Bam for senator? Why not president?

NO NONSENSE

By Jacinto 'Jing' Paras

There is so much push in talks of Bam Aquino running for senator. According to the Chinese speaking spokesman in Malacañang, Bam should be senator because he is certainly fit for the job, has a good educational background and is a good civic leader at that. Budget Secretary Abad, not to be outdone said, Bam is intelligent, entrepreneurial and had good public exposure. Some Liberal Party members cited Bam as being as articulate as Ninoy Aquino. He also looks like Ninoy and has gained many achievements despite his young age as Ninoy had.

Speaking of Ninoy, I would certainly acknowledge that he should have been one of the best presidents our country should have had. He was articulate, intelligent and brave. He sacrificed his life for the Filipino people such that we regained the freedom from the dictatorship. And Ninoy if he is today our President, I’m sure he would certainly not sacrifice the lives of the Filipinos by going to war against a very strong and powerful country for the simple reason of proving his machismo. If indeed Bam Aquino has the makings of Ninoy in contrast with his son, why wait for Bam to become senator, why not make him President now? All we need to do is ask President BS Aquino to lend Bam his position for a few months and who knows Bam might do it better, after all, a lot of people are saying he has the makings of Ninoy Aquino.

With Bam at the helm of the presidency, he can forge a permanent peace agreement with the Peoples Republic of China instead of our present leader acting like a warmonger. Bam can stop all the nonsense of putting the country in danger by asking for US spy planes, an act that will only provoke China. With the presence of US spy planes, will China take that sitting down? I am sure China will retaliate and the conflict will of course escalate. And who will suffer if not the poor Filipinos who will be left behind as the leaders fly to good old America.

Bam can concentrate on improving the economy instead of the present leadership wasting his time personally running after the officials of the previous regime, a task that could have been handled very well by the Secretary of Justice. Bam can likewise stop the wasteful disbursement of billions of pesos in dole outs made by the Pangtawid program and channel the funds instead to investments in government projects that will create and provide jobs. The fulfillment of the saying “teach a man how to fish instead of giving him fish.” The Pangtawid of Dinky Soliman is a political gimmick and some sectors have said the program’s funds will be channeled to the 2013 elections to favor administration candidates. And borrowing the words of my good friend Jonathan de la Cruz, the 4Ps turned out to be perception, promises, propaganda and pogi points.

Bam can also fulfill the slogan daang matuwid by initiating administrative proceedings against some members of the KKK who were spared by BS Aquino despite recommendations by the DoJ for their prosecution in court. One of them is a certain kabarilan, Virginia Torres, who was found by Secretary de Lima to have invaded the privacy of the Stradcom office together with LTO security team and attempted to take over said office. Certainly such act was criminal. Bam can also proceed with the filing of charges against those who were involved in the Hong Kong hostage fiasco. An investigating body headed by DoJ Secretary and the IBP President recommended certain individuals to be haled to court but this was blocked by Malacañang purportedly at the behest of BS Aquino.

Bam can also order the immediate passage of the Freedom of Information Bill in its non-adulterated version. He can also issue with dispatch the long awaited EO on the Mining Industry, an EO that was promised to have been issued weeks ago but is being delayed for mysterious reasons. The issuance of the EO would have appeased the people who have made investments in mining in accordance to existing law but are being aggrieved due to political interventions by influential people. It could have also encouraged further investments into the country.

And most of all, Bam as substitute President will not be so desperate such that he can prevail upon the Liberal Party not to engaged in pirating senatorial candidates of UNA. I’m sure Bam can appease the good former President Erap who got pissed because of the unethical practice of raiding other parties’ candidates. It can also appease Tito Peping Cojuangco who once said he dislikes the Liberal Party. Tito Peping is at present the head of the selection committee for the UNA senatorial candidates and also the Secretary General of the PDP-Laban. I’m sure it would be an insult to Tito Peping if Greg Honasan and Loren Legarda who are already included in his list, will suddenly be pirated by the Liberals.

With Bam’s ability as boasted by his handlers, he can make a better leader than the present one, even if the party-list Anakbayan says otherwise.