Unfinished business

After five years, there’s plenty of unfinished business by the Aquino administration. President Aquino will be leaving many unresolved issues and problems by 2016:

1. More than 20 public-private partnership (PPP) projects have not been started.

2. The schoolroom shortage has not been solved. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) completed only 49% of the classroom requirements of Department of Education (DepEd) in 2014. DPWH documents showed that only 7,062 of the 14,000 classroom requirements have been constructed. In Metro Manila, only 20% of 1,221 classrooms have been completed.

3. Rice self-sufficiency has not been achieved. The National Food Authority (NFA) council has just approved the importation of 500,000 metric tons of rice. Previous importations have been overpriced by at least $50 per metric ton.

4. The Metro Rail Transit (MRT) service has deteriorated. The two trains of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) had a collision last week.

5. The train service to Bicol has not been resumed. The Philippine National Railways (PNR) service to Calamba has been suspended after derailment.

6. The traffic situation in Metro Manila has not been improved.

7. There’s continuing congestion at the Matnog, Sorsogon port.

8. The construction of a second runway at the airport has not been started.

9. The computerization of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has not been finished. Smuggling is still ongoing.

10.The illegal drug problem has not been solved or reduced.

11. The shortage of license plates and stickers and driver’s license cards is still a problem at the Land Transportation Office (LTO). 12. The power problem in Mindanao is unsolved. 13. 50% of barangays have no running water. 14. The territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea. 15. The New People’s Army (NPA) insurgency. Will the new elected president have what it takes to meet the challenges? This country needs new experienced leaders of different molds, backbone, and integrity.

Samar killings

Police expressed concern over the continuing rise of extra-judicial killings, which may worsen during the run-up to the 2016 elections.

Dagum, Calbayog Barangay Chairman Rio Lebario, 45, and Barangay Councilor Dionisio Lungsod, 55, were shot dead inside their barangay hall.

A few days earlier, Barangay Chairman Edgar Dormiendo Belleza, 35, of Carayman, Calbayog City was killed.

Police declared the killings in Samar had something to do with personal grudges among politicians and their supporters.

Belleza belonged to the camp of Samar Governor Sharie Ann Tan while Lebario and Lungsod belonged to the camp of Tan’s political rival, Calbayog Mayor Ronald Aquino.

Deadset on running

Speaking in New Lucena, Iloilo, the Vice President reiterated anew that he would not back out from the presidential race in 2016.

Welcoming him were Iloilo Rep. Hernan Brion (4th District), Board Member June Mondejar, Mayor Liecel Mondejar-Seville, and Mayor Peter Paul Lopez and senior citizens.

VP Binay was accompanied by Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian and Parañaque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting.

Binay has bounced back in the surveys with 36%. Binay said he has formed a search committee to recommend a running mate for him.

Binay stressed that competence and executive experience would be the main issue in next year’s elections.

He challenged the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to look into the bank accounts of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Senate President Franklin Drilon. Binay said he acquired his assets through hard work. “I was a practicing lawyer. I have been good in saving money. I also did teaching and my wife is a practicing doctor of medicine,” he said.

Binay said his wife, Dr. Elenita Binay, also has an orchid farm business and also a piggery.

No Senate approval by June

The last hearing of the Senate committee on local governments, chaired by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is scheduled on June 3. After that, there will be only three session days before the June 11 adjournment.

With extensive plenary debates and amendments expected, expect at least ten days of debate.

Then, there will be long debates in the conference committee as the Senate version will be very different from the approved House version.

Senator Marcos stressed that the Senate is independent and would not railroad the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as they did in the House.

Senator Francis Escudero said it’s impossible that the President would be able to sign the BBL before his State of the Nation Address (SONA). He further said that it is impossible because even if Congress would be able to pass the BBL on June 11, it’s certain that the Senate and House will have very different versions. “There would be long and hot debate in the conference committee,” Escudero added.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is set to remove the ten provisions considered constitutionally unfair retained by the House of the Representatives.

So far eight senators have signed the Santiago committee report: Juan Edgardo Angara, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, Aquilino Pimentel III, Vicente Sotto, Cynthia Villar, Ralph Recto, and Lito Lapid.

Whatever final version of the BBL is produced would be questioned in the Supreme Court.

Tidbits

Forty out of 170 dormitories in Manila have been found non-compliant with fire safety rules by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved tuition hike for 313 private colleges and universities nationwide. Senator Santiago, co-author of the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (Unifast) bill, will summon officials of the CHED to explain the approved tuition hike.

Government is importing an additional 250,000 to 500,000 metric tons of rice. In addition to 500,000 MT earlier imported.

Mariano Marcos State University in Batac, Ilocos Norte has opened a college of medicine.