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28
Dec
GMA Still Missing In Action — Joey III
How many more tragedies will it take before Gloria Macapagal Arroyo goes back to work as president of the Philippines?
After junketing in Hongkong with her family, Mrs. Arroyo is now vacationing in Baguio, leaving the country without a working chief executive, businessman Joey de Venecia III said yesterday.
“I am not blaming her for the sinking of yet another passenger ferry, but the people need to know if she is still interested in managing the affairs of state,” de Venecia said.
Two consecutive sinkings of passenger ferrys in the last few days brought to the fore the seeming lax enforcement of safety regulations by the country’s maritime authority. De Venecia blamed the Department of Transporation and Communications and the Maritime Industry Authority for the twin tragedies.
The seaworthiness of the two ferry boats that sank — one off Cavite and the other in Batangas Bay — have not been questioned by either the DOTC or Marina, leading to doubts being raised on the competence of the officers in charge of the vessels.
“If the captains of the ferrys are to blame, what were they doing piloting the ships?” de Venecia asked.
Had Mrs. Arroyo been in charge, she would have raised hell after the M/V Catalyn B hit the fishing vessel F/V Anatalia last week, causing four fatalities with 20 passengers still missing, according to the ZTE-national broadband network whistleblower.
“The DOTC, Marina and the Coast Guard would have been on their toes. The lives lost in the sinking of the M/V Baleno 9 last Saturday night could have been avoided,” he said.
Instead of taking vacations and campaigning for congresswoman in her home province of Pampanga, Mrs. Arroyo should “stay put in Malacanang and administer the ship of state,” according to the son and namesake of former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.
Otherwise, she should turn over the presidency to Vice President Noli de Castro, he added.
There are still six months left in her term.
“She cannot wear two hats. She is either President Arroyo or candidate Arroyo,” said de Venecia.
As full-time president, Mrs. Arroyo already made a mess of the executive department, de Venecia said. “As part-time president, the situation can only get worse.”
