BY ISMAEL AMIGO

1ST-APLUMA NATIONAL PRESIDENT

FINANCE Secretary Cesar Purisima, hounded by issues regarding his statement of assets and liabilities, should temporarily step down from his post to spare the Aquino administration from further trouble.

Purisima, whose department runs the Bureau of Internal Revenue, should do it out of delicadeza because the accusation against him contradicts President Aquino's campaign of clean and honest government.

Having Purisima on board while the Aquino government is agressively going after tax evaders puts a cloud of doubt over the seriousness of its campaign to prosecute those who want to cheat the government.

How can the government pursue tax cheaters if Purisima himself is now perceived by the public as one after it was reported that he has problems reconciling his financial statements from 2007 to 2009.

Huwag na sanang antayin ni Sec. Purisima na lalo pang bumaba ang rating ng Pangulo bago siya kumilos.

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Is the Aquino administration guilty of double standard in the implementation of law? Zambales Rep. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay thinks so.

The feisty lady lawmaker recently scored the Aquino administration for its double standard approach in the implementation of the law, absolving its allies like Sec. Purisima while convicting without trial its perceived enemies.

Rep. Magsaysay is wondering why the BIR not lifting a finger on this matter of Purisima’s evasion of taxes and unpaid taxes while the agency pursues cases against the son of former President Gloria Arroyo and other perceived political enemies of the administration.

The best thing that P-Noy should do now is to ask Purisima to take a leave while the BIR looks into the matter.

That will convince the public that the President is serious in going after tax cheats, and maybe, this could lead to the resurgence of his approval rating.

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Speaking of P-Noy’s approval rating, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) recently revealed that the administration’s net performance rating slid as much as 18 points from last November’s 64 to 46 based on the latest survey conducted from March 4 to 7. Meaning, it's below now the 50-50 line.

This decline, according to House Minority Leader Rep. Edcel Lagman, only manifests the people’s judgment on Aquino’s failed promises.

He said that the continuing downward trend of the people’s rating of the Aquino administration’s over-all performance is a judgment of the President’s failure to deliver on his promises of more jobs and less corruption.

Lagman added that Aquino’s “inordinate predisposition in blaming previous administrations for their alleged mistakes, instead of finding solutions to current problems” cannot detract the discerning public.