Post by mrg on Sept 27, 2007 5:01:24 GMT -5
Early this year I was happy to note that Mr. Neri had finally made some bold moves in trying to bring to the attention of other government officials what he calls the ‘state of regulatory capture’ of the government regulators for the public utilities and services supposedly in the service of the Filipino people – looking after their welfare and protecting them against abuse ranging from inefficient services to abnormally high rates. As a result I wrote the piece found at reklamo.ph/maritimewatchkeeper/?p=207
However, his apparent change of heart in running after what he has called the ‘booty capitalists’ in this country has shown that he has been merely and simply mouthing some academic mumbo jumbo, or cowed out of his professed stand that booty capitalism is doing the country much harm.. Faced with a situation where he could have brought down the whole cabal of ‘booty capitalists’, he turned his tail and ran!
Mr. Neri knows the dynamics of ‘booty capitalism’ all too well. I know that he has had this model of what he could do to contribute to solving what ails the Philippine economy. His familiarity with this model may be gleaned from his statement that:
The vicious cycle of booty capitalism starts when vested interests including powerful business groups, finance their own candidates during elections. When their candidates win, the vested interest groups are able to add political power to their already vast economic power. This oligarchic elite is able to influence policies to the point of distorting them. And their very ability to distort policies allows them to capture economic rent, economic rent being extraordinary profits which make them extraordinarily rich. This gives them greater economic power which in turn allows them to finance our election.
[See more of these at the following sites:
www.econ.upd.edu.ph/events/20040205/20040205_txt_lecture_romulo_neri.pdf
"]http://www.econ.upd.edu.ph/events/20040205/20040205_ppt_lecture_romulo_neri.pdf]
I learned this of Mr. Neri some five years ago and I was glad to see him in the cabinet; because I thought then that finally he would have a chance to eyeball these booty capitalists and probably put them in their proper places. I was almost certain that asked the proper question, he would have had mentioned these booty capitalists. In fact he started to confirm pressure from one Enrique Razon.
Perhaps if someone had pursued to ask Mr. Neri about his “hidden agenda” (which he mentioned more than once during the investigation) he might have elaborated on the connection between his pet theory on “booty capitalism”, “regulatory capture” of government agencies that are being blamed for the high cost of utilities/services, and his difficulty as Neda head to accommodate these businessmen.
The cast identified by Mr. Neri involved in the dynamics of ‘booty capitalism’ is already complete in the NBN hearing. The Comelec, as this really is the focus of where the action is, the politician that wants very badly to win an election, the businessman that is able to provide election funding in exchange for future business accommodations via the facilitation of the captured bureaucrats (DOTC). Is there still a chance for Mr. Neri to reveal his “hidden agenda”? I wonder whether he will still invoke “Executive Privilege” where it is his own plans of action that are involved.
However, his apparent change of heart in running after what he has called the ‘booty capitalists’ in this country has shown that he has been merely and simply mouthing some academic mumbo jumbo, or cowed out of his professed stand that booty capitalism is doing the country much harm.. Faced with a situation where he could have brought down the whole cabal of ‘booty capitalists’, he turned his tail and ran!
Mr. Neri knows the dynamics of ‘booty capitalism’ all too well. I know that he has had this model of what he could do to contribute to solving what ails the Philippine economy. His familiarity with this model may be gleaned from his statement that:
The vicious cycle of booty capitalism starts when vested interests including powerful business groups, finance their own candidates during elections. When their candidates win, the vested interest groups are able to add political power to their already vast economic power. This oligarchic elite is able to influence policies to the point of distorting them. And their very ability to distort policies allows them to capture economic rent, economic rent being extraordinary profits which make them extraordinarily rich. This gives them greater economic power which in turn allows them to finance our election.
[See more of these at the following sites:
www.econ.upd.edu.ph/events/20040205/20040205_txt_lecture_romulo_neri.pdf
"]http://www.econ.upd.edu.ph/events/20040205/20040205_ppt_lecture_romulo_neri.pdf]
I learned this of Mr. Neri some five years ago and I was glad to see him in the cabinet; because I thought then that finally he would have a chance to eyeball these booty capitalists and probably put them in their proper places. I was almost certain that asked the proper question, he would have had mentioned these booty capitalists. In fact he started to confirm pressure from one Enrique Razon.
Perhaps if someone had pursued to ask Mr. Neri about his “hidden agenda” (which he mentioned more than once during the investigation) he might have elaborated on the connection between his pet theory on “booty capitalism”, “regulatory capture” of government agencies that are being blamed for the high cost of utilities/services, and his difficulty as Neda head to accommodate these businessmen.
The cast identified by Mr. Neri involved in the dynamics of ‘booty capitalism’ is already complete in the NBN hearing. The Comelec, as this really is the focus of where the action is, the politician that wants very badly to win an election, the businessman that is able to provide election funding in exchange for future business accommodations via the facilitation of the captured bureaucrats (DOTC). Is there still a chance for Mr. Neri to reveal his “hidden agenda”? I wonder whether he will still invoke “Executive Privilege” where it is his own plans of action that are involved.