Merry Christmas to all

“Merry Christmas” to all our friends and readers.

Sincere Christmas greetings to President Noynoy Aquino and his four sisters Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris.

Special holiday greetings to Vice-President Jejomar Binay, his wife Elenita and his children Senator Nancy, Congresswoman Abigail and Mayor Junjun.

Let us thank the Lord for all the blessings he heaped on us in 2014.

Binay recovers

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 gave Vice President Binay 37 percent of votes of 1,800 respondents nationwide, up from the November  rating of Pulse Asia of 26 percent.

Senator Grace Poe was in second place at 21 percent while Secretary Mar Roxas was third at 19 percent.

Coming in fourth was Senator Miriam Santiago with 10 percent. Placing fifth were President Joseph Estrada and Senator Chiz Escudero at 9 percent.

Though Binay suffered a decline in recent months due to corruption allegations hurled against him, he has consistently topped presidential surveys.

Binay said he was grateful for the people’s trust and affirmation; that people are starting to see through the falsity of the corruption allegations against him.

“It came to a point that people learn that these are all lies and politically motivated, so our numbers have started to return,” said Binay.

He added that the recent SWS result is an important guide for him to further improve his work in governance despite the efforts of some quarters to diminish his chances of winning in the next presidential elections and to distract him from fulfilling his promise and mandate to serve people.

Binay believes Estrada will support his presidential bid in 2016, considering that they were together through thick and thin. He also said the reason why he was at his elective position was because Estrada had asked him to be his running mate in 2010.

Binay’s allies in the House of Representatives said the SWS is a form of vindication after several months of being at the receiving end of media attacks.

Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian and Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco said the SWS poll showed that people preferred Binay as their presidential candidate.

Furthermore, the latest result of the survey suggested that Binay has solid following among Filipinos that cannot be weakened by political attacks and filing unsubstantiated charges.

Gatchalian further stated that Filipinos are convinced that the allegations on the vice president are devoid of truth and politically motivated.

UNA interim president Tiangco said UNA has ceased looking at surveys as a source of vindication for their presumptive standard bearer, VP Binay, amid the corruption allegations.

Tiangco said the Vice President will remain focused on his job of providing affordable housing for Filipino families and attending to the concerns of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) regardless of his standing in voter preference surveys.

Budget Secretary Butch Abad said Roxas was in a “good place” because he would experience a “bump upwards once he announces his candidacy.”

Top ten stories of 2014

1. Plunder charges are filed against Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. They are arrested and detained at Camp Crame.

2. The Supreme Court (SC) declares the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional.

3. The Philippines receives an upgrade to investment grade from Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Rating.

4. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) rating goes down to 5.3 percent in the third quarter.

5. Typhoon Ruby hits the Philippines but inflicts minimal damage.

6. The Commission on Audit (COA) found malversation of public funds and graft in many government offices.

7. Oil prices drop by more than $40 per barrel. Diesel prices drop from P47 per liter to P29.

8. Former Senator Ping Lacson is appointed Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR).

9. The President accepts the resignation of Health Secretary Enrique Ona.

10. 20 drug lords and high profile prisoners found living luxuriously at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), yielding guns, wide flat-screen televisions, air conditioners, and expensive liquors and drugs.

Lower inflation

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said that the inflation rate for December would range from 2.4 percent to 3.2 percent, from 3.7 percent in November.

Tetangco attributed the low inflation rate to lower prices of oil, rice, jeepney fares, and power rates.

The BSP has adopted a lower inflation target for 2015, from 2 to 4 percent.

Unsolved

The monstrous traffic jam in Metro Manila (MM) streets remains unsolved. The Manila port congestion has also been unsolved.

Riding-in-tandem killers still on the loose.

The Yolanda rehabilitation program is going slowly. No program has been announced for the rehabilitation of areas hit by Typhoon Ruby.

PARR Secretary Ping Lacson has resigned effective Feb. 10.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has missed its 2014 target by P60 billion.

Tidbits

Masbate Rep. Scott Davies Lanete, a medical doctor, has proposed an increase in doctor’s salaries from Grade 16, amounting to P26,878 a month to Grade 27 or P62,670 a month and that they be provided a monthly allowance of P2,500 on top of other current allowances, under House Bill No. 5263.

Holiday greetings to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Dick Gordon, Migz Zubiri, Jack Enrile, Mitos Magsaysay, Tingting Cojuangco, Bong and Ditas Ignacio, Noli and Evelyn Fuentebella.