One Year in Service...and Counting

Time is passing too fast that I almost didn’t notice that the President Benigno Aquino III has already been serving the public for more than a year now—if you can call it that way. Filipinos applauded him, but mostly, he received criticisms. If not for his poor leadership skills, he was attacked because of the people that he appointed.

 It still feels like yesterday when I couldn’t even decide who to vote. The dilemma of choosing from all the 9 candidates was nerve wrecking. It was my first time to vote and so the experienced of choosing the rightful people for the vacant positions was utterly unexplainable. Most of my candidates didn’t won. But I need to cooperate. As a citizen who wants nothing but the goodness of her country, I know that only by cooperating can the Philippines be progressive. And so I gave him a chance, I gave them a chance to prove me wrong, to make me regret why I didn’t choose him. And well, he has 5 years more to go to do that. To prove to the public that he’s a good and effective president.

The administration’s been saying about how they wanted to end corruption. But still, I can feel it in my bones that some government officials are still stealing public funds. Most of them came from the past administration. I mean, what do you expect? I don’t understand why they would steal. They have a good life, most of the public officials came from middle class families and yet they have the nerve to steal. To serve people is a noble vocation. That alone should be enough.

 One year isn’t enough, I know. But there are two things that I did not like, two big decisions—one’s already done and the second is impending. First, why give money to the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Font)? THE REBELS WERE GIVEN MONEY BY THE AQUINO ADMISTRATION—5 MILLION PESOS. WTF?! The same rebels that have been killing civilians and militaries for decades now have been given money, the Filipinos’ hard earned money. Brilliant. Great. Ingenious. Kill me. NOW.

 The administration told the public that it’s a project started by the Arroyo administration. And they decided to pursue it. Aquino’s spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that this whole agreement of giving 5M “is from a decades-old conflict, the Bangsamoro members would be trained to assume leadership roles in areas where they might be needed.” And he added that “it was found to be worth pursuing (Read complete here).”  COME ON! Why would you give funds to the rebels who have slain innocent people?! What, to train the young rebels to become future murderers of our soldiers? It’s a peace process yes, but giving them money first when both parties haven’t even approved on anything? Peace process my ass. More like a bribe.

 The Aquino government is TRYING SO HARD to save money from all the taxes and revenues that the country can get. Then they gave money to the rebels. And now they’re offering to fly the doctors of Arroyo for free (she’s dying—let’s hope not. I want to see her behind bars) so that she won’t leave the country and face the filed cases against her. If our government can find enough law to support that Arroyo’s departure is against the constitution, then stop her. But why pay for her medical bills? That is just insane!

 I’m about to change my reservations on this administration. Let’s just hope that they are really doing what is right as they have always claimed. Yeah right. The hell they are.