More destruction wrought

FRONTLINE

Ninez Cacho-Olivares

10/18/2009

Even as there are only eight more months remaining in her term, Gloria Arroyo can create more destruction to the country and its people.

There she went, engaged in yet another destructive move, which is having the Philippine Embassy’s building on the government’s prime Fujimi property in Japan torn down, to give way to a 21-story building that is projected to earn P2 billion a year in rental income.

That is a national heritage, and has a lot of history in it and yet she does not blink an eye on the destruction of a national heritage.

And for what? Why tear down this historical Philippine treasure in Japan for a measly P2 billion a year in rentals?

What’s P2 billion a year, when hundreds of billions are wily-wily being spent by Gloria on things that moreover do not benefit the Filipinos, who never get their tax money’s worth — whether by way of good roads, or even in relief and rescue operations when calamities hit the country.

Why destroy this national heritage that holds a place in Philippine history for a measly P2 billion a year, when the government is given a budget of P1.54 trillion?

That amount is not even going to go into debt repayment, that is for certain. For another, that’s loose change for Gloria, who can easily waste that amount in a week’s time of traveling abroad, staying in the most expensive hotels and not only dining in ritzy places with a huge delegation of her congressional allies in tow, but also giving away in generous tips in thousands of pesos, on top of the usual 15 percent gratuity which means tips.

Does the government need that P2 billion, especially as she is now talking of putting the Filipinos deeper into debt, with her harebrained idea of a restoration move amid the devastation wrought by the twin typhoons?

She speaks of her restoration committee headed by a businessman, despite the clear conflict of interest, as it is he who can, given his international business experience, seek this aid from foreign bodies.

They talk too of floating “restoration” bonds worth more billion in dollars, with Gloria even saying that these foreign bodies will be helping the country by snapping up these bonds.

But hello, these bonds in turn mean that yet more debts are being incurred, and in the end, through this mode, it is not the foreign bodies, through the purchase of these reconstruction bonds that will be paying for the so-called reconstruction of the damaged properties, but the Filipino people, as it is they who will be shouldering the payment of this additional debts.

And now she talks of tearing down a national heritage in Japan, to make way for a high rise building that will be giving the government some P2 billion in rentals yearly?

Neither Gloria nor her husband, Mike, is that interested in the P2 billion yearly rentals. For one, that amount for even the first year would be remitted during Gloria’s remaining term.

Why then is there that interest to get into this contract?

The answer may be simpler than one thinks. The money is not in the rentals, but in whatever kickback and commissions were promised and probably given, in exchange for whoever is having that building project get that project going.

Similarly, that reconstruction business that is now keyed to borrow more and more funds, will hardly go into these plans and projects. It will go the same way as all those projects where commissions and kickbacks are made.

Gloria hardly cares whether the body she has created will push through with this reconstruction business. She has eight months more in office and cannot possibly see these projects through.

But that is never important to her. What is important is that there is more money to be made again, and again.

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