DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
4/24/2013
Acomprehensive overview of modern world history would never be complete without the City of Manila. From the middle of the Second Millennia, from the Galleon Trade to last major city to fall in Japan's Second World War Empire, Manila has figured among the center of world focus. Recently, however, Manila is being remembered mainly for the tragic Luneta Hong Kong tourists' massacre and as one of the dirtiest cities in the world. I personally experienced the latter when I stepped off the LRT (Light Rail Transit) station at Carriedo and walked down its steps, which are being made the home and toilet of many of the homeless poor of the city. At night and wherever lighted, Manila's streets are a garish carnival of tasteless low standing street lamps that blind (if not, completely turn-off) motorists instead of lighting the way.
When the current administration of the City of Manila that started in 2007 removed various "tourist spots" for alleged immoralities, including the very well-patronized Boardwalk shops, the new mayor did not foresee the adverse impact on employment. Today, unemployment is the major problem of the citizens of Manila, where the urban poor communities are world-renowned. This in turn had had a very serious deleterious impact on the revenues of the city, probably equaling the impact of the loss from graft and corruption in the Manila mayor's office. Although vehemently denied by city hall officials, the City of Manila's budget deficit today stands at P3.5 billion, as published in various newspapers based on a CoA (Commission on Audit) report. The city is indeed in dire straits.
When the current administration of the City of Manila that started in 2007 removed various "tourist spots" for alleged immoralities, including the very well-patronized Boardwalk shops, the new mayor did not foresee the adverse impact on employment. Today, unemployment is the major problem of the citizens of Manila, where the urban poor communities are world-renowned. This in turn had had a very serious deleterious impact on the revenues of the city, probably equaling the impact of the loss from graft and corruption in the Manila mayor's office. Although vehemently denied by city hall officials, the City of Manila's budget deficit today stands at P3.5 billion, as published in various newspapers based on a CoA (Commission on Audit) report. The city is indeed in dire straits.
The CoA Web site contains the 2011 annual report on the Manila city government. Under its Significant Findings and Recommendations No. 18 report, it says: "The funds withheld for the BIR, GSIS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth in the amounts of P237.826 million, P97.664 million, P0.172 million and P20.794 million, respectively, were not remitted on time," while item No. 12 reports that "the city's available cash of P1.006 billion" including the remittances "is insufficient to cover liabilities" amounting to P3.553 billion.
The business and jobs losses in the city have obviously contributed in a major way to the massive decline in its revenues leading to this deficit — a deficit that the present city government has offered no solution to, except to lie through the skin of its teeth by denying the CoA report. What shameless chutzpah indeed.
The other major hemorrhage of revenues, of course, is graft and corruption. Retired Gen. Bobby Calinisan, once an aide to the incumbent city mayor, left the latter's entourage long ago to denounce the sleaze rampant in city hall. The hemorrhage is as yet unquantifiable without official investigation; but from the reports of whistle-blowers, the huge market and parking fee collections have allegedly been diverted to private pockets of the official family for years.
Being with the Yellow administration coalition protects the present city officials and this is why, if Manileños are wise, they should consider seriously every effort to change the present administration not only to restore business and jobs, but also to find solutions to the deficit and get to the bottom of the anomalies plaguing their beloved city.
Former President Joseph Estrada threw his hat into the ring in the hotly-contested mayoralty race after two dozen councilors and the vice mayor of Manila pleaded with him to lead the ticket against the feared and domineering Alfredo Lim.
Lim, known as the "Dirty Harry" in local law enforcement circles for a string of alleged "liquidations," is also said to have sprung a son from a "drug pushing" case and winning at a lottery he was investigating, among many issues — not to mention his infamous role in the botched handling of the Luneta hostage crisis in 2010.
But what is important in the current duel of the two elder Philippine politicians is not the increasingly agitated incumbent mayor but the former President who is preparing for the restoration of Manila's glory with the same vision he had for the country. Though thwarted by vested interests in the Edsa II coup of 2001, he hopes to prove himself this time in the nation's capital.
Estrada's visionary plans for Manila have been prepared by top notch professionals, such as former National Treasurer Liling Briones who presented a clear-cut plan to resolve Manila's budget deficit posthaste; an economic and livelihood plan led by a UN consultant that includes the replanting of mangrove trees (bakawan) to revive Manila Bay's shores, boosting tourism as a jobs multiplier, impact housing projects in the urban poor centers, the transfer of the Pandacan oil depots (remember the recent Texas chemical plant explosions), among many others, in an inch-and-a-half working plan already ready for implementation as soon as Estrada takes charge.
But I have one worry, the precinct count optical scan machines are already proven to be a cheating machinery and I can only hope Estrada's watchers are ready for it. Otherwise, Manila's greatness will never again see the light of day.
(Tune in to 1098 AM, Tuesday to Friday, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.; watch GNN Destiny Cable Channel 8, Saturday, 8:00 p.m. and replay Sunday, 8 a.m., on "A Vision for Manila" with Prof. Liling Briones of Kaakbay; also visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com)
