The Philippine Online Chronicles

We are watching history unfold before our eyes.

This is a War between Blackest Night, and Brightest Day.  This is conflict between Volunteerism and a well-oiled political machine. The prize is a republic and control of its future.  To the victor go the spoils.   Make no mistake, without intending to, this contest is going to shape philosophical choice: whichever Candidate wins will define our nation’s raison d’être, our reason for being.  In front of us is a campaign between Competence and Integrity, winner take all.

Much has been said about Competence in “Why Manny Villar.”

This is about Integrity.   This is about Noynoy Aquino.  This is about what he stands for.

Part I: The not-so secret origin of Noynoy Aquino

Everything begins in the past.

Eighteen months into her presidency, Corazon Aquino, Noynoy Aquino’s mother faced one of the bloodiest trials of her presidency.  Rebel forces on August 28, 1987 led by Gregorio Honasan staged a coup d’état.  They launched an attack on the presidential palace, Malacañang Palace and blocks away, Noynoy Aquino took five bullets, with one still embedded in his neck.  A bodyguard was injured protecting him while three other bodyguards were killed.  Noynoy Aquino had to bury those bodyguards.

The young Aquino then spent much of his mother’s presidency in the private sector as vice president and treasurer of Best Security Agency Corporation followed by tour of duty in 1993 for the Central Azucarera de Tarlac.

Rewind to 1983 and Ninoy Aquino, Noynoy’s father was assassinated on the steps of Manila’s tarmac.

Violence has not escaped the Aquino family.

Turn back the clock a little more and you’ll find Noynoy Aquino studied in Ateneo de Manila University from his elementary until college education, culminating in 1981 with a degree in Bachelor of Arts, in Economics.

Enter politics

Fast-forward into 1998 and Mr. Aquino won his first campaign when he took the 2^nd district of Tarlac.  By 1999, he assumed the position of Secretary General of the Liberal party and served it until 2002.  He was also Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2004 until December 2006.

Mr. Aquino won subsequent reelection and served the maximum allowable three consecutive terms.  In 2007, he won a senate seat.

Work in the Senate

Briefly, this was his work in the Senate.

On the General Appropriations Act

In 2008, Senator Aquino inserted into the General Appropriations Act, provisions to create an oversight committee for the purpose of coordinating and overseeing the implementation of the Kilos Asenso program.

For fiscal year 2009, Senator Aquino inserted unto the general appropriation’s act that should the budget be reenacted after the first of January then the amount already spent by the government will be returned into the national treasury.

For example, the National Budget was pegged at 100 pesos and the government was working on a reenacted budget from January 1^st and February 1^st and as an example, the government had already spent 10 pesos out of 100 pesos.  On February 1^st, the national budget of 110 pesos was passed.  So the national government must return the ten pesos it had already spent to the national treasury.  So effectively on the 1^st of February, only 100 pesos can be used.

For that same General Appropriation’s Act, and to prevent another Fertilizer Scam, Sen. Aquino introduced limitations on fund transfers to NGOs and POs as well as the dissolution of the Kalayaan Barangay Program Fund.  He also introduced an amendment to prevent the release from the unprogrammed funds unless there were excess funds after the expenditures for one fiscal year.

Senator Aquino also increased the budget of the Commission on Human rights by 1.514M pesos.

On EPIRA

SenatorAquino introduced amendments to SB 2121 to prevent market power abuses in the power industry.  He opposed the privatization of TRANSCO, because he argued that it is a revenue generating monopoly that makes 16.7B in revenues. He questioned how National Grid Corporation could manage a corporation twice its size, arguing that it only had 8B financial capacity and an authorized capital of 2B when compared to TRANSCO’s.

On JPEPA

Senator Aquino argued that the Japanese-Philippines Economic Partnership Act was one-sided that it was a treaty benefitted Japan more and should be renegotiated.

On the Pre-Need Code

Mr. Aquino amended SBN 2077 to protect plan holders of Pre-Need accounts from pre-need firms that are engaged in irregular practices.

On Cooperative Code

Noynoy Aquino amended the law to clearly define the concept of social auditing, to enable cooperatives to be more socially responsible.

On Anti-Trust Legislation

Senator Aquino introduced clear definitions of anti-competitive practices from best practices by international standards so safeguard the economy to the proposed anti-trust bill now in the senate.

On Kilos Asenso Fund

Mr. Aquino amended the 2008 general appropriations act to increase the level of transparency for the release of P3B to Kilos Asenso Support Fund.

On Motorcycle Helmets

Noynoy Aquino amended SBN 1863 to require motorcyclists to wear helmets approved only by the Bureau of Product Standards.

On Corruption and irregular government practices

Senator Aquino participated in committee hearings and plenary discussions on how to address those controversies.

Senator Noynoy Aquino authored several bills in the senate:

• Amending the government procurement act (sb 2160), status: pending in the committees on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and laws and finance;
• Reform in the appointment of PNP directors, status: passed in the senate, pending in the House of Representatives;
• Budget Impoundment Control Act, status: pending in the Committee on Finance;
• Increasing Penalties for non-compliance in the Wage Rationalization act, status: pending in the committee on labor, Employment and Human Development
• Banning the reappointment of members of the JBC that already served a full term, status: Passed in the Senate, pending in the House;
• Preservation of Public Infrastructures, status: pending in the committee on public works;
• Productivity Incentives Act, status: pending in the committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources;
• Prevention of reappointment and bypassing the CA, status: pending in the committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws;
• Superior responsibility (on holding superior/senior officers responsible for consent, toleration, or negligence in control and supervision of subordinates), status: Pending in the Committee on justice and human rights.

Senator Aquino’s co-authored bills:

• Real property valuation reform act, status: pending in second reading;
• General Santos City Charter, status: passed into Law,
• Amusement tax exemption, status: lapsed into law,
• Fact finding Investigation: Disasters, calamities due to storm Ondoy and Pepeng, status: pending in the committee on climate change;
• Local Water Districts Income tax Exemption, status: Conference Committee Report approved by both Sentate and House;
• Adlaw in Lapu-Lapu (commemorates Lapu-Lapu’s heroism against the Spaniads), status: Pending in the House of Representatives.
• Climate Change Act, status: Passed into Law,
• Posting of summary of income and expenditures of LGUs, status: pending in the House of Representatives;
• Revised Fire Code of the Philippines, status: Passed into Law;
• Barangay Livelihood and Skills Training Act, status: Passed into Law;
• LGUs’ choice of depository bank, status: Pending in the House of Representatives;
• University of the Philippines charter, status: passed into law.

Senate resolutions authored:

• Matriculation of SK and Barangay Officials in SUC;
• Investigation into the possibility of Constitutional convention;
• Investigation into the Bataan gun smuggling;
• Investigation into warrantless arrests of Magdalo members;
• Investigation into the human rights, abuses during the Manila Peninsula Stand-off;
• Investigation into the Pyrotechnics Regulation;
• Investigation into UDHA implementation;
• Inhuman and Election-Related Massacre and Carnage of Innocent Civilians in Maguindanao;
• Commendation: Mary Grace Tan and Kenneth ray Agustin.
• Resolutions that Senator Aquino co-authored:
• Commending and Honoring Muelmar Magallanes;
• Proclamation of Martial Law in Maguindanao;
• Commending and honoring private First Class Venancio Ancheta and Corporal Adrianno Regua;
• Priority Development Assistance fund;
• International Day of Democracy;
• Honoring Erano g. Manalo;
• Condolence on the Death of Kim Dae-Jung, former president of South Korea;
• Commendation: Four Uniformed men in the funeral procession of the Late Former President Corazon Aquino;
• Congratulating the Iglesia Filipina Independiente;
• Honoring Jusice Emilio Gancayco;
• Pre-Need companies and investment scam;
• 95^th Founding Anniversary of Iglesia ni Cristo;
• Warrantless arrests of the relatives and helpers of Mr. Ted Failon Etong;
• Amendments to the rules of the Senate;
• National Roads improvement and management;
• Amendments/revision of the constitution;
• Judicial post voting process disclosure judicial bar council;
• Construction of C-5 Road extension, renamed Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Avenue extension;
• Commending Governor Grace Padeca;
• Expression of condolence, death of Rep. Crispin Beltran;
• Curfew imposed from 12MN until 5Am on November 30, 2007;
• Inquiry, GAB interference with billiards and snooker Congress of the Philippines;
• Sympathy and investigation; bomb explosion at the House of Representatives;
• Commendation, Madrigal Singers;
• Commendation, Outstanding Ten teachers of 2007;
• Commendation, Senator Jovito Salonga;
• Allowing Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to participate in the Senate Session;
• Resolution honoring the 14 marines who perished in the line of duty in Albarka, Basilan.

Part II: The Credo and Platform of Noynoy Aquino

Our Common Credo

To understand the Aquino platform, it is most important to begin with its credo.  This document is the core of the Platform, the core of the campaign and the core belief of Senator Aquino.  The credo is the platform’s spirit and everything is derived from it.

What does Aquino believe in?

He believes that government and those running it must share in the values of transparency, personal and institutional integrity, and honesty and good governance.

He believes in democracy and the democratic process.

He believes that leaders must lead by example.

He believes in debate and freedom.

He believes in securing the rights and freedoms of Filipinos.

He believes that the Office of the Presidency only works when it is a temporary office.

He believes, most importantly that we must maintain an unshakeable faith in the Filipino.

The Aquino Platform

A political platform states the aims and principles of what the Party or the Candidate believes in.  That said, the Aquino platform is about this:

• Transformational leadership
• Economy
• Government Service
• Gender Equality
• Peace and Order
• Environment

Transformational Leadership

This means, the Aquino platform takes into consideration where we are and what our recent past has brought the Philippines to this place in time.

It recognizes that this nation needs to move away from the kind of president that tolerates corruption, into a president who must solve the problem of corruption.

The kind of government the Aquino campaign believes in is the government that isn’t about statistics.  They plan to transform government into one that prioritizes jobs, that creates opportunities.  It is the kind of government that raises people out of poverty and not the kind that keeps them in it.

Transformational leadership is about moving from an education system that is just one of many concerns of governance into making it the central strategy for investing in people, so we may reduce poverty and build national competitiveness.

The leadership that Aquino is offering is about moving healthcare from being an area were patronage politics plays the game into one that recognizes that government needs to protect and advance public health, including responsible parenthood as a corner stone of governance.

Lastly, transformational leadership is about changing the system so that justice isn’t about how much money and connections that pays for Justice into a system where it is impartial and that our institutions can deliver real justice.

To sum up Transformational Leadership it is about:

• Repairing the damage wrought upon our democratic institutions;
• Improving the situation of our people;
• Giving the young an opportunity to improve;
• Enabling government leap from patronage politics to a real development policy;

Economy

On the economy, the Aquino platform talks about moving the government from having policies that are influenced by well-connected private interests, into a government where government executes the law with impartiality and decisiveness.

It is about moving away from treating the rural economy as a source of problems into making it central and vital to achieve food security, equitable economic growth that investors may reinvest in.

It is about transforming anti-poverty, and pro-dole out mentality programs into really well thought of programs that build real capability and that creates opportunity for the poor and marginalized.

There must be a move away from the present system wherein the government itself makes it harder for private initiative and enterprise to prosper into an environment wherein the conditions are conductive to the growth and competitiveness of private business, no matter the size.

The government must cease to treat people as an export commodity, no matter the social cost and Aquino aims to transform that government into one that creates jobs at home.

Government Service

Noynoy Aquino and his campaign believes that we must move from presidential appointments that are largely political accommodation into discerning selection that is about who is most competent for the job and who serves the public good.

Today and tomorrow is about inspiring civil servants, military and policy from the status quo of being frustrated and destined to fail due to inadequate support into a professional, motivated, and energized bureaucracy with the ability to actually do their duty.

Gender Equality

The Aquino campaign believes in creating and ensuring equal opportunity for all.

Peace and Order

This is about creating a broad support for a Just Peace in Mindanao.

Environment

From the current environmental blight, we move to creating inclusive urban developments where everyone is integrated.  It is about moving from a government that exploits the environment for short-term goals to one that is for real sustainable development.

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Part III: Policies of Noynoy Aquino’s Government

A Philippines that Works: economic vision and platform

This speech was announced before the members of the Makati Business Club.

On National Deficit and Taxes

The Aquino campaign sees the biggest setback is the huge national deficit at the time of this writing, pegged at 300B.

Tax collection/tax effort under the Arroyo administration is at 13% down from 17% during the Ramos years.

To solve this, Noynoy Aquino says he will crack down on Smuggling and Tax Evasion, before he will consider raising taxes or other measures:

“My vision is to transform our country into one where we have lower tax rates enjoyed by all, rather than have some enjoy absolute tax exemptions while we burden the rest of the economy with very high tax rates.”

On inefficient public infrastructure

It is estimated that PHP2B worth of fuel is lost because of inefficient infrastructure.  Noynoy Aquino envisions the public (especially local government units) and the private sector coming together under a cohesive public infrastructure program.

On agriculture

The National Agribusiness Corporation cost taxpayers P60M on administrative costs alone.  A through review of the Department of Agriculture’s current program will be conducted.  He will encourage the use of an effective supply chain management system.

10 Ways to Fix Education in the Philippines

This is to to give children a chance at succeeding.  This starts from school year 2011-2012.  Noynoy Aquino believes that by applying the K-12 (Kindergarten to Grade 12) system, which is what our neighbors are using, will help Filipino children achieve the best basic education possible.

B. Universal pre-schooling for all

The Aquino campaign proposes the establishment of a real pre-school system that makes the pre-school available to all kids regardless of their parents’ income.

Noynoy Aquino proposes that all public school children will have pre-schooling as introduction to the formal school system by school year, 2016.

Filipino Muslims have asked for an Education System that respects their beliefs and culture that goes side-by-side with the formal educational system.  A Madaris Education can be included to help keep Filipino Muslim children in schools.

Technical, vocational education must be reintroduced into public high schools with accompanying trade tests and skills so as to provide high school graduates the quickest path to work upon graduation.

The Aquino Campaign recognizes that the core problem to learning problems is the inability to read.  The educational policy of an Aquino Administration aims to make every child a reader by grade one at the end of its tenure in 2015-2016.

F. Science and Math proficiency

Noynoy Aquino pledges to bring science and math club movements with elementary and high school science and math fairs.  Noynoy Aquino also pledges to build a strong science and math curriculum that begins in Grade 1.

The Aquino Administration proposes to expand Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) to aim for 1 million private HS students every year through education service contracting (ESC).  It likewise pledges to remove the wasteful education voucher system of the Arroyo Administration.

H. Medium of Instruction rationalized
Noynoy Aquino supports the UNESCO tried and tested formula of mother tongue instruction before moving on to English for higher grades.  From Pre-school until grade 3, the Aquino Administration’s policy will be an education taught in the mother tongue, with English and Filipino as subjects. As grade level go higher, English will be increasingly used for science, and math while social studies will be in Filipino.

I. Quality Textbooks

Text books under an Aquino Administration will be judged by: Quality, better quality, and more quality.

In areas where there are no public or private schools, the Aquino Administration will enter into a covenant with local government units to build smaller populations so teachers and students and parents can form a real learning community.

For Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas, education is a central strategy, not a fringe project and a doable goal.

Health Insurance for all:

Noynoy Aquino on the 19^th of February vowed to establish a “holistic and comprehensive” public health care system.

Under an Aquino Administration, the pledge is to ensure every Filipino will have access to Philippine Health Insurance Corporation cards and services.  Philippine law states that PhilHealth should have covered 100% of Filipinos by this year (2010) but only 38% are.

Noynoy Aquino pledges to:

1. Building 22,000 more barangay health stations;
2. 3,000 more outpatient rural health units;
3. 150 more district hospitals
4. Increase health budget by 5%
5. Full implementation of Magna Carta for public health workers.

Rename Reproductive health to Responsible parenthood

Senator Aquino did not co author the Reproductive health bill and does not fully support the reproductive health bill in its present form.  He believes the bill must be renamed, the responsible parenthood bill.

Noynoy Aquino’s position on reproductive health maybe summed up with the following:

1. he is against abortion;
2. he recognizes that we have a population explosion;
3. he is in favor for giving couples the right to choose to manage their families
4. he believes in cases where the couple is too poor or disadvantaged or in no position to make an informed decision, the state must take responsibility
5. he wants all options must be equally presented from natural planning to modern family methods.
6. He believes that parents should play a key role in ensuring that every child they bring into the world will have the opportunity to lead good lives.

On Mendiola Massacre

The Aquino campaign’s position is that the matter has been tried and resolved by various investigative bodies such as both houses of Congress, and the Philippine Supreme Court has absolved former President Cory Aquino, Generals Lim and Montano of all charges.  The issue is closed.

On Hacienda Luisita

The position of Sentator Aquino on the matter is to redistribute the remaining 1 to 1.5 million hectares of Hacienda Luisita under CARPER (CARP Extension with Reforms), which was signed into Law in 2009.  He prefers that the redistribution be done, debt free to farmers:

“At P10 per square meter, that would be 4.5 billion pesos for 4,500 hectares. That will take care of our debts. Wala nang maibabatikos sa aking issue. But if we do that, the 10,000 farmers will only get less than one hectare and that will not be enough for a single individual, much less an entire family to live on.”

On Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway

Senator Aquino’s official position is that the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) paid Hacienda Luicita, P83 million as compensation for right of way in accordance with the government’s original plan for SCTEX.

The market value for the land of Hacienda Luisita is P150 per square meter.  The government bought the land at P100 per square meter.

The contract stated that 3% of total gross amount was to be distributed to farmer shareholders (10,000 individuals).  Balance to pay off debts of Hacienda Luicita.

On the Midnight appointment of Chief Justice

Senator Aquino believes that the president cannot appoint the next Chief Justice because the law bans the appointment of government officials two months before a presidential election until the end of the incumbent president’s term, except in critical executive department positions.

On Visiting Forces Agreement

Noynoy Aquino believes that the VFA should be reviewed.

On the Peace Process

Senator Aquino believes that there is a need for a sincere, inclusive, and transparent conversation with all the stakeholders in Mindanao.  At the same time to have the will to stop those taking advantage of Mindanao’s people and the situation as well as to provide for economic boost to create jobs so people wouldn’t find the need to go to the mountains.

Part 4: Is Noynoy Aquino ready to lead?

While no one is perfect or hardly is the perfect candidate, “Noynoy Aquino’s Platform” has been a long list of accomplishments, platform, and policy.

Not just a few people have made a comment on his legislative accomplishments.  When asked, Noynoy Aquino simply doesn’t believe our problem is a lack of laws, but that the Philippines has not implemented our laws properly.

The people around Senator Aquino are the same people who have turned their backs on Mrs. Arroyo’s administration.  Time and time again, they’ve demonstrated competencies in what they do and intend to make things right.

While recognizing that there is a population problem, his thoughts on responsible parenthood over reproductive health is in keeping with a belief that parents must have a hand on their family’s future.  It isn’t simply the state’s job to advocate for all methods from natural to artificial contraceptives, Mr. Aquino recognizes that the true reproductive health is a holistic approach and that everyone is a stakeholder.  It is when we all stand up for our women and children that we can reduce unplanned pregnancies and unwanted children.  At the end of the day, we must all ensure that every child Filipinos bring into this world will have the opportunity to lead good lives.

From “A Philippines that works,” to Aquino’s “10 ways to fix Philippine education,” to his desire for universal health care and his position on Responsible parenthood over reproductive health speaks of a candidate and a campaign that intends to lead by ethical principles as much as it will lead with a firm and fair application of the law.

This has been about Noynoy Aquino.  He was legislator for over ten years. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, audiophile, history buff, marksman and self-taught billiards sharpie, is the third child, and only son of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. and Corazon Cojuanco Aquino.  He is not a power that has descended from the sky to set things right.

Noynoy Aquino is running for President of the Philippines. Mar Roxas is his running mate but is this about them?

This is Noynoy Aquino’s Platform.  This is the platform of Integrity.  It is about a litany of beliefs that aim to be part of positive change.  In the end, the campaign of Noynoy Aquino is about choosing hope over fear.  It is about determination over cynicism.  It is about Integrity over Competence.  It is about every Filipino standing up to act over the political machinery. The campaign of Noynoy Aquino, recognizes what has come before and realizes that the only way forward is to break from that cynical past.  It is about taking a chance to dream, to love a country in spite of all the heartbreak and to believe that maybe, just maybe we can make our dreams into reality.

Integrity is Courage.  Integrity is Volunteerism.  The Aquino campaign is about the Courage to stand up and do something, with our eyes open.

That is our raison d’être.

There remains a question, isn’t it?

Quite a few people have asked, “Is Noynoy Aquino, ready to lead?”

In the context of where this nation is, and where the Philippines needs to go, and where our state of affairs needs to be that is the wrong question to ask.  The proper question that we must self-consciously ask that we have an obligation to understand long before we must cast our ballot on that day in May is this: are we ready to participate? That is our proper response to the progress we see around the world and that is the proper response to our nation’s state of affairs.

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from Noynoy Aquino's Flickr Photostream, all rights reserved.

video is from NoyTV on youtube.

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