New administration, new set of political centurions, new rules, except that the same situation remains – a non-inclusive economic growth that is not felt by the poor.This is the data-driven-oligarchic-pleasing-growth!

It is the common pathology in Philippine politics. Historically, no successor has sustained the reforms from a prior administration. It is a waste, a huge waste in fact, in our struggling democracy.Every regime wants to stamp his imprimatur and trumpet this as his/her legacy.

Another dangerous trend has emerged since the lamented regime of Erap: succeeding Presidents go to prison or at least spend time in detention. Gloria is languishing in her “hospital detention cell”. With the PDAF, the DAF declared unconstitutional, the “da-ang matuwid” gone askew, and Pnoy’s administration unraveling - do we see Pnoy spending time inside a detention cell after his stint in 2016 in the company of the honorable senators and a couple of congressmen?

I will leave this to the fertile imagination of pundits. This is not the topic for today.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Benigno Aquino III declared:

“In 2016, you will be choosing new leaders of our country. What I can tell you is this: if you wish to continue and even accelerate the transformation of society, there can only be one basis for choosing my successor: Who will, without a shred of doubt, continue the transformation we are achieving?”

This deserves a moment of discernmenton his absolute certainty that he, the Pnoy, is transforming our society, economically.

A little digression at this point

Ron Mendoza, a Harvard colleague and a political economist at the AIM Policy Center presented a paper that shows some improvement of the Philippine economy from the time Pnoy took over in 2010. GDP grew an annual 6.3 % over the last 4 years. But population poverty incidence remained too high despite a 1% reduction. And geographically, Mindanao provinces and the Muslim areas are the poorest in the country.

But what is sad is that last year 10 million of our countrymen are either unemployed or underemployed. Sadder still is that from last year to the end of Pnoy’s term in 2016, roughly an annual 1.15 million Pilipinos will enter the labor market (4.025 m) while 14.6 million jobs are needed by then to accommodate the unemployed and underemployed. In short, the dislocation of Pilipino families will continue as they have to go abroad to work.

Economists, political scientists and our neighborhood barbers have known all along some of the needed solutions and reforms which Pnoy has turned a blind eye on – or simply unable to comprehend. These too, among others are the reforms that the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP)Ang Partido ng tunay na Demokrasya has been advocating for:

1. Anti-monopoly and competition policies;
2. Political Party Reform;
3. Freedom of Information law;
4. Energy and food security;
5. The Bangsamoro Basic Law; and
6. Dismantling of the highly centralized government toward regional autonomy.

And some of theserequire the amendment of the flawed 1987 Cory Constitution that the son insistently protects as the family legacy and an heirloom to the detriment of the Pilipino now and the generations yet to come.

Pnoy has only less than two years. But his body movement seems to project his intent to just shop around for an anointed for 2016 (one perhaps who will not work for his detention given the transgressions of the PDAF/DAP).

So let’s play along with Pnoy and ask ourselves, who will be Pnoy’s chosen successor? And who will “...continue the transformation (he is) achieving...?”Let us rattle some nerves:

1. DILG Secretary Mar Roxas – Roxas has not been the darling of mass media. He lags behind in surveys. His so-so performance during Typhoon Yolanda has left a deep scar in the mind of the public – inefficient, self-centered, and boring to the max! But the Pnoy owes him big time! Remember, he gave way to Pnoy’s candidacy after Cory passed away.
2. Vice President Jejomar Binay – He is still number one in surveys. Criticisms have been unleashed against him, including accusations of corruption in Makati and he is ‘teflon’ despite the Binays being a dynasty of the first rank! He has the influence, the power, the will to succeed and the money to win it. He has the heart for the poor – they say. A much, much better version of Erap Estrada.
3. Senator Grace Poe – She placed first during the last senatorial race. She has pedigree. She is a woman. But beyond the present state of affairs, she is untested! Once the attack dogs are out, she might cringe! Policy wise, she is not all-too-exposed! Her capacity to muster votes seems to be because of her father’s name!
4. What about the person who has been salivating to make another go at it. Fidel Valdez Ramos understands economy – its theories and more importantly, its practices. When FVR took over from Cory, the country was beset with brown-outs, monopolies and cartels. He changed it all by reforming the power and telecommunications industries. He leveled the playing field. By dismantling the power monopoly, power plants were built by the private sector and this catapulted the country into a new and emerging tiger economy in 1994. By liberalizing telecommunications, we have seen the expansion and the benefits of telephone, cellular and internet connections.

What has become apparent in the latest SONA is Pnoy blubbering about, “me”, “I”, “mine” and his bruised ego due to the DAP and other maladies haunting his final years in the Palace. There was notmuch about making an all-inclusive economic growth, about OFWs being the impetus behind the country’s 7% annual growth, nor about agriculture which has lagged behind.

Also our President hit at his critics as he said bluntly:

“My critics belong to the minority and living in their own world and reality. While we see concrete changes in our nation, all the more that they attack me. While the benefits of our reform program become clearer, our critics have slimmer chances of fooling the public and that is why they sow doubt on the minds of our people. They are desperate.”

Furthermore, he exclaimed:

“Our noisiest of critics are those who do not want transformation because they were able to commit abuses and benefit from the old ways. But the truth is – our critics are not against me: they are against our people who are benefiting from the straight path. My bosses, my critics are against you.”

The above essentially means he misunderstands the nuances of democracy. The people have spoken, his trust ratings are down, China remains a threat, the Bangsamoro Basic Law remains unresolved the FOI has been lagging for 15 years.All these need attending tobut to add to this...

IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!