Supporters of the previous administration are literally frothing in the mouth and seething with madness and envy that two Multi-Mission Offshore Vessels (MMOV) bidded-out and awarded to a Navotas shipbuilder by then Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala would be “commissioned” on Dec. 22 by President Rody Duterte in Davao City.
“Credit grabber! This project was started by the previous administration,” was the main message of the Yellow Army on-line warriors as they castigated me for making it appear that the two MMOVs – MMOV Lapulapu and MMOV Francisco Dagohoy – is an accomplishment of the Duterte Administration.
To the Yellow Army, it is totally unacceptable that the new President, Rody Duterte, would bask in the glory of “Commissioning” the two Filipino-made vessels, a project started by President Benigno Aquino III.
I have to intention of getting involved in this childish “On-Line” brawl to settle who should get credit for the building of the vessels but I see this as an opportunity to explain and educate these people on how government works.
First, let me clarify that there was never any instance when I made a public statement that the two vessels were built under the administration of President Duterte.
I made it perfectly clear during the blessing of the two vessels in the Josefa Slipway, the makers of the ships, in Navotas three months ago that the project was started by the previous administration and continued by the current leadership.
In fact, former Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Asis Perez, along with previous BFAR officials, were invited to the ceremony and acknowledged for their contribution to the project.
Acknowledgement yes. But for the Yellow Army to demand that it should be made clear that it was President Aquino who started the project is a display of ignorance of how government works.
The country’s Presidents are like runners in a 400-meter relay.
Somebody bolts out of the starting block, passes the baton to the second runner who then turns it over to the third runner and who gives it to the last runner to finish the race.
If the team wins in the end, the victory could not just be credited to any one of the runners.
Just as no one among them should be blamed if they lose.
This is how government should operate.
Sadly, there are leaders afflicted with Megalomania who assume that they are God’s gift to humanity and that they be exalted to high heavens for doing something good for the people.
But what about the failures? Should they also be blamed?
Which brings us to why I posted several pictures of projects here started by the previous administration which turned out to be a big headache for the Duterte Administration.
The Aquino Administration built so many Rice Processing Complex all over the country, including one in Bago City but most of which were left standing idle under the sun because they were not connected to the power lines.
The Aquino Administration built so many Agri-Pinoy Trading Centers, including the BAPTC in Benguet, costing hundreds of millions of pesos which were virtually ghost buildings simply because nobody occupied these.
The Aquino Administration left behind farm machineries and equipment worth P4-B which were not given out to farmers because government required a 15% equity.
The Aquino Administration approved a contract for the supply of goats costing P175,000 each which I believe was grossly overpriced.
As the new Secretary of Agriculture, I addressed all of these problems and provided solutions.
There were other questionable transactions but I preferred to look forward than nitpick on the mistakes of the past because that is how I believe governance should be.
Work on and continue the good projects initiated by the previous administration, correct the flawed ones and learn from the mistakes of the past then move forward.
Governance after all is a relay run.
Finally, let me just take a dig at the Yellow Army who believe that we should thank the Aquino Administration for the things that we have today.
So, how do we treat this latest controversy today of the P3.6-B dengue vaccine administered on hundreds of thousands of Filipino youth without previous tests thus endangering their lives?
I doubt it very much if the previous administration would own up to it.
That is precisely the problem with the thinking that previous Presidents should be credited with the things that they did.
You cannot just lay claim to the good projects and wash hands on the messy ones.
(Photos show the P40-M Bago City Rice Complex in Negros Occidental which was only operated recently when I ordered that it be used or else it would be taken back by DA; the P800-M BAPTC in Benguet which was destined to be a White Elephant until the current leadership instituted measures to save it. Today, it is bustling with activity offering loans to vegetable farmers and a trading center; the farm equipment and machineries left rusting under the sun which were not distributed by the previous administration because they were asking for a counterpart from the farmers. All these are now in the hands of farmers all over the country.)
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