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Trapo politics

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Dean Ernest Maceda

06/18/2010

Liberal Party (LP) leaders are opposing Vice President Jojo Binay’s appointment to the Cabinet for purely partisan reasons. They are afraid Vice President Binay will entrench himself as a strong rival for the presidency in 2016. That’s trapo politics to the hilt. That’s six years away. The LPs chances in 2016 will depend on the performance of the P-Noy administration. The only relevant question here is: Will getting VP Binay into the P-Noy Cabinet help him succeed?

The popular Vice President Jojo Binay is ready for any P-Noy decision. He is a very mature, organized person with excellent academic credentials, with a UP Law and National Defense College Masters Degree in National Security Administration. He can live without any Cabinet post. It might be a blessing in disguise for him because he will be free to express his views publicly on any controversial issue. Being a member of the Aquino Cabinet obligates him to toe the P-Noy line.

VP Binay is now deluged with invitations to administer oaths of office. He has been invited by Mayor Ed Hagedorn of Palawan, Rep. Toby Tiangco and Mayor John Rey Tiangco of Navotas, the Marcoses of Ilocos Norte, Deputy Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella of Camarines Sur, wife Evelyn who is now mayor of Sangay and reelected son, Arnie as mayor of Tigaon and Mayor Lenlen Almonte of Biñan, among others.

VP Binay has received the people’s mandate to be the President’s partner in running the affairs of government. Without a mandate, Mar Roxas would be well advised not to participate much less dictate on matters of governance.

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Power circle. Everyone is asking who is who in the P-Noy administration. The following personalities are coming out as very influential:

1. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa

2. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima

3. Pagcor Chairman Cristino “Bong” Naguiat Jr.

4. Sen. Frank Drilon

5. Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad

6. Arben Santos

7. Margie Pengson Juico/Philip Juico

8. Prospective DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin

9. Sen. Mar Roxas

10. Boy Abunda

11. Julia Abad

12. Maria Montelibano

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Another GMA legacy. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has released a report showing the Philippines for the second year in Tier 2 of the Human Trafficking Index, meaning, the GMA government is not doing enough to stop human trafficking. Notorious destinations are Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and Japan. This US State Department’s finding implies that the human smuggling syndicates in connivance with immigration officials are still very much alive.

Definitely, GMA is leaving the government in very bad condition.

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Tidbits. The Indian government earned $16 billion in an auction of 3D licenses to telcos. This is one of the big “moneymakers” for the Arroyo government. Officially they gave out 2D and 3D licenses for “free” but everybody knows huge amounts were paid by the lucky telcos who got the 2D/3D licenses. Another big reason for the deficit.

PMP senatorial candidate JV Bautista, a Princeton Woodrow Wilson fellow, is joining the Law Faculty of PLM... Proof of electronic fraud in the last elections is now coming out in the many election protests being heard by the Comelec. Sen. Mar Roxas should walk the talk. He should now file his election protest against VP-elect Jejomar Binay...

GMA signed the Senior Citizen’s Discount Law removing the VAT on medicines more than three months ago. But she pulled a fast one by directing the BIR not to issue the implementing regulations until now. Another policeman, SPO1 Alexander Estavillo of the Aviation Security Group was arrested with four kilos of cocaine in a buy-bust operation in Pasig. PNP officers believe the cocaine was part of the two tons of cocaine found floating in the Samar seas last December. This is proof once again that seized shabu or illegal drugs are not fully accounted for.

The Italian food and beverage manager of Shangri-La Hotel in Makati was shot dead yesterday.

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