Alcoholism, lechery and graft

By Ramon Tulfo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:26:00 10/09/2010

Filed Under: Benigno Aquino III, Graft & Corruption
MANILA, Philippines—The people gave President Benigno Aquino III a very good net satisfaction rating 100 days in his presidency: +60.
Aquino’s honesty and integrity as a leader is beyond question.
The President took after his late mom, the late President Cory, who was as pure as driven snow in personal integrity and honesty.
But the public knows very little about Aquino’s leadership style; otherwise it wouldn’t have given him such a high rating.
Little by little, though, the public is becoming aware of Aquino’s weak leadership: his standing by Interior Undersecretary Rico E. Puno who was given charge of the Philippine National Police but didn’t know what to do during the Luneta hostage crisis, and who was linked to numbers game “jueteng” payoffs.
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Perhaps Aquino doesn’t know this, but those close to him are running circles around him.
Unimpeachable sources in Malacañang told me about a high Palace official who allegedly charges P5 million from prospective appointees for the position of undersecretary and P3 million for assistant secretary.
The money is coursed through his close aides.
Another Malacañang official was allegedly confronted by one of the President’s sisters after she learned that the official was demanding P1 million from applicants for the government’s prosecution service.
Many Cabinet members are complaining that they are not consulted on new appointments in their departments; new appointees are forced down their throats.
New appointees who don’t pay for their positions are either fraternity brothers of two top Palace officials or classmates of the President.
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Incidentally, former Sen. Ernesto Maceda’s allegation of drinking sprees that last until the wee hours is true, according to my little birdies in the Palace.
One of Aquino’s Cabinet members, who is also a close friend, is an alcoholic, said the little birdies.
Most of the time, this official is drunk or reeking of liquor during office hours, according to my sources.
The same official is seen in public places very drunk, which is unbecoming of his stature.
The bacchanalian feast in the Palace is reminiscent of the time of President Erap when he and his cronies consumed bottles of expensive wines until the wee hours.
If the drinking spree doesn’t take place in Malacañang, it’s held in a building on Edsa where a whole floor has been loaned by the owner to the Palace official.
In that building, women of ill repute entertain the Palace official and his buddies who play high-stakes gambling while drinking expensive wines and liquors.
If you think that alcoholism, lechery and graft were gone with Erap and Gloria, you have another think coming.
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Heard from the grapevine: Undersecretary Puno and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa are forcing the appointment of former PNP chief Jess Verzosa, who retired recently in humiliation, as secretary of interior and local government.
If that’s not callous shamelessness, I don’t know what is.
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Two officials close to Aquino allegedly contributed P200 million each for the President’s campaign expenses, according to very reliable sources.
These officials are now trying to get back their investments by committing graft, said my sources.