It’s not a question of the glass being half-full or half-empty.
This was the reaction of the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan to President Benigno Aquino’s assessment of his first 100 days in office, with the president saying he prefers to look at it as a glass half-full.
“Mr. Aquino created high expectations in relation to good governance, human rights and economic reforms. He now faces widespread disappointment for not delivering much during his first 100 days. With no meaningful changes, the luster of yellow may be fading faster than he thinks,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.
“It’s not enough to look at government achievements in terms of the glass being half-full or half-empty. Quantitatively and qualitatively, the new government is sorely lacking in major accomplishments. We can pretend things are ok and mislead ourselves with a feel-good assessment of the situation; or we can take a hard and critical look at the problems we’re facing,” he added.
Bayan said that the absence of any meaningful results in the drive to make Gloria Macapagal Arroyo accountable is a major issue with the Aquino government. The group noted that the newly-formed Truth Commission has not delivered on Aquino’s pledge to investigate and hold accountable those involved in gross corruption from the past government.
“While Mr. Aquino’s allies have supported the impeachment process against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, we’re still a long way from prosecuting Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,” Reyes said.
“It’s fine that the regime filed charges against a tax-evading luxury-car owner, but what about the plunderers from the past government? Why does going after Arroyo and her cohorts have to depend entirely on the toothless Truth Commission?” he added
Bayan also expressed disappointment over Aquino’s over-all human rights record during his first 100 days.
“While Mr. Aquino has ordered the review of the case of the Morong 43 and while charges have been filed in three recent cases of extrajudicial killings, justice remains elusive for hundreds of other victims of human rights violations of the past regime. Meanwhile, the number of victims of extrajudicial killings under Aquino’s watch now stands at 14,” Reyes added.
“There doesn’t seem to be an official recognition of the hundreds of victims of extrajudicial killings, disappearances and torture under the Arroyo regime. Different agencies have different estimates of victims. The conviction rate is also dismal,” he added.
The militant group also observed that the same neo-liberal economic policies from the time of Arroyo are being continued by Aquino under the catchphrase “public-private partnership”.
Bayan also noted that the first 100 days of Aquino can be characterized by factional infighting which has affected various functions of government.
“The factional infighting in the Aquino government goes against the president’s promise of good governance. It will become a major source of disappointment and a continuing source of controversy,” Reyes said.
The group said that the Manila hostage incident and the national government's poor response to the crisis was a defining moment in Aquino's first 100 days. "The Palace has been on damage control mode since the unfortunate ending of the crisis. The incident exposed a lot of short-comings from the Palace leadership," the Bayan leader said. ###
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