Escudero defends Aquino administration, says it ‘has gone a long way’

By: Maila Ager - 11 years ago

Sen. Francis Escudero INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III ‘s administration “has gone a long way” compared to the previous administration, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Wedneday.

Escudero made the statement when sought to react to Senator Sergio Osmeña III’s criticisms at how Aquino runs the government as well as what he described as “non-performing assets” or NPAs in his Cabinet.

Both Escudero and Osmeña belong to the majority bloc in the Senate.

“Karapatan si Senator Osmeña magbigay ng kanyang opinion bagaman hindi ako sumasang ayon dahil malayo at malaki na ang narating administrasyong Aquino kumpara sa nagdaang administrasyon (Senator Osmeña has the right to give his opinion although I don’t agree with it because the Aquino administration has gone a long way compared to the previous administration),” Escudero told reporters.

“Syempre palaging kulang yan sa punto de bista ng iba. Pero di nangangahulugang mali, masama at dapat ikahiya o dapat batukusin ang administrasyon ni Pangulong Aquino (Of course, it’s not always enough from the point of view of others. But it doesn’t mean that it’s wrong, it’s bad, and something that you should be ashamed of or that you should criticize President Aquino),” said Escudero.

And asked about Osmeña’s statement that there are non-performing assets in the Aquino Cabinet, Escudero reminded his colleague that the Cabinet officials serve at the pleasure of the President.

“Ang problema kasi sa NPAs na sinasabi nya, all of these Cabinet member serve at the pleasure of the President, not at the pleasure of the senator or any senator for that matter,” he said.

So it would be up to the President, Escudero said, whether or not to keep his Cabinet officials.

The senator could not blame Osmeña though for “wanting things to be done faster.”

“Pero may mga bagay-bagay din siguro tayo na hindi natin alam kung bakit hindi kayang 200 kilometer per hour and I hope the administration will explain that so we can understand it (But maybe there are things that we don’t know why they could not do it at 200 kilometer per hour and I hope the administration will explain that so that we can understand it)…”

“But the frustration per se I think is something positive. At least, yung standard at performance na hinahanap natin sa gobyerno patuloy na tumataas kesa naman makuntento tayo sa underperforming officials, kesa naman makuntento tayo sa dating gawi.”

But compared to the previous administration, Escudero reiterated that the country has gone along way under the present leadership.

“If we want more, all of us want more, but I don’t think it’s enough reason to blame the current administration for not being able to deliver on what we want more at this point in time because much has been given and delivered already,” he added.