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THERE’S a bumper crop of bad news—even dire—but like the rest
of the population, the opposition is not too happy about it. These
bad news can’t all be blamed on President Gloria Arroyo. The
juicier ones are a result of circumstances beyond our control. Even
the most serious ones like the rice and fuel crises are results of
two of the world’s most populous nations—China and
India—joining the ranks of the developed world.
It is quite possible that the troubles the
nation is going through could spell the end of the administration.
But not anytime just yet. If at all, this may have to wait until
2010. Who wants to spend for a campaign that will knock out Arroyo
only to have to drop another bundle to be reelected after less than
two years in a regular election?
Expense may not be the main problem. Who is the
ambitious politician who thinks he can do a better job than the
incumbent solving current problems and then maintaining momentum for
another six years?
The usual technique of ridiculing or stultifying
any move of the administration to remedy a situation is going to be
nonproductive and this goes for the favorite dodge of pushing the
President to resign. They may just get their wish and who is going
to be brash enough to think he or she could make a difference in the
two years still available for the current administration?
In the meantime, millions of our people need
assistance. It doesn’t seem cricket to let people suffer just to
make a point. There may be purists who believe that giving the poor
doles would just make them dependent. Tell that to those who have
already missed a meal.
So, okay, the government is deep in debt because
of the subsidy for National Food Authority rice. Tell those
dependent on NFA rice to try camote for one meal. The point is that
something must be done now.
Early on, there was a range-finding salvo about
using cheap rice as a political tool until it became obvious that
the problem is real and that the government needs to subsidize rice
for a certain segment of the population. In order to make sure that
only those who deserve to buy subsidized rice may be identified, a
system of access cards to NFA rice was devised. But even before the
system could be implemented, attempts were made to fake the cards or
to pad the list of those deserving. But since there were no major
personalities involved in what could considered a scam, the stories
became routine reports.
And as for the potential kickbacks in the
importation of rice, this became ludicrous as the major exporters,
who used to offer commissions to agents of buyers, now have set
quotas to the amount of rice they may sell. If there is going to be
any kickbacks, it is more likely that the offer may come from the
importer who wants to buy more than the export quota allowed.
What may be worrisome is the threat of food
riots. Harassing those who are trying to do something about the
problem because they disagree with the solution will not help. They
may be just playing into the hands of those who are fomenting
disorder so it will make it easier for them to take over power. And
the alternatives they offer? There is the classic white knight or
the benevolent despot or an emergency junta. They are offered as
temporary and make-do measures that have a way of becoming permanent
or at least long-lasting.
Whatever we may think of the competence or the
rectitude of the NFA, one must give the agency credit, so far, at
least, for trying to help the poor rice consumer, if we may rely on
media perceptions.
In any case, there seems to be a change in the
appreciation of the news among its purveyors. Suddenly it seems to
be all quiet in the Senate front. Now that the presidential
resignation drive and the bid for the so-call snap elections have
withered on the vine, there seems to be no point in continuing the
running battle against the ZTE-NBN scam which has been cancelled
anyway. While the probers say they were able to link the scam to
Malacańang, they have failed to find a direct link to the President
which was what the exercise was for in the first place.
opinion@manilatimes.net
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