Los Angeles, CA – Last June 8, Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III met with the Filipino-American community during a reception at the Hilton, LAX, speaking briefly on the topics he discussed with US Pres. Barack Obama and boasting about the government’s anti-corruption drive.

However, Fil-Am groups protesting Aquino’s visit to the United States lambasted the president’s “puppetry” to the US government and stressed the need to institute more fundamental social reforms.

Boasting of ‘freedom from hunger’

During Aquino’s quick stop in LA, he met and praised Jessica Sanchez of American Idol and Apl.d.ap of Black Eyed Peas. He did a “speak-and-run” appearance at the Hilton Hotel before heading back to the Philippines to celebrate the country’s 114th Independence Day.

In his speech, Aquino said that he was increasing government funding for the Philippine military. The 2012 budget includes a 1.6 percent basic pay increase for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). In total, the government will spend P142.8 billion pesos for pay and allowances of 2.3 million servicemen.

Aquino said that Filipino servicemen enjoy healthcare and support program benefits such as childcare. The president wants to implement a housing program for military personnel, who will pay P200 per month as mortgage under a 15 years-to-pay plan. He believes that the pay raise and services for the AFP will curb military corruption.

Meanwhile, Aquino still refuses to grant private sector workers in the Philippines a significant across-the-board wage increase.

Aquino’s speech highlighted rice production as the key to alleviating hunger. He boasted that the Philippines will be able to become a net exporter of rice by 2013, although not mentioning the steps that his administration will take to ensure this. Last year, the country imported 2.2 millions tons of rice.

The president also stated that Filipinos are enjoying “freedom from hunger.”

However, some Filipino-Americans who attended the reception commented that this was probably untrue. “Statistics indicate the opposite,” said one of the guests, Luis Buktaw.

The most recent survey by the Social Weather Stations pegged the hunger rate at 23.8 per cent or 4.8 million families going hungry at least once in the past three months.

More work to be done

President Aquino also bragged to the Filipino-American community about his reputation as “a more honest leader” than his predecessor, former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Aquino hinted to the audience, “I’m not surprised if (former Chief Justice Renato) Corona was the one booking GMA’s flights out of the country.”

Arroyo was arrested in November 2011 on electoral fraud charges. Recently, Corona was convicted by the Senate impeachment court for his failure to declare almost P200 million deposited in several dollar and peso accounts.

But according to Theresa Jaranilla, Bayan USA Southern California coordinator, “While Corona’s conviction is welcomed, Aquino has much more work to do in order to address the most basic needs of the Filipino people. Aquino must move forward with the prosecution of Arroyo for the gross human rights violations and plunder that occurred during her regime.”

The Arroyo administration has been implicated in the torture, enforced disappearances and killings of hundreds of activists, journalists and clergy. Under the current Aquino administration, these human rights violations still continue.

“We see Corona’s conviction as just one small step forward.  Many more economic and political reforms are necessary in order to end the suffering of the Filipino people,” Jaranilla added.

Growing US-PH military relations

Aquino’s visit to Obama was another testament to the United States and the Philippines’ growing military relations. Despite the US recession and health, education, and social welfare budget cuts, the Obama administration still gave US$30 million for Philippine military assistance. (However, US$3 million of this is still being withheld pending the Aquino administration’s progress in investigating and prosecuting extrajudicial killings).

In his speech in LA, Aquino boasted of a new infrastructure project that will connect the North Luzon and South Luzon expressways. According to the president, this project, estimated to cost P20.181 billion, will reduce travel time from Laguna to Clark Air Force Base to one hour and five minutes.

However, according to Bernadette Ellorin, chair of Bayan USA, the South Luzon to North Luzon expressway is intended for the convenience of travel to and from Clark Air Field, the former US military base that was shut down in a landmark decision by the Philippine Senate back in 1991 due to persistent calls for patriotism and Philippine territorial integrity.

“With Aquino answering Washington’s call to re-open both Clark and Subic, it is clear that by good-governance Aquino means loyal US puppetry,” Ellorin said.

Ellorin also deplored that “Aquino would rather prioritize the US military agenda in the country than resolve the domestic crises of deepening poverty and joblessness.” One of the concrete measures of a failing economy is the continuous rise in the number of Filipinos leaving the country to look for jobs, she said.

For many in the Filipino-American community, Aquino’s good governance and anti-corruption drive is rhetoric that falls between the cracks, as his administration has proven to prioritize the interests of the US government and big businesses, especially with his latest visit to the country.