Kidding is Giving Birth to a Goat

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. doubts cheap medicines bill will work.

After years of working on it? At least he knows what we knew all along. The country is ruled by oligarchs. And by multinationals as well!

Villar said announcing possible changes in the Cabinet might alarm those in positions at present and start working better.

Start working better for whom?

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap earlier revealed that the government is mulling a cut in rice subsidies amid concerns of the country's fiscal position.

From near zero to nil! NFA has bankrupted the government subsidizing foreign farmers.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the first priority of Mrs. Arroyo is to put food on the table for Filipinos, particularly the poor.

The durable Bunye (He survived the Hello Garci fiasco, didn’t he?) is right, for once. After seven years in the Presidency, it would be an accomplishment enough if Mrs. Arroyo could put back some food on our tables. Incidentally, her campaign promise was more food on our tables.

Federalism, for the Philippines…

Senator Nene Pimentel must be kidding. Yes, that’s precisely what I mean - giving birth to a goat. Here’s a quote from a former US congressman, Newt Gingrich, on why his country is in near recession, “Big bureaucracies were created at the federal, state, and local levels; and they have been decaying in efficiency and effectiveness ever since.”

He might as well be speaking of the Philippines. Look at how much we spend on national and local legislative bodies. It could be intolerable within a year or two of federalism.