abad trip

A bad idea
Jojo Robles

One is enough. Two is probably a bad sign, three is definitely a bad precedent and four just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Fourpeople from a single family—all surnamed Abad—are in key government positions in the new Aquino administration. And by “key,” we mean exactly that, because all four are involved in government finance, both in the executive branch and in Congress.

There’s the dad, Florencio “Butch” Abad, the former manager of the campaign of candidate Noynoy Aquino, now budget secretary-designate. This Abad was also a former Batanes congressman, former agrarian reform and formereducation secretary of the previous Arroyo administration, who joined other officials of that government in the figurative burning of their Cabinet cards that signaled their joining the so-called “Hyatt 10.”

Butch Abad attended high school, college and law school at Ateneo de Manila, the school du jour. He is the son of a five-time Liberal Party congressman from Batanes, the late Jorge Abad, and is president of the party that once counted his father as one of its members.

Butch’s father was also the Arroyo connection, having served as public works, transportation and communications secretary during the term of President Diosdado Macapagal in the early sixties. His mother, Aurora, also served as officer-in-charge governor and representative of Batanes.

Butch is married to the former Henedina Razon, who is currently the congressman of Batanes. Henedina was a former dean of the Ateneo School of Government (that school, again) who worked as a community organizer and NGO advocate; she had also served once before (2004-2007) as Batanes representative.

But Henedina, who defeated the incumbent Batanes congressman by a mere 35 votes in the elections last May, is not going to be just another backbencher in the soon-to-be-convened Congress. She is reportedly also set to become the vice chairman of the powerful House appropriations committee, which scrutinizes, approves or disapproves the national budget that her husband will submit in behalf of the entire executive branch.

Will the Abads’ pillow talk, once Mrs. Abad becomes the second-highest lawmaker on the appropriations panel, include budget matters and the executive’s need for Congress to approve Malacañang’s, the various departments’ and other state agencies’ proposed outlays? No one, except the parties involved, will know for certain.

If that’s not scary enough a situation, let’s move on to the Abads’ first-born, daughter Julia Andrea. Julia has been named, to the raising of many eyebrows, head of the Presidential Management Staff, which carries the rank of Cabinet secretary.

This means that Julia and his dad meet regularly, not over dinner as is the case in most families, but across the wide table with the mircophones where Cabinet meetings are held. The new administration has defended Julia’s appointment, saying she is a trusted and loyal aide, the same one who served for all the three years that Aquino stayed in the Senate.

Prior to that Senate gig, Julia worked at the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Now, as head of PMS, she will get to direct, among other duties, the disbursement of the President’s Social Fund, a stash of cash that has also been called the President’s very own pork barrel.

Will Julia be asking her dad’s advice on PSF disbursements, since he’s the budget secretary and also probably her mentor in public service? And will her mom be inclined to ask Julia about how the fund is disbursed, not only as part of her motherly responsibilities but also as a member of the branch of government that has oversight functions over the executive?

And will Luis Andres, the third child of the Abad couple, call to tell his parents that he will be late for the weekend family gathering because his boss still needs him at work? No matter, they will probably understand that the job of the chief of staff to the finance secretary will be very, very time-consuming.

He can always catch up with dad and sis at the next Cabinet meeting anyway. And as for mom, he will probably be able to squeeze in some quality time with her when the finance secretary presents his program for finding the money to fund the Aquino government’s programs.

* * *

The December 2003 submission of Butch Abad, when he was still serving the Arroyo administration, includes a list of relatives in government. The list shows that two siblings, four cousin and an in-law of the LP head were also serving in the government that year as mayor, district engineer, fiscal and employees of holding various positions in agencies as diverse as the municipal government of Ivana, Batanes, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Quezon City prosecutor’s office, Congress and the weather bureau.

Working in the government, it seems, is the career of choice for many Abads and their kin, in much the same way that some families are “into” music or journalism. And there is really nothing wrong with that, especially since many families have distinguished themselves by excelling in the field of civil service for generations.

But, as the leftist party-list group Bayan Muna pointed out, it is certainly “uncomfortable” to have four members of one single family in powerful positions that have to do with government finance. “I hope President Aquino broadens his field of candidates because there are other individuals who could do the job as well or even better,’’ said Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares.

Pere Abad sees nothing wrong with this situation, even if almost everyone else does. And the presidential spokesman dismissed in lawyer-like fashion the concerns about having too many Abads in the Aquino administration as “speculative”—whether he means that their appointments are speculative or the concerns are, we can’t really tell.

The defense used by the President’s spokesman is that the Abads’ competence and qualifications “speak for themselves.” Unfortunately, what President Aquino’s mouthpiece fails to understand is that, despite the loud volume of this family’s achievements, their work hasn’t been asked to speak in this case.

What’s really at issue here is the propriety of having three Abads in sensitive positions involving government finance in the executive department and a fourth in Congress’ appropriations committee, which should oversee the work of the first three. And that has nothing to do with the abilities, competence or even the integrity and honesty of these members of a prominent Batanes family.

Even the President’s absolute faith in the family is not an issue, when one delves into the matter of the propriety of their various appointments. No President can force anyone to serve in his official family, after all, despite his vast powers.

The only people who can really do something to remedy this situation are the Abads themselves, unless they truly find nothing wrong with what is surely an unusual and record-breaking situation. The family certainly knows what to do—unless they think that all four of them in high government office isn’t such a bad idea.

Comments

  1. i have no problem with the abads. i like them, they are decent folk. however, i wonder whether this is the norm among those in government. nahaharang, naeexclude ang iba because of palakasan and nepotism. ayaw kasi papasukin ang iba in a democratic way kasi may ganitong mga bakod. tapos ngayon pres. noynoy is wondering why he can’t find the ‘good people’? clue: they may not be in government because govt service is roped off, off-limits to many filipinos who don’t have the right lakas/connections. is this democracy o democrazy?

  2. manuelbuencamino

    Robles is really out to take Aquino down. He tried to do it during the election and failed. Remember the letter from tomcat? Now he is using the abads to take Aquino down.

    I think Aquino’s move is brilliant. Only someone like Robles who invested so much in making Aquino lose in the election and now is doing everything to bring him down would be scared that Aquino has the budget director, the second highest officer in the appropriations committee, the pms director, and the chief of staff of the finance secretary from one family because it will be smooth sailing for the funding of Aquino’s programs. Appropriations and disbursements won’t be held up by petty turf wars. Aquino will be able to do in six what Arroyo failed to do in nine.

    What is scary for Robles is good news for me.

  3. nepotism of any kind promotes demoralization among the lesser children of gods. that is a personnel management concept.

    it also gives a bigger opportunity to cover up each other’s back when things go bad.

    blood ia thicker than ketchup you know. toink

    fraud and corruption happen because there is an opportunity- that is an accounting and auditing concept.

    check and balance anyone?

    di ko pagtitiwala ang aking pitaka sa isang pamilya lang o sa isang bangko. but that is just me na may five dollars sa isang cooperative.

  4. GabbyD

    i’m reading alot of innuendo. but what do people really fear with this abad thing?

    how about a real world example?

    a (the?) major problem with political dynasties is that family members stop other people from entering govt service, in favor to their family members.

    in this case, NONE of the abads are officials that used their appointive power to appoint relatives. they were all appointed by people they have a history working with, or have experience on their own.

    so what are people afriad of?

    mr. robles NEVER explains what is wrong — there is a lot if innuendo/snark about father and children talking about work. so what?

    my second question:

    why arent people talking about the hamberger “scam”. is it really a scam? is 21 million for 9k police really implausible?

    what about mikey arroyo? isnt that party list law f_ked up for not being more specific? why is the association of security guards so desperate to get mikey arroyo to represent them?

    most impt — what about the MM water shortage? there is enough water for everyone, but people have been going without water for weeks. aren’t people pissed off about that?

    perhaps people are missing the big stories here, focusing on this abad thing. ang daming problema sa pinas, kung saan investigative journ can really help.

    where are these columnists writing solutions, calling out B-s_t?

  5. manuelbuencamino

    There is no nepotism in this case because Aquino is not related to the Abads.

    Speaking of check and balance…The congress and the supreme court act as check and balance on the executive. Accounting and auditing are by done the commission on audit. there are coa reps looking over the shoulder of the fiscal office in every department in the executive branch.

    So the crucial thing here is for those who are mandated to be the check and balance to be true to their job. If they default then that’s nobody else’s fault.

    by the way, presidential appointees are supposed to work together as a team not to guard each other like they are on opposing squads.

    In our system of government we entrust our wallets in the hands of the president because he is the only one under the constitution with the power to spend. But we have the coa, the congress, the supreme court, the ombudsman, and people power to keep him honest. Again, however, if all those checks and balances fail by default then we can’t blame the president unless he was the one who caused them to fail.

  6. by the way, presidential appointees are supposed to work together as a team not to guard each other like they are on opposing squads.

    interesting. dapat siguro mabasa ito ng communications group aka carandang and coloma factions. if they are seeing eye to eye why bother to give each of them cabinet ranks and separate budgets.

    matalino ka talaga mb.

  7. “In our system of government we entrust our wallets in the hands of the president because he is the only one under the constitution with the power to spend.”

    Then you will agree with me that giving the pork barrel to Julia Abad is futile effort since approval of release also comes from the President.

    para bang ipinatago sa may bulsa ng may bulsa laeng.

    mwehehhe

  8. “There is no nepotism in this case because Aquino is not related to the Abads. ”

    nepotism actually started in the church where the powers do not have children of their own bspo they appointed their relative. in politics, nepotism can also refer to friends… kabarkada baga.

    one characteristic of nepotism is that the appointed one has no qualification for the position.

    the abads (magagaling nga) have the credentials but credentials do not necessarily equate to qualification, like for instance what will a lawyer do in department of education?

  9. ” Accounting and auditing are by done the commission on audit.”

    If i know by the time COA finished auditing the previous admin, palabas na rin ang sumunod na administration.

    by the way, the Chairman and the other two commissioners of COA are appointed by the President.

    thank you for reminding me. toinkkk

  10. GabbyD

    @cat

    i’m an avid follower of the news, i havent seen it. if u can post a link, pls do. ang latest na nabasa ko, carandang is in charge of messaging, coloma dissemination. although it is ONLY ONE will have a cabinet rank, its unclear who.

  11. manuelbuencamino

    @cat

    yun comm group ganun ang set-up kc yun isang grupo concentrates on messaging while the other on delivery. mas efficient yun.

    ang problema sa lumang set-up ay yun gumagawa ng message ay messenger din. Ngayon ang nagiging problema ng presidente ay kung sino yun taong gagawin press sec na magaling pareho sa messaging at delivery and kaya nyang hatiin ang oras niya without sacrificing one for the other.

    related to the above, kung yun messaging at delivery ay ipapasa sa mga usec hindi pa din solusyon yun kasi yun press sec pa din ang didiskarte kung ano ang gusto niyang bigyan ng pansin.

    kaya ni-reorganize ang press office, kinilala na ang messaging at delivery ay magkaibang trabaho requiring different skills.

  12. manuelbuencamino

    @cat

    Opoh alam ko kung ano ang nepotism. Eto nga ang sabi ng laptop dictionary ko “ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from French népotisme, from Italian nepotismo, from nipote ‘nephew’ (with reference to privileges bestowed on the “nephews” of popes, who were in many cases their illegitimate sons)”.

    Pero meron tayong definition ng nepotism sa batas natin at yun ang sinusunod.

    Yun characteristic na walang qualification eh yan ang characteristic ng isang bad appointment. hindi yan solong pag aari ng nepotism.

    but credentials do not necessarily equate to qualification,(korek ka dyan) like for instance what will a lawyer do in department of education? (depende yan baka naman yun abogado ay meron qualification.) ano nga ba ang palagay mong tamang qualification para sa deped?

  13. manuelbuencamino

    @cat

    yun mga commissioners ng coa may fixed term.

    pero yun auditing hindi naman kailangan hintayin ma audit ang buong administrasyon. Kung meron umaalingasngas pwede naman yun ang ma audit kaagad, tulad ng fertilizer scam. hindi naman aabutin ng anim na taon para halukayin ang mga gastos at recibo dyan. accountant ka, di ba? so alam mo yan.

  14. “@cat

    i’m an avid follower of the news, i havent seen it. if u can post a link, pls do. ang latest na nabasa ko, carandang is in charge of messaging, coloma dissemination. although it is ONLY ONE will have a cabinet rank, its unclear who.”

    Siguro you should read more kahit yong bslutan ng tinapa.

    ito ang link

    http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2010/july/19/news1.isx&d=2010/july/19

    excerpt of the news:

    ALL four members of President Benigno Aquino III’s reorganized communications team will hold a Cabinet rank, a Palace source said over the weekend.

    An executive order awaiting the President’s signature makes presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, former Presidential Management Staff chief Herminio Coloma, former TV anchor Ricky Carandang, and former columnist Manolo Quezon III all members of the Cabinet.

  15. manuelbuencamino

    @angela

    ang cabinet rank pwedeng ibigay sa kanilang lahat. ang importante dyan ay kung sino ang magrereport kanino. in the new set-up function will dictate form so parang hindi ko nakikita na magkakaroon ng banggaan kasi may kaniya-kaniya silang trabaho based on their field of expertise. At least that’s the theory. hindi natin mapepredict kung masusunod yan in practice lalo kc baka meron magpower trip. wait and see. baka naman itong bagong approach sa communications maging mas effective kaysa sa lumang style.

  16. GabbyD

    @cat

    thanks! lahat sila cabinet rank, pero si coloma lang ang may budget? weird… the article leaves alot of ambiguity, but it’ll have to do until next week.

    @mb

    i wonder, kung lahat sila cabinet rank, then they all have the same rank? but only one of them has a budget?

  17. manuelbuencamino

    @gabbyD

    popondohan silang lahat at ang laki ng pondo sa bawat isa ay batay sa function nila.kumbaga kung ano ang budget ng dating ops ay mahahati na ngayon batay sa function.

    Ano ang magiging function ng bawat isa? Nasa EO yun.

    Kailan matatapos ang EO? Yan ang magandang tanong.

    Pero in fairness to Aquino, hindi naman madaling magreorganize ng isang departamento lumaki na lang ng lumaki at nagkaroon na ng isang tambak na redundancies at isang malaking bureaucracy.

    Hindi din naman pwedeng sibakin na lang ang mga empleyadong redundant kasi karamihan sa kanila ay civil servants na at may procesong sinusunod dyan.

  18. “but credentials do not necessarily equate to qualification,(korek ka dyan) like for instance what will a lawyer do in department of education? (depende yan baka naman yun abogado ay meron qualification.) ano nga ba ang palagay mong tamang qualification para sa deped?”

    palagay ko academician din para naiintindihan niya ang mga problema sa curricular programs, sa libro at sa syllabi.

    maiintindihan niya kung anong kurso ang pwedeng integrate lang sa existing subjects o kailangang maglagay ng additional subjects para lang macover ang topic na dapat alam ng mga bata.

  19. “@cat

    Kung meron umaalingasngas pwede naman yun ang ma audit kaagad, tulad ng fertilizer scam. hindi naman aabutin ng anim na taon para halukayin ang mga gastos at recibo dyan. accountant ka, di ba? so alam mo yan.”

    mb,
    wala yata akong nakitang resulta ng COA audit tungkol sa fertilizer scam.

    ang pagkakaalam ko kasi ang fertilizer scam kasi ay ang alleged diversion ng fertilizer fund sa campaign kitty ni GMA.
    (correct me if my true or false is wrong).

    Yong findings ng COA naman ay yong overpricing ng liquid fertilizer.

    Ito ang excerpt ng balita noong 2008.

    http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=417871

    Bolante was charged with misusing the fund to allegedly finance the campaign of President Arroyo in the 2004 elections.

    Bolante reiterated his testimony in the Senate that President Arroyo had no knowledge of the release and use of the P728 million.

    He repeated his assertion that “there was no fertilizer scam” despite the findings of the Commission on Audit that there was “excessive overpricing” of the liquid fertilizer purchased by Bolante’s proponents.

    as to the timeline:

    1, naganap daw ang krimen noong 2004
    kung talagang up to date ang audit, by 2005 huli ito.

    2. nadiscover ang scam 2006
    umalis si bolante. nagpapaampon sa us.

    3. bumalik sa bolante sa pinas 2008
    4. husme naman, 2010 na ngayon, wala pa bang resulta ng audit na nadivert nga ang funds.(hindi yong overpricing case ha)

    yong diversion, yon yong daloy iniba, yong overpricing, yon yong ang noodle na nagkakahalagaq ng 5 pesos (meron pa bang ganoon) ay chinacharge ng 50 pesoses. mukha silang pancit. argh.

    kailangan pa ba ng testimonial evidence?

    Di ba pagpapatunay ito na parang pagong ang gapang ng audit?

    hindi ba meron noong inaudit na project, namatay na muna ang opisyal na involved bago lumabas ang resulta na katakot-takot nga ang overpricing.

  20. “Hindi din naman pwedeng sibakin na lang ang mga empleyadong redundant kasi karamihan sa kanila ay civil servants na at may procesong sinusunod dyan.”

    korek ka diyan mb. bloated ang bureaucacy kaya nagtataka ako bakit kailangan natin ng 4 na cabinet members sa communications lang.

    accommodations o aspirin relief for headache caused by infighting among the people with different loyalties and group affiliation.

    sino kaya ang unang magreresign ? abangan.

  21. manuelbuencamino

    @cat

    mabagal nga ang coa pero tulad nung kay bolante dalawa na nga ang pinatay at kung ano-ano pang paikot-ikot ang ginawa eh nakuha din yun mga recibo sa loob ng dalawang taon. alam mo naman na hindi ora-orada ang trabaho ng auditing

  22. @mb

    hindi ko rin talaga maintindihan kung ano ang nangyayari sa FV sa ngayon, parang nasa hibernation period. sobrang lungkot ko, bakit dumating sa ganito, ang ganda-ganda ng dating noong nagdaang panahon, ang gagaling ng mga guys and girls na mga contributors at mga commenters, sarap ng mga usapan at awayan, haaaay, miss na miss ko na tuloy. palagay ko, ang isa sa mga culprits sa pag decline ng FV ay ang excess ng moderation sometimes, sometimes, kasi madalas naman maluwag, pero kung minsan, maski harmless comment ay ‘under moderation’. ang tagal pinag-isispan ang comment, tapos hindi mapa-publish, ilan ba ang magagaling na guys and girls na dating FV loyalists ang nainis at nawalan ng gana dahil doon.

  23. GabbyD

    ah, finally a concrete example of why its wrong from quiroz (link from angela)

    “Fathers and children, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters will naturally come together in disputes. Imagine a Cabinet meeting where someone suggests that Julia Abad might be exercising more prerogatives than her position allows. Do you think Butch will not rise to her defense? Or not take it against the interloper?”

    why is butch abad’s opinion on the matter relevant? kung nagkalat si julia, why does butch’s opinion hold weight? its noynoy’s call to punish/fire her in that event.

    i totally understand this comment if julia is butch’s assistant! u’d have issues then, and u’d think its not a level playing field…

  24. For me, I’ll be positioning myself in the optimistic side of things this early, it’s still honeymoon period and I’m not ready yet to try looking for trivialities to criticize, for the sake of not upsetting the good plans promised by the new administration for the good of the country. In family terms, I’ll be opting for ‘love’ first in the pursuit of a harmoniuos relationship rather than prematurely start hunting for ‘imperfections’, :).

  25. “kasi nga 4 din ang trabaho.”

    I agree with you mb.4 na trabaho.

    image building
    image enhancement
    image projection
    image perception

    saan ka nakakita na kailangan 4 na cabinet secretaries and maghahandle ng communications para sa Presidente? ngayon pang pwede ng teleconferencing at iba pang kalseng communications in and out of the palace.

    saan ka nakakita na ang pinakaimportanteng revenue-generating agency ay isa lang ang may cabinet rank and the rest are bureau
    commissioners.

  26. “omg, heto pa pala. julia is married to a guy who works with the world bank. so i guess we’re stuck with the imf-world bank kind of thinking re our economic policies? aray ;( ”

    angela
    minsan naniniwala ako doon sa isang mystery suspense writer. in life there are no coincidences; only conspiracies. hehehehe it is just me paranoid. pati nga yong phone ko akala ko spy.

    ano kaya ang kanilang breakfast sa umaga, piniritong bd. (budget deficit) na may recommendation na 2 per cent lang ng GDP ang blah blah blah

    ano kaya ang kanilang dinner, mga cold TAX CUTS with the whole enchilada of restrictive foreign investment dish ermm i mean discussion.

    i am just bored.

  27. manuelbuencamino

    @gabby D,

    Yun buong argumento ni Conrad is based on hypotheticals kumbaga what ifs o kaya imagine… eh kung ganyan ang usapan di magpagalingan na lang tayo sa paggawa ng strawmen. magbigay tayo ng hypothetical na tayo din ang sisibak.

    Ganun din yun issue na ang asawa ni julia ay nasa WB. there is no reason to get worked up over possibilities.

    hindi ako sumasakay sa ganyan pagiisip. kaya ako hindi uma-agree dun sa linya na yun ombudsman hindi mapagtitiwalaan kasi classmate siya ni mike arroyo. hindi yun ang isyu.

    ang isyu ay kung bakit pinalusot niya ang comelec, si nani perez, si neri, si bbolante at kung sino-sino pas. ang isyu ay yung kapalpakan niya. Siguro pwedeng pandagdag o aggravating factor na lang yun pagkaklasmate kasi whether or not she is a klasmate i think she is corrupt.

    Ako ssangayon sa pananaw ni bert. Tignan muna natin kung ano ang mangyayari.

    I am not putting down the concerns of well-meaning people. I am merely saying noted. Baka tama naman kasi ang pangangamba ng iba. At baka din naman mali. And we won’t know until events prove our apprehensions to be right or wrong,

    Like I said before if the abads turn out to be great then we will be wishing there were more of them. But if they turn out to be disappointments then its the president’s fault and we will hold him accountable.

    Why not appoint other equally qualified people? Kasi there is no guarantee that they will be as good, better, or worse.

    So let’s cut the president some slack. let’s allow him to choose his team. let’s give the guy a chance to do things in the manner he deems best. And then if he screws up, we f**k him over.

  28. manuelbuencamino

    @ Cat

    “saan ka nakakita na ang pinakaimportanteng revenue-generating agency ay isa lang ang may cabinet rank and the rest are bureau”

    Nakita ko doon sa pinakaimportanteng revenue-generating agency. Yun asawa ni Miriam santiago binigyan ni gma ng cabinet rank para gawin ang trabaho ng BIR big taxpayer’s unit.

  29. “Yun asawa ni Miriam santiago binigyan ni gma ng cabinet rank para gawin ang trabaho ng BIR big taxpayer’s unit.”

    mb,

    “May cabinet rank bang kasama yong position niyang Presidential adviser on revenue enhancement ”

    Kasi naman di pumayag yong BIR commissioner na i-divide ang bureau into two, yong large taxpayers’ unit na lahat ng kandidato gustong makuha at yong iba pang taxpayers’ unit. kaya PA na lang siya. staff function lang naman yon. hindi line. kung baga tagabulong lang.

    so dapat ganoon. kahit pa nang-away pa si miriam, hindi naigiit ni GMA ang gusto niya na magkaroon ng dalawang commissioner,

    btw sino kaya may hawak ngayon. maliliit na taxpayers ang hinahabol ni henares, yong mga nasa underground economy. Sus ginoo pati ba naman yong sarisari store na kumikita lang siguro ng net 300 a month eh irerequire pa ring magbigay ng recibo na hindi naman maaudit. hindi ba nila alam na malaki ang tulong niyan sa ating economy? papatayin pa nila sa taxes. toinkkk.

    hindi dahil walang balita, wa ngayon, wala rin ganoong klaseng control para sa mga large taxpayers unit. sayang naman ang mga dinonate nilang milyon.

  30. “I am not putting down the concerns of well-meaning people. I am merely saying noted. Baka tama naman kasi ang pangangamba ng iba. At baka din naman mali. And we won’t know until events prove our apprehensions to be right or wrong,”

    Tumpak mb.

    sabi ko nga pag ang isang forum ay naging mutual admiration club. wala ng saya. Wag lang magdadala ng mga AK47 okay lang magdiscuss kung anong nasa isio ko, isip mo at isip ng iba.

  31. Pet Crisanto

    Don’t expect the Abads to ask any member of their family to resign out of delicadeza. Mr. & Mrs. Abad truly do not know what delicadeza means. When Butch Abad finished his term as congressman of Batanes, he insisted on having his wife run for congress even his own brother announced his candidacy. The people of Batanes wanted to try Butch’s brother, who they thought was an honest leader like their father, the late George Abad but they insisted on Mrs. Abad although she is never liked in Batanes, one, because she is from Pampanga and does not have the heart for Batanes. Two, because she does not have shame. Are the Abads the only qualified politicians in Batanes or in the Philippines? They may be academically competent but please….talk about honesty or morality. I am very scared on how they are going to handle public funds! How did Mrs. Abad win the recent election (landslide) when people obviously did not like her! They obviously did vote-buying and what else did they do to the PCOS machines there?

  32. Die Hard NoyPi-Riyadh

    to mb & bert :=) I agree with with your comment. its too early to speculate on trivialities which may not have bearing on the future pecuniary (if not political self-interest) behaviour of public assistants who were consciously picked to help the legitimate Pnoy run a legitimate govt.

  33. manuelbuencamino

    @ Cat,

    yun mga PA tulad ni Santiago binibigyan ng cabinet rank kahit piso lang ang sweldo. At kung meron task force sila ay binibigyan sila ng budget

  34. julia m

    ok na sana magbasa dito, kung di lang may mga sobrang sipsip kay aquino tulad nung matalino daw at magaling na buencamino na yan. siguro dapat na ding i-appoint sa cabinet yan, sobra kung humimod…

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