Certified idiocy

INEPT AND INCOMPETENT. That was how the Honorable Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio infamously scorned the Pampanga police force, notably the provincial director, Senior Supt. Keith Ernald Singian and the chief of police of the City of San Fernando, Supt. Benjamin Medina in the wake of what he called the “siege of the Capitol” by disgruntled truckers and the disgusted Balas boys last Jan. 5.
Inept and incompetent. Idiotic too. That was what we made of at least two of the chiefs of offices under the Office of the Governor at the budget hearing conducted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan at Montevista Tuesday. And we are still being kind to them, else we would have tagged them “cretins.”
Consider the head of the Civil Security Unit. The Jan. 5 incident is by itself an indictment of the ineptness and incompetence of the CSU, the security of the Capitol building being its very reason for being. Heads at the CSU should have rolled after the “siege.” But no, CSU’s egghead of a chief had to be let loose, if only to display a greater show of ineptness, incompetence and idiocy in trying to defend the proposed CSU budget before the SP.
Asked Vice Gov. Yeng Guiao: “The CSU has lesser personnel now than last year, how come you are requesting for more funds for personnel services.”
Answered the CSU chief: “Because the provincial band has been lumped with the CSU.”
An incredulous Guiao: “What has this band of musicians got to do with security? With what will they secure the Capitol, with their trumpets?”
(Maybe, Vice Gov., this is part of the streamlining program of the Panlilio administration, some sort of multi-tasking.)
Guiao, again: “What role does the CSU play at the Capitol?”
CSU chief: “We prevent looting and secure the Pampanga Day.”
(See? Multi-tasking. But where the heck could the looting possibly come from?)
So, what could the CSU chief say of the “siege of the Capitol,” Guiao wanted to know.
“The CSU escorted the truckers to the Office of the Vice Governor upon his request,” he answered.
Greater incredulity on the face of Guiao now: “What are you talking about? I meant the incident of Jan. 5 not Jan. 12. Just give us a brief of your incident report of Jan. 5.”
“It is not yet finalized, Sir,” came the reply.
(An incident report yet to be finalized eight days after the incident is not an incident report. It falls under the category of a historical report or an archival entry.)
Bless Guiao for his forbearance, patiently lecturing the CSU chief on the definition of an incident report. Idiota!
Then there is the chief of the Pampanga Investment Promotion Office (PIPO).
So, how much investment came to Pampanga in 2008, asked Guiao of him.
“I have no figures for 2008, Sir. What I have are for 2006.”
Guiao: “How can you come up with a plan for 2009 when you don’t have these basic data? How would you know if investments are growing or not?”
PIPO chief: “Sir, we concentrated on the streamlining program.”
Guiao: “Investment promotion is the very name of your office, not streamlining.”
PIPO chief: “Sir, I found here in my papers the 2008 data. A total of P31 billion new investments in Pampanga which amounted to 23 percent share of new investments in the region. This is from BOI, PEZA and Clark.”
Guiao: “Investments in Clark cannot be attributable to us because we did not have any efforts there. Clark has its own investment promotion program. Give us the investments on a per municipality basis. How much was agri-based, industrial, commercial, and the like.”
PIPO chief: “We don’t have them, Sir.”
(For the record, a quick check – through text – with the CDC public affairs office showed that for 2008, 164 projects were signed: 65 new investments, 22 expansion projects, and 77 renewals. The new investments and expansion projects amounted to P13.11 billion, with committed employment at 13,737. Now, that is what an investment promotion office should have. Basic data at its fingertips.)
Watching the budget hearings made us think that the basic qualification for chief of office at the Office of the Governor is certified idiocy. But if you think the above instances are all there is to ineptness, incompetence and idiocy thereat, then brace yourselves for this whammy.
Governor Panlilio: “I have to be candid before this body, I am not privy to the development plan. I expected Mr. Rommel Pineda (the PIPO chief) to come up with the plan.”
The governor of Pampanga clueless about the development plan of the province! And he is the acclaimed paladin of good governance!