Aquino may follow Obama path, warns think-tank

 US President Barack Obama lost big in the midterm elections by taking control of the House of Representatives and almost had the Senate, too. The reason: The babble of change that catapulted Obama to office is but a pure bubble which is sure to burst. According to Pacific Strategies and Assessments, a risk consulting firm, the Philippines' P-Noy may also follow Obama. Tikboy shares this view. Here is the report of the Inquirer.

Aquino may follow Obama path, warns think-tank

By Tony Bergonia

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III’s promise of change is likely to follow the same path as that of US President Barack Obama, according to a US-led multinational risk consultancy firm doing intelligence work for the world’s top corporations and embassies in Manila.
In a paper titled “Chasing a Legacy: Assessing Aquino’s Ability to Impact Change,” Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA) warned that like that of his US counterpart, Mr. Aquino’s change agenda appeared likely to fail to institute reforms for the great majority.

“Approximately 100 days into office, it appears that the bubble of expectations around Noynoy (Mr. Aquino’s nickname) is beginning to burst,” PSA said in the October 2010 paper that it had prepared for its clients, one of which furnished the Philippine Daily Inquirer a copy.

“The dynamics are not too dissimilar to the shared doubt being cast on US President Barack Obama because he simply has not lived up to the hype and soaring-oratory expectations of those who voted for him,” PSA said in reference to the losses suffered by the US President’s Democratic party in the midterm elections.

“Mr. Obama’s grace period has expired and eventually so will Noynoy’s,” it said, adding that while Mr. Aquino had “done a fair job acknowledging and framing the country’s major issues,” he had “not articulated any semblance of a strategy to address them.”

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GMA at the US

What is Gloria Arroyo doing on the US? The Editorial Cartoon of the Daily Tribune says it all:

Veterans Bill... Do we need to beg?

I made a strong case for why the Philippine war veterans deserve equity, and I asked for the understanding and support of the leaders of America.
-- Gloria Arroyo

I wonder what really is the purpose of sitting president Gloria Arroyo in the US. Free leisure trip in the guise of official business? Or to showcase her stupidity in history and foreign relations?

While Tikboy is not against the veterans receiving some remuneration or award or payment for heroism, a president of a sovereign nation doing the personal lobby to the legislators of her host country is a big no no. The congressmen are not her counterparts. It's the US president. Bakit di na lang niya sinabihan si George Bush na yun pala ang kailangan niya? Can't she talk directly with Uncle Georgie, and in English?

Kung sabagay. The only words she spoke during the meeting with Uncle Georgie are: "thank you", "yes" and then "Mr. President, with your permission, I'd like to address our countrymen in my own native language." (Need evidence? Click here for the transcript from the White House.)

If she forgot to tell that, dapat ang mga sabit sa kanya na lang ang gumawa. Dinig ni Tikboy me lagpas 50 na kongresista na nag-junket kasama ni Gloria? So why not give them the task? In the first place, it's the taxpayers money that's used for their travel. Ba't di na lang sila ang nagtrabaho... say, nakipag-usap sa mga counterparts nilang congressmen sa US? Or Gloria just
treated them for a shopping spree as a payment for something that they did in the Philippines?

Hmmmnnn.... :-?

Second, asking US to pass the equity bill is a gross ignorance of history. Why should the Philippine sitting-President personally lobby and beg for the passage of the veterans equity bill? Hindi lang naman ata ang mga Kano ang nakinabang sa ginawa ng mga magigiting nating war veterans. It's the Philippines and the later generation of the Filipinos.

Third, why ask the US to give our veterans some benefits eh ang Philippine Government nga headed by sitting president Gloria is doing nothing to recognize the verteran's efforts? Di ba dapat as primary beneficiaries, ang Philippine Government muna dapat ang magkusa na magbigay ng benefits? Kapal naman....

Walang pera? The Philippine Government will reason out that it lacks money? Eh ano ang ginasta sa junket nila sa US? Kung di na lang sila nagtravel at ipinamudmud na yun ginastos nila sa mga beterano, mas magiging masaya pa ang mga war heroes natin.

Kung sabagay, ganyan naman talaga si GMA... makapal ang mukha. Sa Japan, bumagsak lang ng konti ang satisfaction rating sa mga matataas na opisyal ng gobyerno, either nagre-resign sila or naghaharakiri. Sa US, bumagsak lang ng konti ang satisfactory ratings, worried na ang mga advisers. When George Bush ratings dropped from 52% to 47%, marami na agad ang ginagawa ng mga spinmeisters niya para ayusin ang mga bagay-bagay at bumango ulit ang presidente. Si Gloria, negative na nga ang rating, todo pa rin.

GMA speaking in Tagalog in a presscon in the US?

This morning's news show Gloria Arroyo speaking in Tagalog during their joint press conference with American President George W. Bush. And the host was uneasy as he doesn't understand what his Philippine counterpart is talking about.

Pero bakit nga ba talaga nag-Tagalog si Gloria? Let us count the ways:

• Mga bobo ang mga Pilipino. Hindi sila marunong umintindi ng Ingles. Kung sabagay, si Lito Lapid nga senador ng Pilipinas, hindi na lang umiimik sa Senado kasi baka mapalaban ng Ingles sa debate.
• Matatalino ang members ng US at international press. Multi-lingual sila tulad ni Rizal. Pero sabi kung gaano karami ang alam na lenguahe ni Rizal ganun din kadami ang girlfriends niya. Mga chick-boy din kaya ang mga members ng US and international press?
• Matalino si George Bush. Marunong siyang mag-tagalog. Ganun din kaya karami ang chicks ni George? Mas magaling ba siyang magtago ng chicks sa Oval Office as opposed to Bill Clinton?
• Me itinatago si Gloria. Kaya nagsalita siya ng tagalog dahil ayaw niyang maintindihan ni George. Baka ang pinagsasabi ng ale ay wala naman sa pinag-usapan nila ng presidente ng Amerika?