Corruption | The Adobo Chronicles

Madrid, Spain (The Adobo Chronicles) – Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino, who is visiting Spain, took time to speak before the Filipino community in Madrid, touting the accomplishments of his administration.

Aquino took credit for his country’s improved economy, the successful war against government corruption, massive upgrading of airports, and even the impressive showing of the Philippine basketball team at the ongoing World Cup.

“We have also seen a change in the nightmarish traffic situation in Metro Manila and other urban cities,” Aquino said, “it has gotten worse.” Aquino received a standing ovation after he made this statement.

Meanwhile, hours after boasting of the country’s economy, the Philippine peso lost 0.5 percent at 44.130 pesos to the U.S. dollar, the weakest rate since August 8.

Back in the Philippines, Aquino’s critics said the president needs a new eyeglass prescription. “His bifocals seem to let him see two different things at any given time: his imaginary reality and the real plight of the country outside of the presidential palace,” they said.

Manila, Philippines. (The Adobo Chronicles) – The pork barrel scandal that has gripped the Philippines and elevated corruption to unprecedented levels may finally come to an end.

The scandal involves the alleged siphoning of ten billion pesos of taxpayer money into the coffers of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles , ghost nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and politicians.

First, it was the senators that were implicated in the scandal (more than half of sitting senators), then top Aquino administration officials, then current and past congressmen (more than 150 of them), then journalists, and finally the National Bureau of Investigation and the Departme of Justice. That leaves the Catholic bishops the only ones unscathed.

But wait, previous news reports have long associated the Catholic church with Napoles, including the reported transfer of the famed Black Nazarene statue at the Quiapo Catholic Church to her residence for some private occasion.

Seeing as how no one is left who is not implicated in the scam, President Noynoy Aquino today announced that he has issued an executive order granting absolute pardon to all who have been involved in the pork barrel scandal. “This will allow our country to start fresh and rise from all this embarrassment and negativity,” Aquino said. He added, “it is time for us to build a new society.”

Ironically, ‘new society’ translates to ‘bagong lipunan,” a mantra used by the late President Ferdinand Marcos soon after he declared Martial Law that sealed his decades long dictatorial rule of this U.S. ally country.