First presidential debate
less than stellar

WITH MOST of the presidential candidates boycotting the first televised presidential debate on Monday last week, the "Tapatan sa Halalan 2004" on the ANC news channel turned out to be a less than stellar affair. Only Raul Roco and Eddie Villanueva showed up, while President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senator Panfilo Lacson and Fernando Poe Jr. all decided to stay away.

Moderated by veteran newscaster Tina Monzon-Palma, and with questions posed by three panelists, namely Dr. Ernesto Pernia of the University of the Philippines School of Economics, Inquirer columnist Rina Jimenez-David, and Employers Confederation of the Philippines president Donald Dee, the whole debate was marred by confusion and easy questions.

Monzon-Palma put in a disappointingly bad performance, repeatedly hesitating when asking who should answer a question first. Instead of seizing the initiative, the moderator badgered both the candidates and the panelists, several times interrupting each one by ordering them to either get to the question or answer one. Admittedly, both panelists and candidates had long-winded run-ups to both their questions and answers, but this still didn't excuse Monzon-Palma's rude behavior.

Unfortunately, the theme of the debate was restricted mainly to population control issues, which greatly narrowed the scope of the debate. Neither candidate attacked the other, which was too bad, as those bitchy asides usually add spice to otherwise boring debates. Roco with his dyed hair and eyeglasses came across as a stern uncle lecturing his nephews and nieces on life, while Villanueva was lifeless with his monotone droning on about how he would fight corruption and immorality if elected president.

As expected, Roco refused to be pinned down on any population control issue, which visibly frustrated Professor Pernia, who repeatedly tried to get a coherent answer out of Roco but failed. Obviously afraid of displeasing the Catholic Church, especially since retired Archbishop Cardinal Sin has endorsed his candidacy, Roco kept saying that family planning and birth control methods should be left to the conscience of each couple. A copout answer, if there ever was one!

I was not impressed by Roco's performance. Although he is a presidential candidate, he kept reading from prepared notes, even when he was rattling off his platform issues. He also kept referring to himself in the third person! "Roco did this, and Roco did that," he said several times, without realizing how pompous and irritating this made him sound.

When Jimenez-David asked Roco about the growing HIV-AIDS cases in the Philippines and what the government should do to fight it, he answered misleadingly that the Philippines had fewer HIV cases than Thailand although condom use in the Philippines was less than in Thailand. He also resorted to stupid humor, by saying the Philippine government should not be concerned with philandering husbands who caught HIV. When Jimenez-David asked what about the innocent wives who get infected by sleazy husbands, Roco answered that it was the duty of the wives to admonish them. What nonsense!

In the end, the supposed debate was hardly a debate on anything. It's too bad that none of the other candidates bothered to show up. In an election campaign that is already turning out to be one of the worst in Philippine history in terms of the less than stellar choices presented to the electorate, it would have been nice if all the candidates had given viewers a glimpse of their platforms, or lack thereof. I just hope that the next debates have more than just two participants.

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The shameless government bailout of Maynilad

PRESIDENT GLORIA Macapagal-Arroyo continues her unsavory habit of cutting suspect deals with whoever will help her in her political ambitions. The latest deal that she's sealed is with the Lopez family, majority owner of Benpres Holdings Corp., which in turn owns 59 percent of Maynilad Water Services Inc. Under the deal, the government will take over the utility, writing off eight billion pesos in concession fees owed it by Benpres, as well as assuming the 10 billion pesos in debt of Maynilad that was raked up by extravagant spending on computers and imported brass fittings for water meters.

According to Arnold Padilla of the Water for People Network, a national network of advocacy groups that promote people's control over water services and resources, the joint venture water firm Maynilad (split between Benpres and the French water giant Suez Lyonnaise de Eaux) has made a mess of its finances and failed in delivering clean water to 43 percent of its customers.

"By its own admission, Maynilad's total liabilities had already reached 19.1 billion pesos as of December 2003. Its total assets meanwhile are only 16.9 billion pesos. Maynilad sought corporate rehabilitation because it is desolate and financially unsound," said Padilla.

In the six-and-a-half years that Maynilad has had the concession to provide water to the western half of Metro Manila, it has raised water tariffs 226 percent, but has failed to provide 24-hour water supply to many of its customers. There have also been outbreaks of water-borne diseases in the Tondo district, which have killed several people and hospitalized many others.

Oscar Lopez, the chairperson of Benpres Holdings, claims that Benpres will actually be losing money by asking for the bailout, but that is not true. The 80-million-dollar investment by Benpres, which they claim will have to be written off, is in fact only 4.5 billion pesos, far short of the eight billion pesos in concession fees it owes the government. On top of that is the 11 billion pesos in Maynilad debt that the government assumes, and it is clear that the Lopez family comes out a winner from this deal. Not only that, but Benpres will remain as part owner of Maynilad, meaning that in the future it could buy back a healthier company after the government pays off its debt!

What nonsense is this? President Macapagal-Arroyo keeps saying that the right to clean water is the paramount reason the government is taking over Maynilad. No one will disagree with the president that all Filipinos have a right to have access to clean and fresh water, but at the expense of the taxpayers? I don't think so. The fact remains that the Lopez family, majority owner of the massive ABS-CBN broadcasting network, have inordinate influence over public opinion. Cutting business deals with them during an election year leaves the bad impression that secret political patronage deals are also being included in them. Therefore, all business deals should be put on hold until the next president is sworn in next June. Unfortunately, that's not happening.

Comments or questions? E-mail the author at manilamoods@hotmail.com.