Unfinished business

With 17 months to go before President Aquino steps down, the following needs to be done:

1. self-sufficiency in rice

2. inclusive growth/creation of jobs

3. traffic jams

4. lack of infrastructure

5. reform of the Philippine National Police (PNP)

6. peace in Mindanao — subdue the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), New People’s Army (NPA), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and other criminal groups

7. eradication of corruption in all levels of government

8. solving the power crisis

9. completing the school building program

10. solving the illegal drug problem

11. the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and Malampaya fund investigations

12. lack of efficient mass transit

13. housing for Yolanda survivors

14. attracting more foreign investors

15. connecting the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEx)

Unfinished business in all government undertakings will be the true legacy of the Aquino administration. The government has failed to provide its promises to properly deliver the services it is mandated to provide. Some government solutions not only fail to solve most problems but often make problems worse.

The next administration will have to pick up the pieces and resume all these unfinished projects and programs. 

New Year injuries

The Philippine National Police has repeatedly warned the public, policemen, soldiers and gun owners not to fire their guns during the festivities as stray bullet incidents have claimed many lives in the past years.

Despite the warning and possible administrative sanctions, the PNP has recorded 61 stray bullet-related incidents, which injured 43 people all over the country, while one was killed that took place in the Cordillera region. Seven policemen, six civilians and four security guards were arrested for illegal discharge of firearms. The highest record of stray bullet injuries was reported in the National Capital Region (NCR) at 14.

The number of firecracker-related injuries has reached 730, according to the Department of Health (DOH). Three hundred ninety-six cases happened at the (NCR) while 68 cases from the Ilocos Region. Thirty-four required amputations while 125 caused eye injuries.

The PNP has arrested 55 people who were found selling illegal firecrackers, so far.

The firecrackers also caused 17 fires across the country — 4 in Metro and 1 each for Regions 1, 3, 7, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. Three reported died in NCR and four suffered injuries.

Meanwhile, several sea mishaps caused deaths on New Year’s Day. Five died in a sea mishap off the coast of Carles, Iloilo while four others were rescued, according to Iloilo provincial administrator Raul Banias.

Two died, one rescued and 16 were missing when the ‘Bulk Jupiter’ sank off the coast of Vung Tau City in Vietnam. All 19 crew members were Filipinos.

DSWD red flags

Senator Chiz Escudero, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, challenged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to deal squarely with the facts on the Commission on Audit (COA) report — finding red flags in the DSWD’s implementation of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Aquino administration’s flagship anti-poverty program.

Secretary Dinky Soliman should focus attention on the findings, not just issue press releases or take it for granted, Escudero said.

The COA reported that DSWD failed to complete its P2.57 billion shelter program for typhoon victims in 2011.

In its 2013 audit report, the COA found red flags in the DSWD’s implementation of the CCT program noting double entries and data  errors in the CCT base. The COA report noted also the delay in paying CCT beneficiaries ,  who are entitled to receive P1,400 monthly for a family of three, or P300 for each child; for health care, each family receives P500 regardless of the number of children.

There have been changes that non-indigents like teachers and relatives of DSWD employees have been listed as beneficiaries.

More BIFF attacks

Abu Misry Mama, BIFF spokesperson, announced that his group will mount more attacks in 2015. He also said the BIFF has affiliated with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The BIFF mounted separate attacks in two detachments of the Philippine Army 33rd Infantry Battalion (IB) in Sitio Sumilalao, Barangay Katiku, Sultan Kudarat and another in Barangay Kulasi, General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao. One soldier was killed and 3 were wounded.

The BIFF opposes current peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace deal with President Benigno Aquino’s government in March last year.

The BIFF has been accused of a bus bombing last December that killed 11 passengers in Maramag while 43 people were hurt.

In November, the BIFF killed an army major and two of his men in Maguindanao.

M'lang, Cotabato Mayor Jose Piñol also blamed the BIFF for the recent bombing at their public market on New Year’s Eve, which killed two people and wounded 34.

Mayor Estrada’s accomplishments

Mayor Joseph Estrada’s Manila Dialysis Center is now operational at the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center in Tondo. The Dialysis Center is programmed to have 100 dialysis machines.

Mayor Estrada has also improved the city’s tax collection system and is on the way to wipe out the city’s P4.4 billion debt.

Estrada also cleaned up the toilets of City Hall. He reports to his office every day.

Tidbits

The Senyang death toll is 55, with eight missing.

The Ebola death toll is 7,905.

Councilor Crisanto Albano of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte was shot dead along the National Highway.

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) reported a more than 2 fold jump in its income to P130.7 billion, a record performance in its 77 year-old history.

The Philippine population will reach 101.4 million in 2016.