Joker: Malacañang is 'like a student govt' running RP

An opposition senator on Sunday aired his tirades against President Benigno Aquino III's neophyte administration for running the country "like a student government." Senator Joker Arroyo, in an interview on dzBB radio, faulted the 81-day administration for its supposed mistakes in the 2011 budget allotments and its decision to present the Incident Investigation and Review Committee's report on the Aug.23 hostage tragedy first to the Chinese authorities. Arroyo said the Palace's budget priorities for next year are "misaligned" and "lopsided" because the Department of Social Welfare and Development got a 123-percent increase, while the judiciary, which is co-equal with the executive and legislative branches, will again receive less than 1 percent of the total budget. The senator, who is perceived to have close ties with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said the government should not spend too much money on dole-outs to the country's poor, but should give them jobs instead. Arroyo also blasted Malacañang's move to present the IIRC report to Chinese authorities before the Filipino public. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang earlier said the 83-page fact-finding report will be sent to China through its embassy in Manila. Thus, the Philippine high-level delegation to China led by Vice President Jejomar Binay, which is tasked to present the report, would have to take a backseat. He said the decision was made in deference to the Hong Kongers who died in the hands of hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza, a former police senior inspector who demanded for his job back in exchange for releasing his hostages. "How about courtesy to the Filipino people? Is that report intended for Hong Kong or for the Filipino people?" Arroyo asked. At that point Arroyo said the country is supposedly being run by amateurs. "Alam mo kasi sa Malacañang, ang pagtakbo ng gobyerno ay parang student government. Nag-aral tayo ng college, ng high school. Iyan ang pagtakbo (ng gobyerno). Parang student government ang government of the Philippines (You know, because in Malacañang, the government is run like a student government. We went to college and high school. That’s how a student government is run. The Philippine government is like a student government)," said the senator. GMANews.TV asked for presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda's comment, but he could not be reached as of posting time. The President protecting his men? Arroyo also said the President should hire for Malacañang "bright guys" with whom he is comfortable. The President's men should be the first to take up the cudgels for the chief executive, and not the other way around, Arroyo said referring to the time when President Aquino admitted on television that he was responsible for the Aug. 23 hostage tragedy. "The officials around the President are supposed to protect the President, to absorb the blows. That is totally wrong. It's like the President is on the front line, while his men are behind him," said Arroyo. The local government of Manila and the police have been lambasted for failed rescue attempt that resulted in the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists. At the height of the criticisms, it was revealed that Aquino divided the Department of the Interior and Local Government's tasks, with Secretary Jesse Robredo incharge of local government matters and Undersecretary Rico Puno supervising the Philippine National Police. The division of the DILG's tasks was perceived as Aquino's Solomonic solution of appeasing warring factions in his government — the Balay and Samar groups, or respectively groups loyal to the former Senator and the President’s running mate in the May 10 polls Manuel Roxas II and incumbent Vice President Jejomar Binay. The two were bitter rivals in this vice presidential race where Binay emerged as the dark horse. Aquino had vowed that heads will roll for the Aug. 23 incident, but nearly a month after the hostage-taking, only Manila Police District head Chief Supt. Rodolfo Magtibay had volunteered to take a leave of absence. The IIRC, chaired by Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, recommended that at least 12 people be sanctioned with administrative, disciplinary, or criminal proceedings. Their identities have not yet been disclosed pending the presentation of the inter-agency report to China. —VS, GMANews.TV