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Looking for a scapegoat

MR. EXPOSE

Amb. Ernesto Maceda

04/11/2008

In a speech on Mt. Samat on the occasion of Bataan Day, GMA lashed out again at the Senate with a charge that “investigations do not put food on the table of the Filipino.”

This is a standard ploy of all non-performing presidents. When there is a crisis, look for someone to blame. And not surprisingly, GMA now fingers the Senate as her scapegoat for our present rice crisis.

It doesn’t compute, Madam. Investigations that want to assure that billions of fertilizer, certified seeds and irrigation repair funds reach the farmers to assure that the farmers will produce more food on our tables.

It is executive corruption that results in not enough food on the Filipino table. Failure to give jobs to million of Filipinos also results in no food on the tables. Refusal to increase the minimum wage reduce the food the housewife can buy.

Constant trips and junkets abroad will not increase our rice production. And certainly, the ZTE deals only put food on the tables of Malacañang, DoTC, Neda and Comelec officials. No, Madam, it is not the Senate investigation that is the culprit, it is your own failure to deliver. As President Harry Truman said “The buck stops here.” The buck stops at GMA’s desk.

Interesting. The Bureau of Agricultural statistics reports that the 2007 harvest of palay is at 16.3 metric tons from 2.6 million hectares planted. The average is 3.8 metric tons (MT) per hectare. Only 46 percent of our rice lands are irrigated.

The major rice producing regions are Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon with Nueva Ecija (1,358,161 MT), Isabela and Pangasinan as the top three. Iloilo is fourth, Cagayan fifth, Leyte sixth and Camarines seventh.

With the exception of Iloilo and Leyte, other Visayan and Mindanao provinces are not producing enough. Cebu produces only 14,000 MT of rice. Tawi-tawi produces only 958 MT of rice. In terms of additional hectares that can be added to produce more rice, the focus should be on Mindanao.

The lowest producing regions are Central Visayas, Davao province except Davao del Sur, Caraga and ARMM. All provinces must be directed to add more rice hectares.

It is significant to note that the highest per hectare production was in Davao del Sur at 5.16 MT per hectare, Nueva Ecija 4.93, Kalinga 4.72, Biliran 4.70, Leyte 4.53 and Ilocos Norte 4.48, compared to the 3.8 MT per hectare national average. The Fields task force should look into the reasons the average is higher in the six aforementioned provinces.

Clearly, irrigation is the no. 1 problem. Equally clear is the fact that irrigation projects have been centers of corruption. One outstanding example: An irrigation system in Bohol cost almost P3 billion but will irrigate only 5,000 hectares and took more than 10 years to finish. Lack of farm credit is the no. 2 problem.

Jealousy. Usec. Babot Villar complains the DILG Secretary, Ronnie Puno, has pulled out 40 PNP personnel assigned to PASG. It appears that Sec. Puno wants to put up his own version of PASG and get into the “action.”

It looks like PASG has stepped on the toes of some Malacañang cronies who smuggled in 12 helicopters and paid only P150,000.

Some powerful people are also angry about Villar’s apprehension of smuggled rice. What a mockery.

Updated list. It used to be DPWH that topped the list of corrupt offices. It is now the DoTC followed by Department of Agriculture (DA).

1. DoTC as exemplified by the ZTE Broadband, Northrail and Southrail contracts and the grant of telecom licenses.

2. DA, especially NJA, NFA and Quedancor, CoA reports on the corruption in DA agencies that are many and bigger in amounts.

3. DPWH, Even World Bank has said so.

4. Bureau of Customs as open smuggling goes on in several major ports from cars to rice to steel products. And now helicopters and airplanes.

5. Armed Forces of the Philippines as shown by the helicopter deal and its continued practice of conversion including pocketing of intelligence funds.

6. Clark Development Commission (CDC) in the awarding of lease of big hectares of land without public bidding at giveaway rates. It is also a smuggling center.

7. Philippine National Police where rampant corruption is still a fact of life and more policemen are arrested for crimes.

8. Napocor, especially in the award of coal importation contracts and disposition of its assets.

9. Department of Agrarian Reform, especially in the approval of land conversion applications.

10. DENR, especially in the awarding of forestry and mining licenses, the continued failure to stop illegal logging and the failure to implement environmental laws.

It is clear from the above list why GMA is trying her best to frustrate Senate investigations. There are just too many cases of scams and scandals, pervasive throughout the bureaucracy to sweep under the carpet.

Tidbits. BCDA chairman Narciso Abaya has confirmed in a letter that as of March 28, 2008, the cost of the Subic Clark Tarlac (SCT) expressway has reached P27.2 million. It is still only 92 percent finished...The Commission on Audit (CoA) reports that NFA “lost” P2 billion in the sale of rice to private traders in 2005... Jude Estrada, son of Erap and Loi, is planning a June wedding to his childhood sweetheart. The P2,000 centennial peso bill with the oath taking of Erap in its face is now selling at P30,000 per piece.