Opposition’s insecurity on budget spending

OPPOSITION Congressman Edcel Lagman has again shared his fertile imagination regarding the motives behind the administration’s treatment over the budget. He said the administration is orchestrating an outpour of government projects on 2012 obviously to improve its political stock in the coming 2013 midterm elections.

Even now the opposition’s mindset is all politics. Except them, a significant number of Filipinos have supported the Pnoy administration’s fiscal reforms. Rep. Lagman wondered why only in 2012 the administration will spend the money. Why not? The administration is just careful in releasing money as it was proven in the past administration which Lagman supported that there was wastage of public funds through corruption. 

The proximity of the funding release in the next election is immaterial as government has to deliver its promise of providing projects to the people. If Lagman will have his way, government projects will be delayed or there will be no projects to be implemented for the simple reason that the release is proximate to an election year.

If Lagman is to be consistent, why did he not make any noise about billions of funds released by the Agriculture Department months before the 2010elections? For sure the Arroyo government implemented projects proximate to the elections of ‘04, ‘07 and ‘10 yet nothing was heard about an opposition to the implementation to these projects for the reason these are proximate to the elections.

This noise only proves the opposition’s insecurity against the administration. They are so insecure with the PNoy administration implementing government projects with utmost transparency and fair play, the people will see the honesty and sincerity of this government, thus earning their trust and confidence which will translate into massive votes of confidence and a new resounding mandate on 2013.

The Opposition have themselves to blame if this will happen. They have their chances, nine years in fact and yet they blew it. How many times did the people call for the resignation of their top official in the past but they remained deaf and blind to the cries of the people?  When the people cannot force that bogus President to resign, they settled for a more decent and transparent government.  This, too, was not heeded.

Ultimately, the electoral support to be gained by the Aquino administration in the 2013 election lies not on the release of the projects in 2012 or in 2013. After all, this administration does not thrive on cosmetic pa-pogi points that were intensively employed by the past administration. 

The Aquino administration will win on its own merits. In fact, it has already gained the people’s trust because of its honest and transparent governance never seen in the government for the past nine years. Besides, how can the Aquino government exploit the situation for political reasons when there is a strict directive from PNoy himself not to put politicians’ faces on billboards for government projects? It defies logic.

If funding for projects is released on 2012, people will not vote the PNoy administration solely on this. To them, it’s just a simple delivery of public service from a trusted government. The people will see it as an ordinary day in office where the government implemented projects without expecting something in return.

 

The opposition’s paranoia is unfounded. On the other hand, it’s amusing to know their growing insecurity. It’s nice to be that way for a long time.

(Issue of Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2011)