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Amazing grace, amazing wealth

MR. EXPOSE

Amb. Ernesto Maceda

05/22/2008

President Arroyo’s assets grew richer by P11 million in 2007. She declared in her Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL) a total net worth of P99.6 million for 2007, up from P88.5 million in 2006. It was also up by P33 million from her net worth of P66.7 million when she became President in 2001.

The amounts are obviously under declared as she listed several properties at only P6.8 million and jewelry at only P3.4 million. Who declared her houses at Forbes Park and La Vista? They are worth over P200 million. Her husband’s SAL must also be shown, if any.

Just looking at the big diamonds and the huge pearls she wears (earrings, rings, necklaces, pins) a jeweler friends estimates them to be valued at P20 million at least.

She declared stocks owned at P62.9 million. This is interesting. A listing of the stocks held and when were they acquired should be shown. Did she buy any of them the last seven years? An incumbent President makes decisions that impacts on the stock market and stock prices. A President should not be trading in stocks. In fact, she should divest before assuming office.

She declared P6.8 million worth of cars. Does that mean she owns only one Mercedez Benz or BMW? Of course, she uses official cars.

She declared she has “no business interest nor other financial connections including those of her spouse.” So, please explain how she got the additional P11 million in 2007. Failure to do so would be good reason to speculate whether they were excess campaign contributions or from China projects. Note that GMA declared in her SAL P11 million in cash.

Equally amazing. The instant wealth of Representatives Mikey Arroyo, Dato Arroyo and Iggy Arroyo is equally amazing.

The total assets of the Arroyo boys amount to almost P400 million. Certainly, Mikey and Dato have no visible legitimate businesses. Iggy used to default in his house rentals in Bacolod before he became a congressman. Did Mikey declare the fleet of racehorses he owns? Did the three Arroyos declare the more than 20 luxury cars and vans they have in their huge La Vista garages? What happened to Iggy Arroyo’s Jose Pidal investment accounts in San Francisco, worth $5 million?

Well, what can one say?

The Arroyos have amazing wealth, especially if the real amounts are finally revealed, including those in the names of other corporations and businessmen. We should know by 2010 if elections are held and an opposition President elected.

Amazing Man. We should all be humbled by Rep. Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran who died in a fatal accident Tuesday morning when he fell from his roof after repairing a leaking galvanized iron sheet.

He was so poor he could not even think of calling a carpenter to do the job. As if by design, he died on the day it was revealed that he was the poorest member of the House of Representatives with a net worth of P50,000 in stark contrast to the amazingly wealthy Arroyo trio of congressmen.

Ka Bel’s humility and poverty is graphically demonstrated when he declared as part of his personal assets two barongs and a pair of glasses.

Unbelievable but true, only 2 barongs. I am really humbled because when I was serving as senator, I had 30 suits and 24 barongs. Based on TV shots, Mikey Arroyo and Dato Arroyo must have probably the same number if not more of suits, expensive ties and P15,000 barongs. And of course, many have noted the expensive suits of Arthur Yap, Eduardo Ermita, Gary Teves and Angelo Reyes, the best dressed Members of the Cabinet.

Ka Bel’s poverty explodes the myth that labor leaders become wealthy, too. Some do, but not Ka Bel.

At a time when poverty and hunger are at record highs, it is refreshing to see that a two-term congressman and a major labor leader is still living in poverty.

Rep. Crispin Beltran was a worthy representative of Anak Pawis. Let’s elect more of his kind of Congress in 2010. Let’s not vote for those spending hundreds of millions in the campaign.

Ka Bel, labor leaders and freedom fighter par excellence, rest in peace.

Overdue. At the Cabinet meeting in Panglao, Bohol, GMA angrily scolded Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes for an ill-prepared report on the “deficit” or “shortfall” in the power supply in the Visayas. Sinabon, as they say in Tagalog, in the presence of the entire Cabinet and Malacañang reporters.

Secretary Reyes is the most unpopular member of the Cabinet, partly because he has an arrogant antipatico mien. In the four Cabinet posts he has held, his performance has been found wanting. As Defense Secretary, he became the principal cause of the Oakwood Mutiny with junior officers lamenting corruption in the AFP/DND under him. He was chief of staff, then Defense Secretary when Comptroller Gen. Carlos Garcia accumulated hundreds of millions in ill-gotten wealth.

Relieved from DND, he was shifted to DILG where he was clearly a square peg in a round hole where local government officials and PNP officers also found him arrogant and dictatorial. In the DILG, he was also given the job of Anti-Smuggling Task Force Chief, which was again a total failure.

After removal from DND and DILG which would have been enough reason for a self-respecting man to leave the administration, Reyes then accepted the junior Cabinet post of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary, clearly a demotion from DND and DILG. His first act as DENR Secretary was to announce the dismantling of fish pens in Laguna de Bay, setting a 30-day deadline. He was unable to implement that program, and illegal logging continued from Quezon to Aurora under him. He also clearly favored the Rapu Rapu mines to the dismay of Sorsogon Bishop Bastes and environmentalists.

Just about a year at DENR he was again transferred to the Department of Energy resulting in loud cries on his incompetence and lack of preparation for the job, now proven by GMA’s recent scolding.

Often touted as a senatorial material, surveys in 2004 and 2007 and recent surveys for the 2010 elections, Reyes always landed among the bottom placers, confirming his unpopularity.

Well, again what can we say? Just that GMA and Angelo Reyes are the excellent partners for unconstitutional policies and for failed programs. They deserve each other.