito ay ibinibigay nila sa kanilang mga sarili habang hindi pa nababayaran ang mga pensyon ng kanilang mga retirees.

Pati po ang La Mesa Watershed ay hindi nila pinatawad. Para magkaroon ng tamang supply ng tubig, kailangang alagaan ang mga watershed. Sa watershed, puno ang kailangan.

Pati po iyon na dapat puno ang nakatayo, tinayuan nila ng bahay para sa matataas na opisyal ng MWSS.

Hindi naman sila agad maaalis sa puwesto dahil kabilang sila sa mga Midnight Appointees ni dating Pangulong Arroyo.

Iniimbestigahan na natin ang lahat nang ito. Kung mayroon pa silang kahit kaunting hiya na natitira – sana kusa na lang silang magbitiw sa puwesto.

Pag-usapan naman po natin ang pondo para sa imprastruktura. Tumukoy ang DPWH ng dalawandaan apatnapu’t anim na priority safety projects na popondohan ng Motor Vehicle Users Charge. Mangangailangan po ito ng budget na 425 million pesos.

Ang pinondohan po, dalawampu’t walong proyekto lang. Kinalimutan po ang dalawandaan at labing walong proyekto at pinalitan ng pitumpung proyekto na wala naman sa plano. Ang hininging 425 million pesos, naging 480 million pesos pa, lumaki lalo dahil sa mga proyektong sa piling-piling mga benepisyaryo lang napunta.

Mga proyekto po itong walang saysay, hindi pinag-aralan at hindi pinaghandaan, kaya parang kabuteng sumusulpot.

Tapos na po ang panahon para dito. Sa administrasyon po natin, walang kota-kota, walang tongpats, ang pera ng taumbayan ay gagastusin para sa taumbayan lamang.

Meron pa po tayong natuklasan. Limang araw bago matapos ang termino ng nakaraang administrasyon, nagpautos silang maglabas ng 3.5 billion pesos para sa rehabilitasyon ng mga nasalanta nina Ondoy at Pepeng.

Walumpu’t anim na proyekto ang paglalaanan dapat nito na hindi na sana idadaan sa public bidding. Labingsiyam sa mga ito na nagkakahalaga ng 981 million pesos ang muntik nang makalusot. Hindi pa nailalabas ang Special Allotment Release Order ay pirmado na ang mga kontrata.

Buti na lang po ay natuklasan at pinigilan ito ni Secretary Rogelio Singson ng DPWH. Ngayon po ay dadaan na ang kabuuan ng 3.5 billion pesos sa tapat na bidding, at magagamit na ang pondo na ito sa pagbibigay ng lingap sa mga nawalan ng tahanan dahil kina Ondoy at Pepeng.

Pag-usapan naman natin ang nangyari sa NAPOCOR. Noong 2001 hanggang 2004, pinilit ng gobyerno ang NAPOCOR na magbenta ng kuryente nang palugi para hindi tumaas ang presyo. Tila ang dahilan: pinaghahandaan na nila ang eleksyon.

Dahil dito, noong 2004, sumagad ang pagkakabaon sa utang ng NAPOCOR. Napilitan ang pambansang gobyerno na sagutin ang dalawandaang bilyong pisong utang nito.

Ang inakala ng taumbayan na natipid nila sa kuryente ay binabayaran din natin mula sa kaban ng bayan. May gastos na tayo sa kuryente, binabayaran pa natin ang dagdag na pagkakautang ng gobyerno.

Kung naging matino ang pag-utang, sana’y nadagdagan ang ating kasiguruhan sa supply ng kuryente. Pero ang desisyon ay ibinatay sa maling pulitika, at hindi sa pangangailangan ng taumbayan. Ang taumbayan, matapos pinagsakripisyo ay lalo pang pinahihirapan.

Ganito rin po ang nangyari sa MRT. Sinubukan na namang bilhin ang ating pagmamahal. Pinilit ang operator na panatilihing mababa ang pamasahe.

Hindi tuloy nagampanan ang garantiyang ibinigay sa operator na mababawi nila ang kanilang puhunan. Dahil dito, inutusan ang Landbank at Development Bank of the Philippines na bilhin ang MRT.

Ang pera ng taumbayan, ipinagpalit sa isang naluluging operasyon.

Dumako naman po tayo sa pondo ng NFA.

Noong 2004: 117,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply ng Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 900,000 metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit pitong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra pa rin ang binili nila.

Noong 2007: 589,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply sa Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 1.827 million metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit tatlong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra na naman ang binili nila.

Ang masakit nito, dahil sobra-sobra ang binibili nila taun-taon, nabubulok lang pala sa mga kamalig ang bigas, kagaya ng nangyari noong 2008.

Hindi po ba krimen ito, na hinahayaan nilang mabulok ang bigas, sa kabila ng apat na milyong Pilipinong hindi kumakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw?

Ang resulta nito, umabot na sa 171.6 billion pesos ang utang ng NFA noong Mayo ng taong ito.

Ang tinapon na ito, halos puwede na sanang pondohan ang mga sumusunod:

Ang budget ng buong Hudikatura, na 12.7 billion pesos sa taong ito.

Ang Conditional Cash Transfers para sa susunod na taon, na nagkakahalaga ng 29.6 billion pesos.

Ang lahat ng classroom na kailangan ng ating bansa, na nagkakahalaga ng 130 billion pesos.

Kasuklam-suklam ang kalakarang ito. Pera na, naging bato pa.

Narinig po ninyo kung paano nilustay ang kaban ng bayan. Ang malinaw po sa ngayon: ang anumang pagbabago ay magmumula sa pagsiguro natin na magwawakas na ang pagiging maluho at pagwawaldas.

Kaya nga po mula ngayon: ititigil na natin ang paglulustay sa salapi ng bayan.

Tatanggalin natin ang mga proyektong mali.

Ito po ang punto ng tinatawag nating zero-based approach sa ating budget. Ang naging kalakaran po, taun-taon ay inuulit lamang ang budget na puno ng tagas. Dadagdagan lang nang konti, puwede na.

Sa susunod na buwan ay maghahain tayo ng budget na kumikilala nang tama sa mga problema, at magtutuon din ng pansin sa tamang solusyon.

Ilan lang ito sa mga natuklasan nating problema. Heto naman po ang ilang halimbawa ng mga hakbang na ginagawa natin.

Nandiyan po ang kaso ng isang may-ari ng sanglaan. Bumili siya ng sasakyang tinatayang nasa dalawampu’t anim na milyong piso ang halaga.

Kung kaya mong bumili ng Lamborghini, bakit hindi mo kayang magbayad ng buwis?

Nasampahan na po ito ng kaso. Sa pangunguna nina Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares at Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, bawat linggo po ay may bago tayong kasong isinasampa kontra sa mga smuggler at sa mga hindi nagbabayad ng tamang buwis.

Natukoy na rin po ang salarin sa mga kaso nina Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio at Miguel Belen, tatlo sa anim na insidente ng extralegal killings mula nang umupo tayo.

Singkuwenta porsyento po ng mga insidente ng extralegal killings na nangyari sa maikling taon ng ating panunungkulan ang patungo na sa kanilang resolusyon.

Ang natitira pong kalahati ay hindi natin tatantanan ang pag-usig hanggang makamit ang katarungan.

Pananagutin natin ang mga mamamatay-tao. Pananagutin din natin ang mga corrupt sa gobyerno.

Nagsimula nang mabuo ang ating Truth Commission, sa pangunguna ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide. Hahanapin natin ang katotohanan sa mga nangyari diumanong katiwalian noong nakaraang siyam na taon.

Sa loob ng linggong ito, pipirmahan ko ang kauna-unahang Executive Order na nagtatalaga sa pagbuo nitong Truth Commission.

Kung ang sagot sa kawalan ng katarungan ay pananagutan, ang sagot naman sa kakulangan natin sa pondo ay mga makabago at malikhaing paraan para tugunan ang mga pagkatagal-tagal nang problema.

Napakarami po ng ating pangangailangan: mula sa edukasyon, imprastruktura, pangkalusugan, pangangailangan ng militar at kapulisan, at marami pang iba. Hindi kakasya ang pondo para mapunan ang lahat ng ito.

Kahit gaano po kalaki ang kakulangan para mapunuan ang mga listahan ng ating pangangailangan, ganado pa rin ako dahil marami nang nagpakita ng panibagong interes at kumpyansa sa Pilipinas.

Ito ang magiging solusyon: mga Public-Private Partnerships. Kahit wala pa pong pirmahang nangyayari dito, masasabi kong maganda ang magiging bunga ng maraming usapin (ukol ditto).

May mga nagpakita na po ng interes, gustong magtayo ng expressway na mula Maynila, tatahak ng Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, hanggang sa dulo ng Cagayan Valley nang hindi gugugol ang estado kahit na po piso.

Sa larangan ng ating Sandatahang Lakas:

Mayroon po tayong 36,000 nautical miles na baybayin. Ang mayroon lamang tayo: tatlumpu’t dalawang barko. Itong mga barkong ito, panahon pa ni General MacArthur.

May nagmungkahi sa atin, ito ang proposisyon: uupahan po nila ang headquarters ng Navy sa Roxas Boulevard at ang Naval Station sa Fort Bonifacio.

Sagot po nila ang paglipat ng Navy Headquarters sa Camp Aguinaldo. Agaran, bibigyan tayo ng isandaang milyong dolyar. At dagdag pa sa lahat nang iyan, magsusubi pa sila sa atin ng kita mula sa mga negosyong itatayo nila sa uupahan nilang lupa.

Sa madali pong sabi: Makukuha natin ang kailangan natin, hindi tatayo gagastos, kikita pa tayo.

Marami na pong nag-alok at nagmungkahi sa atin, mula lokal hanggang dayuhang negosyante, na magpuno ng iba’t ibang pangangailangan.

Mula sa mga public-private partnerships na ito, lalago ang ating ekonomiya, at bawat Pilipino makikinabang. Napakaraming sektor na matutulungan nito.

Maipapatayo na po ang imprastrukturang kailangan natin para palaguin ang turismo.

Sa agrikultura, makapagtatayo na tayo ng mga grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, maayos na road networks at post-harvest facilities.

Kung maisasaayos natin ang ating food supply chain sa tulong ng pribadong sektor, sa halip na mag-angkat tayo ay maari na sana tayong mangarap na mag-supply sa pandaigdigang merkado.

Kung maitatayo ang minumungkahi sa ating mga railway system, bababa ang presyo ng bilihin. Mas mura, mas mabilis, mas maginhawa, at makakaiwas pa sa kotong cops at mga kumokotong na rebelde ang mga bumibiyahe.

Paalala lang po: una sa ating plataporma ang paglikha ng mga trabaho, at nanggagaling ang trabaho sa paglago ng industriya. Lalago lamang ang industriya kung gagawin nating mas malinis, mas mabilis, at mas maginhawa ang proseso para sa mga gustong magnegosyo.

Pabibilisin natin ang proseso ng mga proyektong sumasailalim sa Build-Operate-Transfer. Sa tulong ng lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno at ng mga mamamayan, pabababain natin sa anim na buwan ang proseso na noon ay inaabot ng taon kung hindi dekada.

May mga hakbang na rin pong sinisimulan ang DTI, sa pamumuno ni Secretary Gregory Domingo:

Ang walang-katapusang pabalik-balik sa proseso ng pagrehistro ng pangalan ng kumpanya, na kada dalaw ay umaabot ng apat hanggang walong oras, ibababa na natin sa labinlimang minuto.

Ang dating listahan ng tatlumpu’t anim na dokumento, ibababa natin sa anim. Ang dating walong pahinang application form, ibababa natin sa isang pahina.

Nananawagan ako sa ating mga LGUs. Habang naghahanap tayo ng paraan para gawing mas mabilis ang pagbubukas ng mga negosyo, pag-aralan din sana nila ang kanilang mga proseso. Kailangan itong gawing mas mabilis, at kailangan itong itugma sa mga sinisumulan nating reporma.

Negosyante, sundalo, rebelde, at karaniwang Pilipino, lahat po makikinabang dito. Basta po hindi dehado ang Pilipino, papasukin po natin lahat iyan.

Kailangan na po nating simulan ang pagtutulungan para makamit ito. Huwag nating pahirapan ang isa’t isa.

Parating na po ang panahon na hindi na natin kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng seguridad ng ating mamamayan o sa kinabukasan ng inyong mga anak.

Oras na maipatupad ang public-private partnerships na ito, mapopondohan ang mga serbisyong panlipunan, alinsunod sa ating plataporma.

Magkakapondo na po para maipatupad ang mga plano natin sa edukasyon.

Mapapalawak natin ang basic education cycle mula sa napakaikling sampung taon tungo sa global standard na labindalawang taon.

Madadagdagan natin ang mga classroom. Mapopondohan natin ang service contracting sa ilalim ng GASTPE.

Pati ang conditional cash transfers, na magbabawas ng pabigat sa bulsa ng mga pamilya, madadagdan na rin ng pondo.

Maipapatupad ang plano natin sa PhilHealth.

Una, tutukuyin natin ang tunay na bilang ng mga nangangailangan nito. Sa ngayon, hindi magkakatugma ang datos. Sabi ng PhilHealth sa isang bibig, walumpu’t pitong porsyento na raw ang merong coverage. Sa kabilang bibig naman, singkuwenta’y tres porsyento. Ayon naman sa National Statistics Office, tatlumpu’t walong porsyento ang may coverage.

Ngayon pa lang, kumikilos na si Secretary Dinky Soliman at ang DSWD upang ipatupad ang National Household Targetting System, na magtutukoy sa mga pamilyang higit na nagangailangan ng tulong. Tinatayang siyam na bilyon ang kailangan para mabigyan ng PhilHealth ang limang milyong pinakamaralitang pamilyang Pilipino.

Napakaganda po ng hinaharap natin. Kasama na po natin ang pribadong sektor, at kasama na rin natin ang League of Provinces, sa pangunguna nina Governor Alfonso Umali kasama sina Governor L-Ray Villafuerte at Governor Icot Petilla. Handa na pong makipagtulungan para makibahagi sa pagtustos ng mga gastusin. Alam ko rin pong hindi magpapahuli ang League of Cities sa pangunguna ni Mayor Oscar Rodriguez.

Kung ang mga gobyernong lokal ay nakikiramay na sa ating mga adhikain, ang Kongreso namang pinanggalingan ko, siguro naman maasahan ko din.

Nagpakitang-gilas na po ang gabinete sa pagtukoy ng ating mga problema at sa paglulunsad ng mga solusyon sa loob lamang ng tatlong linggo.

Nang bagyo pong Basyang, ang sabi sa atin ng mga may prangkisa sa kuryente, apat na araw na walang kuryente. Dahil sa mabilis na pagkilos ni Secretary Rene Almendras at ng Department of Energy, naibalik ang kuryente sa halos lahat sa loob lamang ng beinte-kwatro oras.

Ito pong sinasabing kakulangan sa tubig sa Metro Manila, kinilusan agad ni Secretary Rogelio Singson at ng DPWH. Hindi na siya naghintay ng utos, kaya nabawasan ang perwisyo.

Nakita na rin natin ang gilas ng mga hinirang nating makatulong sa Gabinete. Makatuwiran naman po sigurong umasa na hindi na sila padadaanin sa butas ng karayom para makumpirma ng Commission on Appointments. Kung mangyayari po ito, marami pa sa mga mahuhusay na Pilipino ang maeengganyong magsilbi sa gobyerno.

Sa lalong madaling panahon po, uupo na tayo sa LEDAC at pag-uusapan ang mga mahahalagang batas na kailangan nating ipasa. Makakaasa kayo na mananatiling bukas ang aking isipan, at ang ating ugnayan ay mananatiling tapat.

Isinusulong po natin ang Fiscal Responsibility Bill, kung saan hindi tayo magpapasa ng batas na mangangailangan ng pondo kung hindi pa natukoy ang panggagalingan nito. May 104.1 billion pesos tayong kailangan para pondohan ang mga batas na naipasa na, ngunit hindi maipatupad.

Kailangan din nating isaayos ang mga insentibong piskal na ibinigay noong nakaraan. Ngayong naghihigpit tayo ng sinturon, kailangang balikan kung alin sa mga ito ang dapat manatili at kung ano ang dapat nang itigil.

Huwag po tayong pumayag na magkaroon ng isa pang NBN-ZTE. Sa lokal man o dayuhan manggagaling ang pondo, dapat dumaan ito sa tamang proseso. Hinihingi ko po ang tulong ninyo upang amiyendahan ang ating Procurement Law.

Ayon po sa Saligang Batas, tungkulin ng estado ang siguruhing walang lamangan sa merkado. Bawal ang monopolya, bawal ang mga cartel na sasakal sa kumpetisyon. Kailangan po natin ng isang Anti-Trust Law na magbibigay-buhay sa mga prinsipyong ito. Ito ang magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mga Small- at Medium-scale Enterprises na makilahok at tumulong sa paglago ng ating ekonomiya.

Ipasa na po natin ang National Land Use Bill.

Una rin pong naging batas ng Commonwealth ang National Defense Act, na ipinasa noon pang 1935. Kailangan nang palitan ito ng batas na tutugon sa pangangailangan ng pambansang seguridad sa kasalukuyan.

Nakikiusap po akong isulong ang Whistleblower’s Bill upang patuloy nang iwaksi ang kultura ng takot at pananahimik.

Palalakasin pa lalo ang Witness Protection Program. Alalahanin po natin na noong taong 2009 hanggang 2010, may nahatulan sa 95% ng mga kaso kung saan may witness na sumailalim sa programang ito.
Kailangang repasuhin ang ating mga batas. Nanawagan po akong umpisahan na ang rekodipikasyon ng ating mga batas, upang siguruhing magkakatugma sila at hindi salu-salungat.

Ito pong mga batas na ito ang batayan ng kaayusan, ngunit ang pundasyon ng lahat ng ginagawa natin ay ang prinsipyong wala tayong mararating kung walang kapayapaan at katahimikan.

Dalawa ang hinaharap nating suliranin sa usapin ng kapayapaan: ang situwasyon sa Mindanao, at ang patuloy na pag-aaklas ng CPP-NPA-NDF.

Tungkol sa situwasyon sa Mindanao: Hindi po nagbabago ang ating pananaw. Mararating lamang ang kapayapaan at katahimikan kung mag-uusap ang lahat ng apektado: Moro, Lumad, at Kristiyano. Inatasan na natin si Dean Marvic Leonen na mangasiwa sa ginagawa nating pakikipag-usap sa MILF.

Iiwasan natin ang mga pagkakamaling nangyari sa nakaraang administrasyon, kung saan binulaga na lang ang mga mamamayan ng Mindanao. Hindi tayo puwedeng magbulag-bulagan sa mga dudang may kulay ng pulitika ang proseso, at hindi ang kapakanan ng taumbayan ang tanging interes.

Kinikilala natin ang mga hakbang na ginagawa ng MILF sa pamamagitan ng pagdidisplina sa kanilang hanay. Inaasahan natin na muling magsisimula ang negosasyon pagkatapos ng Ramadan.

Tungkol naman po sa CPP-NPA-NDF: handa na ba kayong maglaan ng kongkretong mungkahi, sa halip na pawang batikos lamang?

Kung kapayapaan din ang hangad ninyo, handa po kami sa malawakang tigil-putukan. Kayo po ba ay handa na din? Mag-usap tayo.

Mahirap magsimula ang usapan habang mayroon pang amoy ng pulbura sa hangin. Nananawagan ako: huwag po natin hayaang masayang ang napakagandang pagkakataong ito upang magtipon sa ilalim ng iisang adhikain.

Kapayapaan at katahimikan po ang pundasyon ng kaunlaran. Habang nagpapatuloy ang barilan, patuloy din ang pagkakagapos natin sa kahirapan.

Dapat din po nating mabatid: ito ay panahon ng sakripisyo. At ang sakripisyong ito ay magiging puhunan para sa ating kinabukasan. Kaakibat ng ating mga karapatan at kalayaan ay ang tungkulin natin sa kapwa at sa bayan.

Inaasahan ko po ang ating mga kaibigan sa media, lalo na sa radyo at sa print, sa mga nagbablock-time, at sa community newspapers, kayo na po mismo ang magbantay sa inyong hanay.

Mabigyang-buhay sana ang mga batayang prinsipyo ng inyong bokasyon: ang magbigay-linaw sa mahahalagang isyu; ang maging patas at makatotohanan, at ang itaas ang antas ng pampublikong diskurso.

Tungkulin po ng bawat Pilipino na tutukan ang mga pinunong tayo rin naman ang nagluklok sa puwesto. Humakbang mula sa pakikialam tungo sa pakikilahok. Dahil ang nakikialam, walang-hanggan ang reklamo.

Ang nakikilahok, nakikibahagi sa solusyon.

Napakatagal na pong namamayani ang pananaw na ang susi sa asenso ay ang intindihin ang sarili kaysa intindihin ang kapwa. Malinaw po sa akin: paano tayo aasenso habang nilalamangan ang kapwa?

Ang hindi nabigyan ng pagkakataong mag-aral, paanong makakakuha ng trabaho? Kung walang trabaho, paanong magiging konsumer? Paanong mag-iimpok sa bangko?

Ngunit kung babaliktarin natin ang pananaw-kung iisipin nating “Dadagdagan ko ang kakayahan ng aking kapwa”-magbubunga po ito, at ang lahat ay magkakaroon ng pagkakataon.

Maganda na po ang nasimulan natin. At mas lalong maganda po ang mararating natin. Ngunit huwag nating kalimutan na mayroong mga nagnanasang hindi tayo magtagumpay. Dahil kapag hindi tayo
nagtagumpay, makakabalik na naman sila sa kapangyarihan, at sa pagsasamantala sa taumbayan.

Akin pong paniwala na Diyos at taumbayan ang nagdala sa ating kinalalagyan ngayon. Habang nakatutok tayo sa kapakanan ng ating kapwa, bendisyon at patnubay ay tiyak na maaasahan natin sa Poong Maykapal. At kapag nanalig tayo na ang kasangga natin ay ang Diyos, mayroon ba tayong hindi kakayanin?

Ang mandato nating nakuha sa huling eleksyon ay patunay na umaasa pa rin ang Pilipino sa pagbabago. Iba na talaga ang situwasyon. Puwede na muling mangarap. Tayo nang tumungo sa katuparan ng ating mga pinangarap.

Maraming salamat po.

—–

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay, Chief Justice Renato Corona, Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; My beloved countrymen:

Our administration is facing a forked road. On one direction, decisions are made to protect the welfare of our people; to look after the interest of the majority; to have a firm grip on principles; and to be faithful to the public servant’s sworn oath to serve the country honestly.

This is the straight path.

On the other side, personal interest is the priority, and where one becomes a slave to political considerations to the detriment of our nation.

This is the crooked path.

For a long time, our country lost its way in the crooked path. As days go by (since I became President), the massive scope of the problems we have inherited becomes much clearer. I could almost feel the weight of my responsibilities.

In the first three weeks of our administration, we discovered many things, and I will report to you some of the problems we have uncovered, and the steps we are taking to solve them.

This report is merely a glimpse of our situation. It is not the entire picture of the crises we are facing. The reality was hidden from our people, who seem to have been deliberately obfuscated on the real state of our nation.

In the first six years of this year, government expenditure exceeded our revenues. Our deficit further increased to PhP196.7 billion. Our collection targets, which lack PhP23.8 billion, were not fully met, while we went beyond our spending by PhP45.1 billion.

Our budget for 2010 is PhP1.54 trillion. Of this, only PhP100 billion – or 6.5% of the total budget – can be used for the remaining six months of the current year. Roughly 1% of the total budget is left for each of the remaining month.

Where did the funds go?

A calamity fund worth PhP2 billion was reserved in preparation for anticipated calamities. Of this already miniscule amount, at a time when the rainy season has yet to set in, PhP1.4 billion or 70% was already spent.
The entire province of Pampanga received PhP108 million. Of this, PhP105 million went to only one district. On the other hand, the province of Pangasinan, which was severely affected by Typhoon Pepeng, received a mere PhP5 million, which had to be used to fix damages inflicted not even by Pepeng, but by a previous typhoon, Cosme.

The funds were released on election month, which was seven months after the typhoon. What will happen if a typhoon arrives tomorrow? The fund has been used up to repair damage from typhoons that hit us last year. Our future will pay for the greed of yesterday.

This is also what happened to the funds of the MWSS. Just recently, people lined up for water while the leadership of the MWSS rewarded itself even though the pensions of retired employees remain unpaid.

The entire payroll of the MWSS amounts to 51.4 million pesos annually. But this isn’t the full extent of what they receive: they receive additional allowances and benefits amounting to 81.1 million pesos. In short, they receive 211.5 million pesos annually. Twenty four percent of this is for normal salaries, and sixty six percent is added on.

The average worker receives up to 13th month pay plus a cash gift. In the MWSS, they receive the equivalent of over thirty months pay if you include all their additional bonuses and allowances.

What we discovered in the case of the salaries of their board of trustees is even more shocking. Let’s take a look at the allowances they receive:

Attending board of trustees and board committee meetings, and you get fourteen thousands pesos. This totals ninety eight thousand pesos a month. They also get an annual grocery incentive of eighty thousand pesos.
And that’s not all. They get a mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, and financial assistance. They not only get a Christmas bonus, but an additional Christmas package as well. Each of these amounts to eighty thousand pesos. All in all, each member of the board receives two and a half million pesos a year exclusive of car service, technical assistance, and loans. Let me repeat. They award themselves all of these while being in arrears for the pensions of their retired employees.

Even the La Mesa watershed wasn’t spared. In order to ensure an adequate supply of water, we need to protect our watersheds. In watersheds, trees are needed. Where there should be trees, they built homes for the top officials of the MWSS.

We cannot remove them from their positions quickly because they are among the midnight appointees of former president Arroyo. We are investigating all of these things. But if they have any shame left, they should voluntarily relinquish their positions.

Now let’s discuss funds for infrastructure. The DPWH identified two hundred forty six priority safety projects to be funded by the motor vehicle user’s charge. This needs a budget of 425 million pesos. What they ended up funding were only 28 projects. They disregarded 218 projects and replaced these with seventy projects that weren’t in the plans. The 425 million pesos originally asked for became 480 million pesos, increasing because of projects allocated for a favored few.

These projects make no sense: unstudied and unprepared for, sprouting like mushrooms.

The era of such projects is at an end. Under our administration, there will be no quotas, there will be no overpricing, the funds of the people will be spent for the people.

There’s more. Five days before the term of the previous administration ended, they ordered 3.5 billion pesos to be released for the rehabilitation of those affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. This was supposed to fund eighty-nine projects. But nineteen of these projects amounting to 981 million pesos didn’t go through public bidding. Special Allotment Release Orders hadn’t even been released and yet the contracts were already signed. It’s a good thing Secretary Rogelio Singson spotted and stopped them. Instead, they will all go through the proper bidding, and the funds will be used to provide relief to those who lost their homes due to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

Let’s discuss what happened in Napocor. From 2001 to 2004, the government forced Napocor to sell electricity at a loss to prevent increases in electricity rates. The real motivation for this is that they were preparing for the election.

As a result, in 2004, NAPOCOR slumped deeply in debt. The government was obligated to shoulder the 200 billion pesos it owed.

What the public thought they saved from electricity, we are now paying for using public coffers. Not only are we paying for the cost of electricity; we are also paying for the interest arising from the debt.

If the money we borrowed was used properly, then there would be added assurance that constant supply of electricity is available. However, this decision was based on bad politics, not on the true needs of the people. The people, after having to sacrifice, suffered even more.

This is also what happened to the MRT. The government tried again to buy the people’s love. The operator was forced to keep the rates low.

In effect, the guarantee given to the operator that he will still be able to recoup his investment was not fulfilled. Because of this, Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines were ordered to purchase the MRT.

The money of the people was used in exchange for an operation that was losing money.

Let us now move on to the funds of the National Food Authority (NFA).

In 2004: 117,000 metric tons (of rice) was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they (the government) bought were 900,000 metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than seven times the amount of shortage, they still bought more than what was needed.

In 2007: 589,000 metric tons was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they bought were 1.827 million metric tons. Even if you multiply for more than three times the amount of shortage, they again bought more than what was needed.

What hurts is, because they keep purchasing more than what they need year after year, the excess rice that had to be stored in warehouses ended up rotting, just like what happened in 2008.
Is this not a crime, letting rice rot, despite the fact that there are 4 million Filipinos who do not eat three times a day?

The result is NFA’s current debt of 177 billion pesos.

This money that was wasted could have funded the following:
- The budget of the entire judiciary, which is at 12.7 billion pesos this year.
- The Conditional Cash Transfers for the following year, which cost 29.6 billion pesos.
- All the classrooms that our country needs, which cost 130 billion pesos.

This way of doing things is revolting. Money was there only to be wasted.

You have heard how the public coffers were squandered. This is what is clear to me now: change can only come from our determination to stamp out this extravagance and profligacy.

That is why starting now: we will stop the wasteful use of government funds. We will eradicate projects that are wrong.

This is the point of what we call the zero-based approach in our budget. What used to be the norm was every year, the budget merely gets re-enacted without plugging the holes.

Next month we will be submitting a budget that accurately identifies the problem and gives much attention on the right solution.

Those that I have mentioned were only some of the problems we have discovered. Here now are examples of the steps we are undertaking to solve them.

There is a case of one pawnshop owner. He purchased a vehicle at an estimated cost of 26 million pesos.
If he can afford to buy a Lamborghini, why can’t he pay his taxes?

A case has already been filed against him. Through the leadership of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, every week we have new cases filed against smugglers and against those who do not pay the right taxes.

We have also already identified the suspects of the cases of Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio and Miguel Belen, 3 of the 6 incidents of extralegal killings since we assumed the Presidency.

Fifty percent (50%) of these incidents of extralegal killings are now on their way to being resolved.
We will not stop the pursuit of the remaining half of these killings until justice has been achieved.
We will hold murderers accountable. We will also hold those who are corrupt that work in government accountable for their actions.

We have begun forming our Truth Commission, through the leadership of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide. We will search for the truth on the alleged wrongdoing committed in the last nine years.

This week, I will sign the first ever Executive Order on the formation of this Truth Commission.

If the answer to justice is accountability, the answer to the dearth in funds is a new and creative approach to our long-standing problems.

We have so many needs: from education, infrastructure, health, military, police and more. Our funds will not be enough to meet them.

No matter how massive the deficit is that may keep us from paying for this list of needs, I am heartened because many have already expressed renewed interest and confidence in the Philippines.

Our solution: public-private partnerships. Although no contract has been signed yet, I can say that ongoing talks with interested investors will yield fruitful outcomes.

There are some who have already shown interest and want to build an expressway from Manila that will pass through Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, until the end of Cagayan Valley, without the government having to spend a single peso.

On national defense:
We have 36,000 nautical miles of shoreline, but we only have 32 boats. These boats are as old as the time of (US General Douglas) MacArthur.

Some had this proposition: they will rent the Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard and the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio.

They will take care of the funding necessary to transfer the Navy Headquarters to Camp Aguinaldo. Immediately, we will be given 100 million dollars. Furthermore, they will give us a portion of their profits from their businesses that would occupy the land they will rent.

In short, we will meet our needs without spending, and we will also earn.

There have already been many proposals from local to foreign investors to provide for our various needs.
From these public-private partnerships, our economy will grow and every Filipino will be the beneficiary. There are so many sectors that could benefit from this.

We will be able to construct the needed infrastructure in order to help tourism grow.
In agriculture, we will be able to have access to grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, orderly road networks and post-harvest facilities.

If we can fix out food supply chain with the help of the private sector, instead of importing, we will hopefully be able to supply for the needs of the global market.

The prices of commodities will go down if we are able to make this efficient railway system a reality. It will be cheaper and faster, and it will be easier for travelers to avoid crooked cops and rebels.

A reminder to all: creating jobs is foremost on our agenda, and the creation of jobs will come from the growth of our industries. Growth will only be possible if we streamline processes to make them predictable, reliable and efficient for those who want to invest.

We make sure that the Build-Operate-and-Transfer projects will undergo quick and efficient processes. With the help of all government agencies concerned and the people, a process that used to take as short as a year and as long as a decade will now only take six months.

The Department of Trade and Industry has already taken steps to effect this change, under the leadership of Secretary Gregory Domingo:

The never-ending horror story of registering business names, which used to take a minimum of four to eight hours depending on the day, will be cut down drastically to fifteen minutes.

What used to be a check list of thirty-six documents will be shortened to a list of six, and the old eight-page application form will be whittled down to one page.

I call on our local government units to review its own procedures. While we look for more ways to streamline our processes to make business start-ups easier, I hope the LGUs can also find ways to implement reforms that will be consistent with the ones we have already started.

All will certainly benefit from this streamlining — be it businessmen, soldiers, rebels and ordinary Filipinos. As long as the interests of Filipinos will not be jeopardized, we will explore all available avenues to make this a reality. We must start now, and we should all help achieve this and not stand in each other’s way.
The time when we will no longer be made to choose between our people’s security and the future of our children is upon us now.

Once we implement these public-private partnerships, we will be able to fund public service in accordance with our platform.

This will enable us to fund our plans for education.

We will be able to expand our basic education cycle from seven years to the global standard of twelve years.
We can build more classrooms, and we will fund service contracting under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Program (GASTPE).

Conditional cash transfers that aim to lessen the burden of education on parents will also be funded if this partnership becomes a reality.

Our plans for improving PhilHealth can now be within reach.
First, we will identify the correct number of Filipinos who sorely need PhilHealth coverage, as current data is conflicting on this matter. On one hand, PhilHealth says that eighty-seven percent (87%) of Filipinos are covered, then lowers the number to only fifty-three percent (53%). On the other hand, the National Statistics Office says that only thirty-eight percent (38%) of Filipinos are covered by Philhealth.

Even as we speak, Secretary Dinky Soliman and the Department of Social Welfare and Development are moving to implement the National Household Targeting System that will identify the families that most urgently need assistance. An estimated 9 billion pesos is needed in order to provide coverage for five million poor Filipinos.

Our country is beginning to see better days ahead. The private sector, the League of Provinces headed by Governor Alfonso Umali, together with Governors L-Ray Villafuerte and Icot Petilla, are now ready to do their share when it comes to shouldering the financial burden. I know that the League of Cities under the leadership of Mayor Oscar Rodriguez will not be far behind.

If the local governments share in our goals, I know that I can surely count on Congress, the institution where I began public service, to push for our agenda for change.

Our Cabinet has already showed it skill by identifying not just problems but also proposing solutions in a matter of three weeks.

In the aftermath of Typhoon Basyang, we were told by those in the power sector that we would be without electricity for four days. The quick action of Secretary Rene Almendras and the Department of Energy resulted in the restoration of power to almost all those affected within twenty-four hours.

The so-called water shortage in Metro Manila was quickly attended to by Secretary Rogelio Singson and the Department of Public Works and Highways. Secretary Singson did it without prodding, which alleviated the suffering of those affected.

We also witnessed the competence and initiative of those we appointed to be part of our Cabinet. It is but just that they not be forced to go through the eye of a needle to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. Should this happen, competent Filipinos will be encouraged to help our country through service to the public.

In the soonest possible time, we will convene the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to discuss the important bills that needs to be addressed. Rest assured that I will keep an open mind in order for our relationship to be true to our people.

We will push for the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, where we cannot push for bills that will need funding, rather only those that have already identified its sources of funding. We need 104.1 billion pesos to fund those laws already passed but whose implementation remains pending because of lack of funds.

We will re-evaluate fiscal incentives given in the past. Now that we are tightening our purse strings, we need to identify those incentives that will remain and those that need to be done away with.

We will not allow another NBN-ZTE scandal to happen again. Whether from local or foreign sources, all proposed contracts must undergo the scrutiny of correct procedures. I now ask for your help with amending our Procurement Law.

According to our Constitution, it is the government’s duty to ensure that the market is fair for all. No monopolies, no cartels that kill competition. We need an Anti-Trust Law that will give life to these principles, to afford Small- and Medium-Scale Enterprises the opportunity to participate in the growth of our economy.

Let us pass into law the National Land Use Bill.

It was in 1935, during the Commonwealth, that the National Defense Act was passed. There is a need to amend this law in order to make it more responsive to the current needs of national security.

I appeal to our legislators to pass the Whistleblower’s Bill to eradicate the prevalent culture of fear and silence that has hounded our system.

We will strengthen the Witness Protection Program. We must remember that from 2009 to 2010 alone, cases which involved the participation of witnesses under the program resulted in a ninety-five percent conviction.

There is a need to review our laws. I call on our lawmakers to begin a re-codification of our laws to ensure harmony and eliminate contradictions.

These laws serve as the basis of order in our land, but the foundation of all rests on the principle that we cannot grow without peace and order.
We face two obstacles on our road to peace: the situation in Mindanao and the continued revolt of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Our view has not changed when it comes to the situation in Mindanao. We will only achieve lasting peace if all stakeholders engage in an honest dialogue: may they be Moro, Lumad, or Christian. We have asked Dean Marvic Leonen to head our efforts to talk to the MILF.

We will learn from the mistakes of the past administration, which sprung upon the people an agreement reached without consultation from all concerned. We are not blind to the fact that it was done with political motivation, and that the interest behind it was not that of the people.

We recognize the efforts of the MILF to discipline those within its ranks. We are hopeful that the negotiations will begin during the first one hundred days of my administration as your president.

To the CPP-NPA-NDF: are you prepared to put forth concrete solutions rather than pure criticism and finger-pointing?

If it is peace you truly desire, then we are ready to call for an immediate cease-fire. Let us go back to the table and begin talking again.

It is difficult to begin discussions in earnest if the scent of gun power still hangs in the air. I call on everyone concerned not to waste a good opportunity to rally behind one goal for peace.
Our foundation for growth is peace. We will continue to be shackled by poverty if the crossfire persists.
We must understand that now is a time for sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that will pave the way for a better future.

With our freedom comes our responsibility to good unto our fellows and to our country.
To our friends in media, especially those in radio and print, to the block-timers and those in our community newspapers, I trust that you will take the cudgels in policing your own.

May you give new meaning to the principles of your vocation: to provide clarity to pressing issues; to be fair and truthful in your reporting, and to raise the level of discourse with the public.

It is every Filipino’s duty to closely watch the leaders that you have elected. I encourage everyone to take a step towards participation rather than meddling. The former takes part in finding a solution; from the latter, never-ending complaints.

We have always known that the key to growth is putting the interest of others beyond one’s own. One thing is clear: how do we move forward if we keep putting others down? How will those without education secure quality jobs? How will the unemployed become consumers? How will they save money for their future needs?
If we change all this, if we prioritize enabling others, we will open a world of opportunities not just for ourselves but for those who direly need it.

We have already begun the process of change, and we are now able to dream of better things for our country. Let us not forget that there are those who wish us to fail, so that they will once again reclaim power to do as they please at the expense of our people.

I believe that God and the people have brought us to where we are now. While we focus on uplifting the lives of our fellow men, we are assured of blessings and guidance from God Almighty. If we truly believe that we have God on our side, is there anything that we cannot endure?

The mandate we received last May 10 is testament to the fact that the Filipino continues to hope for true change. The situation is not what it was before; we can all dream again. Let us all become one in achieving a fulfilment of our hopes and aspirations for our country.
Thank you very much.

***

Enrile, dubbed as  “unity” senate president,  obtained  17 out of 20 votes of senators belonging to Liberal and Nacionalista Parties, including Sen. Manuel Villar, who ran for president  in the last May elections and was  investigated by the 14^th Senate under Enrile for alleged overpricing on the C-5 road extension project.

Enrile defeated Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano of the NP who automatically becomes the Senate minority leader. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada  was voted Senate President pro tempore . Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III was majority floor leader and chairman of the Senate committee on rules.

Belmonte  got 227 votes over  Albay Rep. Edzel  Lagman  (Lakas-Lampi-CMD) who got only 29 votes. Lagman  will share the position of  House minority leader with Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez.

Newspaper reports said Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II (LP) will become majority floor leader.

Expected to become deputy speakers are Representatives Lorenzo Tañada III of Quezon (LP), Jesus Crispin Remulla of Cavite (Nacionalista Party), Arnulfo Fuentebella of Camarines Sur (Nationalist People’s Coalition), Pablo Garcia of Cebu (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), Raul Daza of Northern Samar (LP), and Ma. Isabel Climaco of Zamboanga City (LP).

There are 23 members of the Senate with the vacancy created by the election to the presidency of Aquino.  Three senators were absent: Panfilo Lacson, who is subject of a warrant of arrest in connection with the Dacer-Corbito case; Antonio Trillanes IV, who is in detention for the charge of coup d’etat  in connection with the Oakwood incident in July 2003; and Miriam Defensor-Santiago .

Enrile’s re-election  as senate president  was brought about by the failure of the LP and NP to muster the  minimum  13 votes to elect a senate president.

Sen. Francisko “Kiko” Pangilinan, the LP bet for  senate president withdrew his bid  Sunday.“Much as I would like to go down fighting I realize that to continue with my bid would keep the Senate fragmented and disunited. The disunity must now end. I believe I can make it happen by voluntarily stepping aside,” he  said in a press statement.

In his speech, Enrile  said his re-election  “ signals the unity that is sorely needed by our country today. It is a sign of the merging spirit in our rank and augurs well for our national community. The Senate will be strengthened no doubt by this singular act of unity among its members,” he said.

Although the NP supported Enrile, Cayetano had to run as opposition candidate for a healthier  working relationship with  Malacañang. He was supported by his sister, Sen. Pia  Cayetano and Sen. Joker Arroyo, his mother’s executive secretary and ardent supporter of Arroyo.

His rival for the post, Lakas-Kampi’s Edcel Lagman, raised the white flag early in the day. He got only 29 votes.

Belmonte, in  his speech, called on his colleagues to function in a “tight financial” set-up and set  “higher levels of efficiency…prudent in crafting the national budget.”

Former President Gloria Arroyo, who is now representative of the 2nd district of  Pampanga, was absent. She is in Hongkong with her husband, Mike. But her children, Dato, representative of the second district of Catanduanes, and Mikey, partlist representative of tricyle drivers and security guards and brother in-law, Negros Occidental (5th district) Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, were present.

IN the sunset of their lives, 17 Malaya Lolas (Liberated Grandmothers) staged a rally Monday before the Supreme Court protesting the plagiarism in the decision that denied them remedy for the wartime savagery they suffered.

CenterLaw’s Harry Roque, counsel for 40 grandmothers who were forced to serve as “comfort women” to Japanese soldiers during the war, said what the Malaya Lolas got from the High Court was a “triple whammy.”

“They were denied legal remedy using sources that were plagiarized and twisted to support an unjust decision,” Roque said.

The April 28, 2010 SC decision penned by Associate Justice Mariano C. del Castillo said the court greatly sympathized with the cause of petitioners.

But it said, “ Regrettably, it is not within our power to order the Executive Department to take up the petitioners’ cause. Ours is only the power to urge and exhort the Executive Department to take up petitioners’ cause.”

The Executive Department represented by Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo had argued that “the Executive Department has determined that taking up petitioners’ cause would be inimical to our country’s foreign policy interests, and could disrupt our relations with Japan, thereby creating serious implications for stability in this region. “

Roque, however, found a number of provisions cited by Del Castillo and concurred in by nine justices, including then Chief Justice Reynato Puno and now Chief Justice Renato Corona, lifted verbatim from other articles without any attribution.

Justices Antonio Carpio concurred “on the ground that petitioners; claims are barred by the Peace Treaty between RP and Japan.”

Puno and Justices Antonio Nachura and Conchita Carpio-Morales concurred “in the result,” meaning they agreed with the ruling but not on the arguments laid down in the ruling.

One of the quotes cited by Roque as having been plagiarized by Del Castillo was from an article “A Fiduciary Theory of Jus Cogens” by Ivan Criddle and Evan Fox-Descent that appeared in the Yale Journal of International Law. Page 331 of the article stated, “ In international law, the term ‘jus cogens’ (literally, ‘compelling law’) refers to norms that command peremptory authority, superseding conflicting treaties and custom.”

The exact quote, including parentheses and comma, appeared on pages 30 and 31 of Del Castillo’s judgment without any attribution.

Another source of Del Castillo’s plagiarism, Roque said, was an article written by Mark Ellis on the subject for Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law in 2006.

Roque cited a sentence on page 227 of Ellis article: “The concept of rape as an international crime is relatively new.” That’s the first sentence of Del Castillo’s footnote 65 without any attribution.

Roque said, “In this controversy, the evidence bears out the fact not only of extensive plagiarism but also of twisting the true intents of the plagiarized sources by the ponencia to suit the arguments of the assailed judgment.”

Del Castillo also used without attribution portions of an article “Enforcing Erga Omnes Obligations in International Law” by Christian Tams, published in 2005, according to Roque.

SC spokesman Midas Marquez said Del Castillo denies allegations of plagiarism, saying “he made the proper attributions and citations in the April 28, 2010 decision on comfort women.”

But Roque said, “Res ipsa loquitor. The thing speaks for itself.”

The supplemental motion for reconsideration reiterates the stand of the Malaya Grandmothers that their claims could not have been a legal subject of the treaty of peace as these are not private claims “but are in fact claims arising from war crimes and jus cogens norms subject to erga omnes obligations under international law. “

They asked the High Court to direct the Executive Department to espouse their claims for official apology and other forms of reparations against the State of Japan before the International Court of Justice or other international legal forums or tribunals.

THE Aquino government, in reviewing the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, will examine the terms of reference and roles of the third-country facilitator as well as state parties and international nongovernmental organizations before restarting talks.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles said while the government is still reconstituting its peace panel, the state parties will have to cease their activities in this regard except for the International Monitoring Team (IMT) composed of military and police contingents from Malaysia, Brunei, Libya and civilian experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“The facilitator and the International Contact Group (ICG) definitely (will be reviewed) because until talks are restarted they are not active. Once we are ready, once our negotiating panels are set up, we will communicate so, but at the moment there is no official role of anyone there. The IMT is in place, but I understand EU and Norway have not brought in their people yet,” Deles told a forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Friday.

Malaysia had been a mutual choice between the government and the MILF as facilitator in the past. Deles said, however, any move to retain Malaysia would have to be discussed by the facilitating country and must be the subject of an agreement with the peace partner.

“I believe that we will continue to ask for the help of a foreign third-party facilitator. The IMT has certainly served well and that will continue. I think the review is more in terms of the terms of reference (TOR) because even in my discussion with ICG, for example, there was no clear TOR,” Deles said.

The Malaysian-led IMT established in October 2004 is overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the government forces and the MILF. It has four stations deployed in the conflict areas. The economic component of the IMT is handled by two JICA experts providing assistance in overseeing the development projects.

Malaysia, the current-third country facilitator, has been brokering the peace talks between the government and the MILF for nine years now.

When asked if Malaysia has been informed that it ceases to be facilitator while the peace process is undergoing review by the new administration, Deles said, “My understanding is they know that it is so when the government changes it ceases. That’s my understanding from Department of Foreign Affairs. That is how those protocols go.”

As for the IMT where Malaysia has 39 peace monitors, Deles said the review will focus on the TOR to clarify what it should take when clashes break, what monitoring of development projects means, and what state parties should contribute.

Norway and the European Union will be sending representatives to the 60-member IMTto oversee the protection of civilians.

When clashes erupted following the aborted signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) in August 2008, the IMT suspended its mission after Malaysia pulled out its contingent in November 2008. It returned only last February after talks resumed in December 2009. The ICG was formed thereafter. It gives advice to the parties concerned on the Mindanao peace process and participates in the peace talks as observers.

Also on the request of the negotiating parties , as well as Malaysia, the ICG is composed of Japan, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and four NGOs.

Deles said the country’s bid for observer status in the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) will also be reviewed. The Moro National Liberation Front still holds observer status as representative of the Bangsamoro People in the Philippines. The country has

By CARLOS MARQUEZ

ALIAGA, Nueva Ecija.—An entire village virtually turned sepia here last week as people clothed themselves in mud to celebrate the Feast of St. John the Baptist.

Unshod feet rushed from the barrio’s farthest points to the chapel patio—most wrapped in dried banana leaves and wild plants soaked in mud—where a 6 a.m. mass was to be held.

They call themselves Taong Putik (Mud People), a tradition observed in Bibiclat, a village 140 kilometers northwest of Manila with a population of about 50,000 of both Ilocano and Tagalog roots. Those taking part in the ritual believe their individual wishes would be realized, and a miracle would happen to heal their ailments.

On the way to mass, the devotees would stop ocasionally from house to house, accepting what was offered by owners who welcomed them with outstretched arms holding either money or candles.

Unlike other years however, there was not enough mud this year. “Not much mud this time. It did not rain last night,” noted Nelia Alcantara, a 55-year-old store owner as she handed money to the stretched palms of the Taong Putik.

The Mud People try to look like St. John the Baptist, who in the Bible was described as clothed in wild leaves—only with a slight innovation of daubing mud on their faces and around the body which gave a local flavor that has attracted thousands of local and foreign tourists year after year.

Mud and candle scent joined the prayer and chant amplified by an audio system that filled the air with the sights and sounds of the yearly Taong Putik festival.

Alcantara believed that the Mud People ritual began from a Bibiclat folk tale of a band of Japanese soldiers ringing the chapel to slaughter the menfolk suspected as underground rebels who painted mud around their body to avoid recognition. A heavy rain suddenly fell, and the supertitious Japanese ran away, fearing it was an act of God. “It was thus how Taong Putik was believed started,” Alcantara said.

“We rolled in the rice field,” quipped a middle-aged man explaining how he got mud. The Bibiclat Mud People bridge generations—from little kids to the village elders—and fill social gaps. They are all bonded in a belief in physically and spiritual healing.

“The fact of not getting sick is already a miracle,” said another devotee. For the others it was a form of thanksgiving for their loved ones who either survived a lingering sickness or an accident.

Lizelle Tabigne, 39, joined the festival for her mother who miraculously recovered from a heart ailment. Businesswoman Flory Galindez, an agriculture graduate, has been doing the Pagsa-San Juan (the term the Catholic Church prefers) in the past seven years. Former Central Luzon State University president Carlito Undan has been wiping his body with mud and joining the local Mardi Gras since his younger days.

Aside from the Japanese tale, a research conducted by CLSU found that the part of the cultural beliefs behind the Mud People festival was the prayer of the early Bibiclat inhabitants for God’s intervention to banish the snakes from their place. Bibiclat literally meant “a place of snakes” in Ilocano because hordes of venomous snakes used to be everywhere. The old folks prayed hard, and not long after it rained and the snakes disappeared.

CLSU researchers also linked symbolism to the ritual. The mud the devotees wrapped themselves with symbolizes their attempt to look like St. John the Baptist who was “mud-dirty in preparing for the coming of the Christ” and their show of humility.

“The vines are for curative powers, asking for alms represents labor, candles for the light in their lives, and the washing off of mud after the ritual as the cleaning process God has given them,” the CLSU paper said.

The pageantry ended in the usual removing of the mud from the devotees’ bodies in a nearby communal pump. Previously, they would run to the river to wash off their religious dirt, which now is impossible to do: It has dried up because of climate change.

PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino’s appointee to the post of health secretary said Thursday he supports the teaching of sex education among Filipino students and the passage of a reproductive health bill.

In his first press conference, Dr. Enrique T. Ona said he sees no problem on “how or when” sex education should be taught.

Ona, 71, a famous kidney transplant surgeon, said the teaching of sex education should be done in a scientific manner or with a biological approach to the reproductive process.

“What is important is that it is taught in a way that is expressed as a manifestation love and the creation of a good family,” said Ona, the executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute since 1998.

On the controversial issue of the proposed Reproductive Health Bill, Ona said: “I support the issue of reproductive health,” but added quickly that he is opposed to abortion.

Abortion is illegal in the Philippines, but reproductive health advocates say studies estimate that clandestine and often risky abortion procedures have led to about 1,000 female deaths in 2008 and about 90,000 needed hospitalizations due to abortion complications.

“One of the biggest sins in the world is to bring in children and not being able to raise them responsibly,” said Ona, who is a Roman Catholic.

The Philippine Catholic hierarchy strongly opposes the passage of a Reproductive Health bill, as well as the teaching of sex education in schools, insisting that it is the parents’ duty to do, at home.

Couples should be given objective, well-informed options on responsible parenthood, and choices on natural and scientific methods of family planning, said Ona. “In terms of strategy, we will do what is most successful in this direction,” he said.

In 2009, the Guttmacher Institure said that without contraceptive use, there would be 1.3 million more unplanned births, 900,000 more induced abortions, and 3,500 more maternal deaths each year. The Philippines has one of the fastest population growth rates in Southeast Asia.

The institute also said the high level of unplanned child-bearing in the Philippines indicates a high level of unintended pregnancies. An estimated 3.4 million Filipino women became pregnant in 2008, with 54 percent of them or 1.9 million not wanting to have a child so soon or at all.

On a personal note, Ona told reporters that he was “surprised” to receive a call from the office of Aquino for a meeting at the Times Street, the President’s private residence, where the 50-year-old bachelor asked him, “if you face the Commission on Appointments, do you think there would be problems?”

“I did not know the President personally or his close family. I have not met him before the meeting at his Times residence,” he told reporters.

In the morning before he was designated health secretary, his close associates said, he even operated on a patient and that it surprised them when they saw the transplant expert on television together with President Aquino.

Ona graduated from the UP College of Medicine in 1962, spent seven years of surgical residency in Long Island College Hospital and St. Claire Hospital, both in New York and Lahey Clinic in Boston.

The powerful bipartisan Commission on Appointments of the Congress has to approve all Cabinet appointments, among others.

Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan.

Nilabanan ng aking ama ang diktadurya at ibinuwis niya ang kanyang buhay para tubusin ang ating demokrasya. Inalay ng aking ina ang kanyang buhay upang pangalagaan ang demokrasyang ito. Ilalaan ko ang aking buhay para siguraduhin na ang ating demokrasya ay kapaki-pakinabang sa bawa’t isa. Namuhunan na po kami ng dugo at handang gawin itong muli kung kakailanganin.

Tanyag man ang aking mga magulang at ang kanilang mga nagawa, alam ko rin ang problema ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Alam nating lahat ang pakiramdam na magkaroon ng pamahalaang bulag at bingi. Alam natin ang pakiramdam na magpagkaitan ng hustisya, na mabalewala ng mga taong pinagkatiwalaan at inatasan nating maging ating tagapagtanggol.

Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa pwesto? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawang sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensyahan at tiisin? Ako rin.

Katulad ninyo ako. Marami na sa atin ang bumoto gamit ang kanilang paa – nilisan na nila ang ating bansa sa kanilang paghahanap ng pagbabago at katahimikan. Tiniis nila ang hirap, sinugod ang panganib sa ibang bansa dahil doon may pag-asa kahit kaunti na rito sa atin ay hindi nila nakikita. Sa iilang sandali na sarili ko lang ang aking inaalaala, pati ako ay napagisip din – talaga bang hindi na magbabago ang pamamahala natin dito? Hindi kaya nasa ibang bansa ang katahimikang hinahanap ko? Saan ba nakasulat na kailangang puro pagtitiis ang tadhana ng Pilipino?

Ngayon, sa araw na ito – dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan. Hindi si Noynoy ang gumawa ng paraan, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ngayon, magtatapos na ang pagtitiis ng sambayanan. Ito naman po ang umpisa ng kalbaryo ko, nguni’t kung marami tayong magpapasan ng krus ay kakayanin natin ito, gaano man kabigat.

Sa tulong ng wastong pamamahala sa mga darating na taon, maiibsan din ang marami nating problema. Ang tadhana ng Pilipino ay babalik sa tamang kalagyan, na sa bawa’t taon pabawas ng pabawas ang problema ng Pinoy na nagsusumikap at may kasiguruhan sila na magiging tuloy-tuloy na ang pagbuti ng kanilang sitwasyon.

Kami ay narito para magsilbi at hindi para maghari. Ang mandato ninyo sa amin ay pagbabago – isang malinaw na utos para ayusin ang gobyerno at lipunan mula sa pamahalaang iilan lamang ang nakikinabang tungo sa isang pamahalaang kabutihan ng mamamayan ang pinangangalagaan.

Ang mandatong ito ay isa kung saan kayo at ang inyong pangulo ay nagkasundo para sa pagbabago – isang paninindigan na ipinangako ko noong kampanya at tinanggap ninyo noong araw ng halalan. Sigaw natin noong kampanya: ‘Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.’ Hindi lamang ito pang-slogan o pang-poster – ito ang mga prinsipyong tinatayuan at nagsisilbing batayan ng ating administrasyon.

Ang ating pangunahing tungkulin ay ang magsikap na maiangat ang bansa mula sa kahirapan, sa pamamagitan ng pagpapairal ng katapatan at mabuting pamamalakad sa pamahalaan.

Ang unang hakbang ay ang pagkakaroon ng tuwid at tapat na hanay ng mga pinuno. Magsisimula ito sa akin. Sisikapin kong maging isang mabuting ehemplo. Hinding hindi ko sasayangin ang tiwalang ipinagkaloob ninyo sa akin. Sisiguraduhin ko na ganito rin ang adhikain ng aking Gabinete at ng mga magiging kasama sa ating pamahalaan.

Naniniwala akong hindi lahat ng nagsisilbi sa gobyerno ay corrupt. Sa katunayan, mas marami sa kanila ay tapat. Pinili nilang maglingkod sa gobyerno upang gumawa ng kabutihan. Ngayon, magkakaroon na sila ng pagkakataong magpakitang-gilas. Inaasahan natin sila sa pagsupil ng korapsyon sa loob mismo ng burukrasya.

Sa mga itinalaga sa paraang labag sa batas, ito ang aking babala: sisimulan natin ang pagbabalik ng tiwala sa pamamagitan ng pag-usisa sa mga ‘midnight appointments.’ Sana ay magsilbi itong babala sa mga nag-iisip na ipagpatuloy ang baluktot na kalakarang nakasanayan na ng marami.

Sa mga kapuspalad nating mga kababayan, ngayon, ang pamahalaan ang inyong kampeon.

Hindi natin ipagpapaliban ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga estudyante, kaya’t sisikapin nating punan ang kakulangan sa ating mga silid-aralan.

Unti-unti din nating babawasan ang mga kakulangan sa imprastruktura para sa transportasyon, turismo at pangangalakal. Mula ngayon, hindi na pwede ang ‘pwede na’ pagdating sa mga kalye, tulay at gusali dahil magiging responsibilidad ng mga kontratista ang panatilihing nasa mabuting kalagayan ang mga proyekto nila.

Bubuhayin natin ang programang ‘emergency employment’ ng dating Pangulong Corazon Aquino sa pagtatayo ng mga bagong imprastruktura na ito. Ito ay magbibigay ng trabaho sa mga lokal na komunidad at makakatulong sa pagpapalago ng kanila at ng ating buong ekonomiya.

Hindi kami magiging sanhi ng inyong pasakit at perwisyo. Palalakasin natin ang koleksyon at pupuksain natin ang korapsyon sa Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas at Bureau of Customs para mapondohan natin ang ating mga hinahangad para sa lahat, tulad ng:

* de-kalidad na edukasyon, kabilang ang edukasyong bokasyonal para makapaghanap ng marangal na trabaho ang hindi makapag-kolehiyo;

* serbisyong pangkalusugan tulad ng PhilHealth para sa lahat sa loob ng tatlong taon;

* tirahan sa loob ng mga ligtas na komunidad.

Palalakasin at palalaguin natin ang bilang ng ating kasundaluhan at kapulisan, hindi para tugunan ang interes ng mga naghahari-harian, nguni’t para proteksyunan ang mamamayan. Itinataya nila ang kanilang buhay para mayroong pagkakataon sa katahimikan at kapayapaan sa sambayanan. Dumoble na ang populasyong kanilang binabantayan, nanatili naman sila sa bilang. Hindi tama na ang nagmamalasakit ay kinakawawa.

Kung dati ay may fertilizer scam, ngayon ay may kalinga nang tunay para sa mga magsasaka. Tutulungan natin sila sa irigasyon, extension services, at sa pagbenta ng kanilang produkto sa pinakamataas na presyong maaari.

Inaatasan natin ang papasok na Kalihim Alcala na magtayo ng mga trading centers kung saan diretso na ang magsasaka sa mamimili – lalaktawan na natin ang gitna, kasama na ang kotong cop. Sa ganitong paraan, ang dating napupunta sa gitna ay maari nang paghatian ng magsasaka at mamimili.

Gagawin nating kaaya-aya sa negosyante ang ating bansa. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance, to business. Sa ganitong paraan lamang natin mapupunuan ang kakulangan ng trabaho para sa ating mga mamamayan.

Layunin nating paramihin ang trabaho dito sa ating bansa upang hindi na kailangan ang mangibang-bansa para makahanap ng trabaho. Nguni’t habang ito ay hindi pa natin naaabot, inaatasan ko ang mga kawani ng DFA, POEA at ng OWWA, at iba pang mga kinauukulang ahensya na mas lalo pang paigtingin ang pagtugon sa mga hinaing at pangangailangan ng ating overseas Filipino workers.

Papaigtingin namin ang proseso ng konsultasyon at pag-uulat sa taumbayan. Sisikapin naming isakatuparan ang nakasaad sa ating Konstitusyon na kinikilala ang karapatan ng mamamayan na magkaroon ng kaalaman ukol sa mga pampublikong alintana.

Binuhay natin ang diwa ng people power noong kampanya. Ipagpatuloy natin ito tungo sa tuwid at tapat na pamamahala. Ang naniniwala sa people power ay nakatuon sa kapwa at hindi sa sarili.

Sa mga nang-api sa akin, kaya ko kayong patawarin at pinapatawad ko na kayo. Sa mga nang-api sa sambayanan, wala akong karapatan na limutin ang inyong mga kasalanan.

To those who are talking about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no reconciliation without justice. Sa paglimot ng pagkakasala, sinisigurado mong mauulit muli ang mga pagkakasalang ito. Secretary de Lima, you have your marching orders. Begin the process of providing true and complete justice for all.

Ikinagagalak din naming ibahagi sa inyo ang pagtanggap ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. sa hamon ng pagtatag at pamumuno sa isang Truth Commission na magbibigay linaw sa maraming kahinahinalang isyu na hanggang ngayon ay walang kasagutan at resolusyon.

Ang sinumang nagkamali ay kailangang humarap sa hustisya. Hindi maaaring patuloy ang kalakaran ng walang pananagutan at tuloy na pang-aapi.

My government will be sincere in dealing with all the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflicts, inclusive of the interests of all – may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian.

We shall defeat the enemy by wielding the tools of justice, social reform and equitable governance leading to a better life. Sa tamang pamamahala gaganda ang buhay ng lahat, at sa buhay na maganda, sino pa ang gugustuhing bumalik sa panahon ng pang-aapi?

Kung kasama ko kayo, maitataguyod natin ang isang bayan kung saan pantay-pantay ang pagkakataon, dahil pantay-pantay nating ginagampanan ang ating mga pananagutan.

Kamakailan lamang, ang bawa’t isa sa atin ay nanindigan sa presinto. Bumoto tayo ayon sa ating karapatan at konsensya. Hindi tayo umatras sa tungkulin nating ipaglaban ang karapatang ito.

Pagkatapos ng bilangan, pinatunayan ninyo na ang tao ang tunay na lakas ng bayan.

Ito ang kahalagahan ng ating demokrasya. Ito ang pundasyon ng ating pagkakaisa. Nangampanya tayo para sa pagbabago. Dahil dito, taas-noo muli ang Pilipino. Tayong lahat ay kabilang sa isang bansa kung saan maaari nang mangarap muli.

To our friends and neighbors around the world, we are ready to take our place as a reliable member of the community of nations, a nation serious about its commitments and which harmonizes its national interests with its international responsibilities.

We will be a predictable and consistent place for investment, a nation where everyone will say, ‘it all works.’

Inaanyayahan ko kayo ngayon na manumpa sa ating mga sarili, sa sambayanan, WALANG MAIIWAN.

Walang pangingibang-bayan at gastusan na walang wastong dahilan. Walang pagtalikod sa mga salitang binitawan noong kampanya, ngayon at hanggang sa mga susunod pang pagsubok na pagdadaanan sa loob ng anim na taon.

Walang lamangan, walang padrino, at walang pagnanakaw. Walang wang-wang, walang counter-flow, walang tong. Panahon na upang tayo ay muling magkawanggawa.

Nandito tayo ngayon dahil sama-sama tayong nanindigan at nagtiwala na may pag-asa.

The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality. Sa inyong mga nag-isip pa kung tutulong kayo sa pagpasan ng ating krus, isa lang ang aking tanong – kung kailan tayo nanalo, saka pa ba kayo susuko?

Kayo ang boss ko, kaya’t hindi maaaring hindi ako makinig sa mga utos ninyo. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to the people’s needs and aspirations.

Kayo ang nagdala sa akin sa puntong ito – ang ating mga volunteers – matanda, bata, celebrity, ordinaryong tao, na umikot sa Pilipinas para ikampanya ang pagbabago; ang aking mga kasambahay, na nag-asikaso ng lahat ng aking mga personal na mga pangangailangan; ang aking pamilya, kaibigan at katrabaho, na dumamay, nag-alaga at nagbigay ng suporta sa akin; ang ating mga abogado, na nagpuyat para bantayan ang ating mga boto at siguraduhing mabibilang ang bawa’t isa; ang aking mga kapartido at kaalyado na kasama kong nangahas mangarap; at ang milyun-milyong Pilipinong nagkaisa, nagtiwala at hindi nawalan ng pag-asa – nasa inyo ang taospusong pasasalamat.

Hindi ko makakayang harapin ang aking mga magulang at kayong mga nagdala sa akin sa yugto ng buhay kong ito, kung hindi ko maisasakatuparan ang aking mga binitawang salita sa araw na ito.

My parents sought nothing less and died for nothing less than democracy, peace and prosperity. I am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward.

Layunin ko na sa pagbaba ko sa katungkulan, masasabi ng lahat na malayo na ang narating natin sa pagtahak ng tuwid na landas at mas maganda na ang kinabukasang ipapamana natin sa susunod na henerasyon. Samahan ninyo ako sa pagtatapos ng laban na ito. Tayo na sa tuwid na landas.

Maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!

Official English translation of Aquino’s inaugural address

His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta,  Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former President Joseph Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile  and members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and members of the House, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the foreign delegations,Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow colleagues in government, aking mga kababayan.

My presence here today is proof that you are my true strength. I never expected that I will be here taking my oath of office before you, as your president. I never imagined that I would be tasked with continuing the mission of my parents. I never entertained the ambition to be the symbol of hope, and to inherit the problems of our nation.

I had a simple goal in life: to be true to my parents and our country as an honorable son, a caring brother, and a good citizen.

My father offered his life so our democracy could live. My mother devoted her life to nurturing that democracy. I will dedicate my life to making our democracy reach its fullest potential: that of ensuring equality for all. My family has sacrificed much and I am willing to do this again if necessary.

Although I was born to famous parents, I know and feel the problems of ordinary citizens. We all know what it is like to have a government that plays deaf and dumb. We know what it is like to be denied justice, to be ignored by those in whom we placed our trust and tasked to become our advocates.

Have you ever been ignored by the very government you helped put in power? I have. Have you had to endure being rudely shoved aside by the siren-blaring escorts of those who love to display their position and power over you? I have, too. Have you experienced exasperation and anger at a government that instead of serving you, needs to be endured by you? So have I.

I am like you.  Many of our countrymen have already voted with their feet – migrating to other countries in search of change or tranquility. They have endured hardship, risked their lives because they believe that compared to their current state here, there is more hope for them in another country, no matter how bleak it may be. In moments when I thought of only my own welfare, I also wondered – is it possible that I can find the peace and quiet that I crave in another country? Is our government beyond redemption? Has it been written that the Filipino’s lot is merely to suffer?

Today marks the end of a regime indifferent to the appeals of the people. It is not Noynoy who found a way. You are the reason why the silent suffering of the nation is about to end. This is the beginning of my burden, but if many of us will bear the cross we will lift it, no matter how heavy it is.

Through good governance in the coming years, we will lessen our problems. The destiny of the Filipino will return to its rightful place, and as each year passes, the Filipino’s problems will continue to lessen with the assurance of progress in their lives.

We are here to serve and not to lord over you. The mandate given to me was one of change. I accept your marching orders to transform our government from one that is self-serving to one that works for the welfare of the nation.

This mandate is the social contract that we agreed upon. It is the promise I made during the campaign, which you accepted on election day.

During the campaign we said, “If no one is corrupt, no one will be poor.” That is no mere slogan for posters — it is the defining principle that will serve as the foundation of our administration.

Our foremost duty is to lift the nation from poverty through honest and effective governance.

The first step is to have leaders who are ethical, honest, and true public servants. I will set the example.  I will strive to be a good model. I will not break the trust you have placed in me. I will ensure that this, too, will be the advocacy of my Cabinet and those who will join our government.

I do not believe that all of those who serve in our government are corrupt. In truth, the majority of them are honest. They joined government to serve and do good. Starting today, they will have the opportunity to show that they have what it takes. I am counting on them to help fight corruption within the bureaucracy.

To those who have been put in positions by unlawful means, this is my warning: we will begin earning back the trust of our people by reviewing midnight appointments. Let this serve as a warning to those who intend to continue the crooked ways that have become the norm for too long.

To our impoverished countrymen, starting today, your government will be your champion.

We will not disregard the needs of our students. We will begin by addressing the glaring shortage in classrooms and educational facilities.

Gradually, we will lessen the lack of infrastructures for transportation, tourism and trade. From now on, mediocre work will not be good enough when it comes to roads, bridges, and buildings because we will hold contractors responsible for maintaining their projects in good condition.

We will revive the emergency employment program established by former President Corazon Aquino. This will provide jobs for local communities and will help in the development of their and our economy.

We will not be the cause of your suffering or hardship. We will strengthen collections by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and we will fight corruption in the Bureau of Customs in order to fund our objectives for the public welfare, such as:

• Quality education, including vocational education, so that those who choose not to attend college or those who cannot afford it can find dignified livelihood;

• Improved public health services such as PhilHealth for all within three years;
• A home for every family, within safe communities.

We will strengthen the armed forces and the police, not to serve the interests of those who want to wield power with impunity, but to give added protection for ordinary folk. The armed forces and the police risk their lives daily so that the nation can live in peace and security. The population has doubled and yet their numbers remain unchanged. It is not right that those who make sacrifices are treated pitifully.

If there was a fertilizer scam in the past, today there will be security for farmers. We will help them with irrigation, extension services, and marketing their products at the best possible prices.

We are directing Secretary Alcala to set up trading centers that will directly link farmers and consumers thereby eliminating middlemen and opportunities for corruption.  In this way, funds can be shared by farmers and consumers. We will make our country attractive to investors. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance to business. This is the only means by which we can provide jobs for our people.

Our goal is to create jobs at home so that there will be no need to look for employment abroad. However, as we work towards that end, I am ordering the DFA, POEA, OWWA, and other relevant agencies to be even more responsive to the needs and welfare of our overseas Filipino workers.

We will strengthen the process of consultation and feedback. We will strive to uphold the constitutional right of citizens to information on matters of public concern.

We relived the spirit of people power during the campaign. Let it take us to good and effective governance. Those who believe in people power put the welfare of others before their own.

I can forgive those who did me wrong but I have no right to forgive those who abused our people.

To those who talk about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no reconciliation without justice. When we allow crimes to go unpunished, we give consent to their occurring over and over again. Secretary de Lima, you have your marching orders. Begin the process of providing true and complete justice for all.

We are also happy to inform you the acceptance of Chief Justice Hilario Davide of the challenge of strengthening and heading a Truth Commission that will shed light on many unanswered issues that continue to haunt our country.

My government will be sincere in dealing with all the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflict, inclusive of the interests of all — may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian.

We shalI defeat the enemy by wielding the tools of justice, social reform, and equitable governance leading to a better life. With proper governance life will improve for all. When we are all living well, who will want to go back to living under oppression?

If I have all of you by my side, we will be able to build a nation in which there will be equality of opportunity, because each of us fulfilled our duties and responsibilities equally.

After the elections, you proved that it is the people who wield power in this country.

This is what democracy means. It is the foundation of our unity. We campaigned for change. Because of this, the Filipino stands tall once more. We are all part of a nation that can begin to dream again.

To our friends and neighbors around the world, we are ready to take our place as a reliable member of the community of nations, a nation serious about its commitments and which harmonizes its national interests with its international responsibilities.

We will be a predictable and consistent place for investment, a nation where everyone will say, “it all works.”

Today, I am inviting you to pledge to yourselves and to our people. No one shall be left behind.

No more junkets, no more senseless spending. No more turning back on pledges made during the campaign, whether today or in the coming challenges that will confront us over the next six years. No more influence-peddling, no more patronage politics, no more stealing. No more sirens, no more short cuts, no more bribes. It is time for us to work together once more.

We are here today because we stood together and believed in hope. We had no resources to campaign other than our common faith in the inherent goodness of the Filipino.

The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality. To those among you who are still undecided about sharing the common burden I have only one question: Are you going to quit now that we have won?

You are the boss so I cannot ignore your orders. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to your needs and aspirations.

You are the ones who brought me here – our volunteers – old, young, celebrity, ordinary folks who went around the country to campaign for change; my household help who provided for all my personal needs; my family, friends, colleagues at work, who shared, cared, and gave their support; my lawyers who stayed all hours to guard my votes and make sure they were counted; and the millions of Filipinos who prevailed, kept faith, and never lost hope – I offer my heartfelt gratitude.

I will not be able to face my parents and you who have brought me here if do not fulfill the promises I made.

My parents sought nothing less, died for nothing less, than democracy and peace. I am blessed by this legacy.  I shall carry the torch forward.

My hope is that when I leave office, everyone can say that we have traveled far on the right path, and that we are able to bequeath a better future to the next generation. Join me in continuing this fight for change.

Thank you and long live the Filipino people!