A speech to "fool" everyone?
It was a week ago when President Aquino had to interrupt on national television midst criticism pointing against him. That despite the controversies erupted during his administration he had to justify his "innocence" while taking pride in programs that are deemed "controversial" because of its connections to corruption.
Especially with his Development Acceleration Program and the Presidential Social Fund he consistently bannered much.
Personally, his speech had unveiled his desperate attempt to gain sympathy especially to a confused middle and lower class viewers. As controversies such as the Pork Barrel issue had indirectly pointed against him, he had to insist his innocence, like Nixon, trying to prove himself that he isn't a crook, a thief, that his DAP provided development, that his "Presidential Pork" provided relief with all the facts and figures he had showed on National Television.
But, for most people, they would rather chose to laugh it over, if not saying that "it's not yet April fool" or complain that "he disrupt what everyone was watching" such as a soap opera. And since Aquino himself had tried his "best" to prove his innocence, then why not unveil the names, even those of his partymates that had enjoyed the bullshit of cash and patronage politics?
And why not as well pass the long-overdue "Freedom of Information" act?
Well, like any other people who had contented in their extravagance, it's much likely for them to deny that he or his partymates had done mistakes, that they had to blame the opposition thoroughly or calling it as a conspiracy made by those trying to malign the regime or the President itself.
That somehow for this writer may call it a foolish act with political analysts care nothing but to criticize the said speech as a "damage control" other than being described by others as Gloria-esque as It desperately sought to justify presidential lump-sum discretionary spending amid growing public disgust over corruption.
As according to the Manila Times, it stated that Political Analysts like Ramon Casiple and Clarita Carlos said that while there was nothing wrong with the speech, it also did not contain any significant declaration that would address the issue regarding the questionable Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and other forms of “pork.”.
Carlos, for her part, said that Malacanang should stop its effort to control the damage from the DAP issue and instead come up with data that would show how the funds coursed through DAP were spent.
The President should also explain why the administration was being selective in choosing legislators who should be allotted funds through DAP.
But again, DAP and the so-called "Presidential Pork" will still carry the negative stigma knowing how bureaucrats afford to gain "income" with kickbacks, with pseudo-Civil Socieities afford to accumulate state funds with less or no contributions to the people; knowing that Napoles and her clique had done damage along with officials implicated. There are also nameless personalities that the administration had to uncover as it tries to stand firm in its righteous path being bannered much since 2010.
Also mentioned by Carlos that while she "believes that the President is not corrupt, he lacks the courage to run after his own partymates and allies." Especially those who are implicated after given kickbacks, who funded Napoles' extravagance using their pork while giving mere piecemeal programs, or let's just say throwing crumbs to the populace yearning for a piece of bread.
And by the way, since Aquino and his clique, along with his rah rah peeps insist in justifying the controversial programs and the presidential pork, it seems that they justify that is deemed unnecessary since had there been sufficient funds for social services from the General Appropriations Act, had corrupt politicians kept their hands off from calamity funds, and implement an honest-to-goodness disaster preparedness program that would somehow prevent loss of funds such as what happened in some areas affected by the earthquakes at Cebu and Bohol;
That somehow for this writer described as a challenge for the legislators in allocating the national budget. Furthermore, why there is a need for a Presidential pork or the pork barrel itself? And since it had been freezed due to the controversy why not had it returned to the Bureau of the Treasury if not directly allocated to programs of importance such as social services and national defence under the General Appropriations Act?
Anyways, it is clear for everyone that the present administration did that speech merely as to control the damage and to keep check its popularity from getting dwindled from the controversy, and not just justifying the DAP and the Presidential pork other than insisting Aquino's innocence over the issue as emphasised.
As according to Dante Jimenez, chairperson of the Victims Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), he stated that Aquino’s collapse has already started following the result of the survey conducted by the president’s Office of Political Affairs showing a steep 35 percent drop in Aquino’s rating.
The president's ratings also suffered drops in the surveys conducted by Pulse Asia (44-percent drop compared to the 79 percent last Sept. 14 to 27) and Social Weather Stations (a decrease of 14 percent compared to his +49 percent rating in the Sept. 20 to 2).
Gloria-esque indeed to save faces in midst of serious controversies erupted. Arroyo, then as president had no chance but to acknolwedge her action during the "hello Garci" issue yet at the same time justifying oplan "Bantay Laya" I and II, even keeping herself silent over Northrail, NBN-ZTE and other controversies erupted.
And now, with Aquino trying to do a Gloria in justifying, aside from keeping most, if not all of her programs as his (such as the Conditional Cash Transfer program, whose funds also came from what Aquino and her clique had justified), may somehow made everyone a fool, knowing that he who afford to blame the past administration for the woes had at the same time keeps.
And as for his speech made? Sorry to say, but people may think he had mistaken all hollows, or before as april fools'.