“IMBES na tuwid na daan, isang baluktot na pamamahala ang ating nasaksihan [Instead of a straight path, what we saw was a crooked governance].”

This was the assessment of the leaders of the minority in the House of Representatives of the Aquino administration’s first year in office even as they warned that “the people should be prepared to expect the worst because their mistaken choice is the big problem.”

“Blunder begets disaster,” said House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman.

“One year hence, gross mismanagement and a turn for the worse for our country and our countrymen, is what we have all been witness to,” he added.

In a news conference at the House of Representatives, the minority said Mr.  Aquino miserably failed to deliver on 16 promises contained in his so-called Social Contract with the Filipino People. 

It said a year into the Aquino administration, the people has the right to know the real score about how the President they have elected is performing, at least in delivering what he himself has promised. 

“Already, we see from the way this government has failed to deliver on its promises a glaring display of inability, mismanagement and lack of leadership. You shall hear more of the same in our coming week’s reports to the public. We in the Minority shall continue to make our voices heard so that our nation will hopefully be spared more of the same misgovernance in the years ahead under President Aquino,” said Lagman. 

Lagman, however, said he will not grade Mr. Aquino on a scale of one to 10 since a periodic report card with graded achievements and failures is for school children and students, not for the nation’s Chief Executive.

“It would be better to send regular wake- up calls to the President on his performance against his campaign promises and on the state of the economy and governance versus the current data on prime economic and social indicators. This way, the President could grade himself if he has sufficient discernment of crucial data and a serious commitment to his exalted position,” said Lagman.

“Otherwise, no amount of faltering grades will jolt him to reality and action, and no diminishing marks from critics will convince him to abandon an offensive agenda of vindictiveness and a defensive aura of braggadocio,” added Lagman.

He said the people who elected Mr. Aquino expected too much from him “as shibboleths and promises during the presidential campaign concealed and overshadowed his inadequacies.”

“These were the same inadequacies he brought to Malacañang and as the truism goes, one cannot squeeze blood from a rock,” he said.

Lagman reminded Mr. Aquino that just like his plunging popularity and trust ratings, the President must be made aware repeatedly that virtually all principal economic and social indicators of growth and progress are down.

Also, contrary to Mr. Aquino’s promise, the government bureaucracy under his administration is demoralized now more than ever because of his lack of leadership, as well as confusion among amateur officials within his administration. 

“Many in the government are now also demoralized after seeing so many colleagues, career and noncareer personnel, removed by President Aquino from the service, despite years, even decades of performing well in the bureaucracy,” said Lagman.

In addition, despite the pronouncement of officials of the Armed Forces to the contrary, the military is demoralized, because of the Palace-backed Senate inquiry that failed to recognize reforms in the military.

The police forces, the minority said, are also demoralized as the National Police is suffering from an image of ineptitude because of the failure of its leaders during the infamous Luneta hostage-taking incident.

“As the year progressed, we have seen more and more of the same displays of ineptitude and lack of leadership from the Aquino administration.  Taliwas sa kanyang ipinangakong masiglang administrasyon, isang matamlay at walang direksyon na pamahalaan ang hatid ni P-Noy,” Lagman said.

The minority vowed to continue to make its voice heard “so that our nation will hopefully be spared more of the same misgovernance in the years ahead under President Aquino.”