MANILA, Philippines – After calling President Benigno Aquino III an honest and good man but an “awful” manager, Senator Sergio Osmeña III on Tuesday trained his gun at what he described as NPAs or “non-performing assets” in the Cabinet.
Senator Sergio Osmeña III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Osmeña, an administration ally, now wants these NPAs to be removed from office.
“Ang dami nilang NPAs diyan sa Gabinete, Non-Performing Assets. Eh, palitan naman ninyo. Nagmamadali na tayo kasi last two years na eh,” the senator said in a radio interview.
(There are many NPAs in the Cabinet, Non-Performing Assets. Please replace them. We are in hurry because we have remaining two years only.)
Osmeña had earlier called on the President to fire Energy chief Jericho Petilla.
Many people, he said, were disappointed at how the current administration runs the country for its alleged failure to act on the things it should have done.
The senator then cited for instance the government’s failure to address the problems on power.
“‘Yung nangyari po ngayong 2014, kasalanan pa ni Gloria Arroyo ‘yan. Ngunit, next year, 2015, kasalanan na ni [Aquino] ’yan, sapagkat he should have done something in 2010 to alleviate any power problem in 2015, ganun kahaba ang lead time na kelangan mo sa power,” he said.
Osmeña admitted that he was “very disappointed” with the President’s performance but said he did not regret his decision to help Aquino’s team during the 2010 elections.
“Hindi naman sapagkat (Not really because) up to this time, looking at the batch of candidates who were available in 2010, I think he was still the best candidate. And if I have to make my decision all over again, I would have come to the same decision,” said the senator when asked if he regrets supporting the President’s campaign.
“But I am also very disappointed, nahihiya po ako sa taumbayan, na nag-under perform siya. Kasi kung kaya mo mag-drive ng 80 mph, bakit ka nag-30mph? ‘Yun lang ang question ko,” he said.
(But I’m very disappointed, I’m ashamed to the public that he underperformed. Because if you can drive 80mph, why did you have to do it at 30mph? That’s my only question)
Osmeña then turned the table on Aquino, who recently warned the voters not to settle for “ampaw” (hollow) candidates.
“ We are all guilty of being ‘ampaw’ in a little way, or in a big way, depende iyan. I think that the Aquino administration might also be called ‘ampaw’ sapagkat marami silang hindi ginawa na magagawa nila,” he said.
(We are all guilty of being ‘ampaw’ in a little way, or in a big way, it depends. I think that the Aquino administration might also be called ‘ampaw’ because they have not done many things that they could have done.)
Asked if he and the President had any disagreements, Osmeña said, “Marami po.”
“Kung gagawa po tayo ng Report Card niya, makikita mo na napakaraming projects that should have been ongoing by this time, or last year, or 2 years ago, na hindi nauumpisahan hanggang ngayon. That is the performance of the [Aquino] administration. And any delay in any infrastructure, means the people cannot proceed. Because hindi pa in existence di ba?”
Asked again if the President still listens to his advice, Osmeña said: “Ay hindi, wala na po ‘yan. Hanggang 2010 lang po ‘yun. Pagkatapos, lahat ng classmates niya, lahat ng kabarilan, lahat ng kamag-anak, ‘yun ang pinipili niya.”
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