November 7, 2000, BusinessWorld, Security Council upbeat crisis shall come to pass, by Leotes Marie T. Lugo

November 7, 2000, BusinessWorld, Security Council upbeat crisis shall come to pass, by Leotes Marie T. Lugo

Former President Fidel V. Ramos left yesterday's National Security Council (NSC) meeting in Malacañang apparently unimpressed with the discussions even after he reiterated his call for President Estrada to reform or resign by mid-December.

Still, Malacañang officials claim the meeting had "positive results," including a consensus to work together to end the political crisis gripping the country and save the economy. In his opening statement, Mr. Estrada told the meeting--called to come up with a common front to end the political and economic uncertainty in the country--promised to institute five reforms, including restoring confidence in the presidency and the government. He also reiterated his stand to let the impeachment process take its due course.

Press Secretary Ricardo V. Puno, Jr. told a briefing after the meeting the assessment was that the economic fundamentals remain strong and that "there was real optimism that we could move forward." As for the jueteng scandal and the impeachment proceedings at the House of Representatives, Mr. Puno said the NSC agreed to "expedite the process, get the charges to the Senate and get this behind us."

National Security Adviser Alexander P. Aguirre, for his part, said that aside from pursuing the constitutional solution, the NSC agreed to "maintain political stability" and exercise maximum tolerance to groups calling for the President's resignation.

Mr. Aguirre noted that the NSC meeting was frank and candid, adding that Mr. Ramos's call for the President's resignation was expected, having issued the same statement in the media earlier. Mr. Ramos recommended seven reforms the President should undertake to regain the trust and confidence of the public. He also held a 20-minute one-on-one meeting with Mr. Estrada prior to the meeting.

"These views and proposals are well taken and should be given due consideration," Mr. Aguirre said, adding the recommendations have been forwarded to concerned Cabinet members for their action. But in a talk with reporters after the meeting, Mr. Ramos, asked several times if he thought something was achieved or whether he was satisfied with the results, Mr. Ramos answered, "The merienda (snacks) was good."

But former Budget and Management Secretary Salvador Enriquez, Jr., who accompanied Mr. Ramos to the meeting, said the former President's seven-point recommendation was not even tackled during the meeting. "I imagine there was a problem to be addressed so it looks like after some reports, there was no problem. They were reporting glowing numbers about the economy so there was no problem. What is there to solve?" Mr. Enriquez said.

"They tried to outdo one another," he added in the vernacular, noting that the Estrada Cabinet continued to maintain that nothing was wrong with the economy. "They were all reporting the glorious days of the Erap administration," he added.

In his opening statement, Mr. Estrada said the domestic economy is a "picture of contradiction," noting that despite its "healthy" economic fundamentals, the country is faced with negative business perception. He then enumerated growth figures, inflation numbers and even gross international reserves levels, saying the economy's expansion has been clouded by developments in the external environment "beyond our control."

He also thanked the former President for attending the meeting, adding that he values Mr. Ramos' insights on governance and the economy and holds him in high esteem. Mr. Estrada, in conclusion suggested what he called five possible "avenues for resolving the crisis." These are:

-- We shall work hard for the restoration of public confidence in the presidency and the government;

-- We shall work for the greater efficiency and effectiveness in governance. We shall continue to dispense services to our people. We shall also continue to consult with all concerned and forge a consensus on solutions to our problems;

-- We shall dissuade our people from resorting to extra-constitutional and or violent means to solve the nation's current problems;

-- We shall endeavor to lessen the effects of the political controversy on the economy. We shall reassure the business community and foreign investors on the stability of our democratic institutions, the rule of law and that this political controversy will not disrupt the current policies and rules governing business; and,

-- We shall vigorously pursue the four-point policy framework to address the secessionist problem in Mindanao."

But his predecessor, in a strongly worded speech, said yesterday's convening of the NSC was already "too late" in the face of the already "grave" political and economic crisis gripping the country as a result of the jueteng scandal. "I now also bring to you, Mr. President, and the members of the NSC, the message from EDSA which was clearly and powerfully delivered last Saturday and to which the market is responding positively today (Monday)," Mr. Ramos said.

"That is, for you, Mr. President, to resign! This is the heroic and historic act you can do, to preserve your legacy and posterity and to heal and save the nation," he added. As if to prove how badly Mr. Estrada managed the country's affairs in his two years and five months in office, Mr. Ramos pointed out that when he left the presidency the county was well ahead of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

"And where are we now? At near the tail end, perhaps better than Indonesia overall. Again, the Philippines is a 'sick man' in a region that is fast recovering from the 1997 economic turmoil," Mr. Ramos noted. He said he and former President Corazon C. Aquino share the view that "a key imperative for each administration is to build on the gains of the previous ones because our people would not want us to go back to square one or go back to the intensive care ward, but to keep on moving forward."

Mr. Ramos added that if Mr. Estrada wants to regain the confidence of the majority he should undertake the following:

-- Change his extravagant lifestyle and his unfocused work ethic. Every waking hour of the President must be dedicated to the tackling of the country's most serious problems;

-- Make a clear explanation or justification on the allegations of his involvement in corruption, cronyism, jueteng and his unexplained wealth;

-- Outline a doable short-term and strategic economic program, including how to address the expanding budget deficit in order to reverse the looming economic collapse and to move us back to the path of steady recovery;

-- Pursue an honest-to-goodness anti-poverty program based on capability-building, self-help, self-reliance, people empowerment to replace dole-out, pogi (loosely translated, handsome) points formulas;

-- Implement a holistic approach to the ongoing, serious problems of Mindanao to include the return of the derailed government-Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace process to the negotiating table but not in a foreign venue;

-- Fire those among the President's wide circle of advisers, assistants and consultants who are there to promote not effective governance but only their vested interests. And as the case maybe, to tax and/or prosecute those who have evaded the payment of income taxes or customs duties in the right amounts. Also removing all those others who form his "cordon sanitaire of privilege" if they do not contribute to the credibility of the presidency; and,

-- Don beginning now, all other corrective actions to reverse the situation. -- Leotes Marie T. Lugo