FIRING LINE: You had it coming, Mr. President

By Robert B. Roque, Jr.

It seems the Filipino people have finally caught on to your rice price promises, Mr. President. Puno na ang salop. And that’s why your approval rating dropped by 15 points in September in what feels like a slap in the face with a wet sack of rice.

During your campaign, you promised to bring rice prices down to P20 per kilo, but here we are, nearly two years later, with rice prices skyrocketing since August. You’ve been blaming economic saboteurs for the increase, have you?

But you’ve taken the portfolio of Agriculture Secretary since you became president for a reason, and what you have shown through all this time is a prolonged heyday for agricultural smugglers. It’s not just about rice. Or have you forgotten the runaway prices of onions, garlic, and sugar? I don’t want to continue on this litany, sir, because it’s tiring – but it should ring your bell!

Also, your trust rating has dropped 14 points, too. It’s like the Filipino people are saying, “We trusted you to fix this mess, but all you did was make it worse.”

 Clearly, your administration’s early crisis of governance has come home to roost. The Filipino people have exercised patience and given you the benefit of the doubt despite your family’s dark political past.

Even I, for a split second, wondered if you rose to the office with so much redeeming value packed in your chest, only to see you packing your bags more than a dozen times a year to go abroad. So, it seems you had it coming, Mr. Marcos.

It’s time to put your promises where your mouth is and start delivering results. The rice pot is boiling over, and you can’t blame the kitchen sink for this one.

Change, Inday!

Let’s not forget BBM’s second fiddle, Vice President Sara Duterte, who isn’t faring any better. Her approval ratings are plunging faster than a lead balloon, and it’s unsurprising for someone who blew up her P125 million in confidential and intelligence funds in just two weeks.

It’s time to brush up on fiscal responsibility, VP Sara. The public eye is on your expense reports, and your extravagant spending habits have earned you more eye-rolls than applause. That image is not what will carry your ambitions aloft in 2028. The right recipe for you is change.

The unsinkable Gloria

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the queen of financial acrobatics, is back in the spotlight, facing new graft and malversation complaints. This time, it’s about her alleged misuse of ₱38.807 billion from the Malampaya Fund.

Apparently, when she still assumed the highest office, she waved her presidential discretion wand, and poof! ₱38.807 billion vanished into various projects that had nothing to do with “the exploration, exploitation, and development of indigenous energy resources vital to economic growth.”

Sure, some might argue that these projects had a public purpose, but they also left the country’s energy independence aspirations in the dust, making us dance to the tune of the volatile world market.

If you remember, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales gave Arroyo a pass on the ₱900-million scam, but that’s just a drop in the bucket compared with this ₱38.807 billion circus. Now, it’s Ombudsman Samuel Martires’s turn to step up to the plate.

Let’s see if Arroyo’s neckbrace antics will work this time or if her strong allies in every high office will be her shield this time.

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