The Bad and the Good News

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The Bad News

The bad news is that President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino probably became president mainly on the strength of the votes of the Iglesia ni Cristo. Aquino received 15,208,678 votes while former president Joseph Ejercito Estrada garnered 9,487,837 votes. The difference is 5,720,841 votes, still within the low estimate of the votes that the Iglesia could accordingly deliver in a national election. If his closest rival in the 2010 presidential elections, former Joseph Ejercito Estrada, received the political blessings of the Iglesia ni Cristo, then he could be the 15th president of the republic.

That his inaugural speech managed to stir emotions on many of the citizens, regardless of political persuasions, social backgrounds, and economic standing, can be attributed to the fact that he defined himself and his mode of governance as the exact opposite of that of his predecessor, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Ms. Arroyo presided over nine years of despicable rule punctuated by some accomplishments and good intentions that made many people unsure to take part in efforts to unseat her from office. If the French revolution ended by beheading their king and crowning Napoleon, then EDSA Two ended by removing Estrada and installing Arroyo.

The rise of the son of martyred parents can be attributed to a number of important factors, such as his parent’s reputation, the love and respect that many people nurture for his mother, former President Corazon C. Aquino, his quaint image as someone unlike a traditional politician despite being a descendant of a political dynasty, the unusually awful appeal of the outgoing administration, the absence of an experienced and respected presidential candidate who could command loyalty, admiration and votes, and the contribution and efforts of the thousands of volunteers and supporters.

The apparent lack of preparations on the part of the new president is discernable from the way Memorandum Circular No. 1 was drafted, issued, recalled, and then transmitted to the bureaucracy, as well as from the manner by which appointments to the cabinet and other key positions are done. MC No. 1 -- which declared all positions appointed by the president and occupied by officials who have no career executive service officer (CESO) eligibility as vacant as of June 30, 2010 -- was formulated without consulting the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the agency that takes charge of the human resources of the government. The appointments to cabinet and other key positions are still incomplete and the choice of cabinet members is, to a large extent, made on the basis of personal and political affiliations rather than competence.

The appointment of Dr. Ramon Paje as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is a case in point. To his credit, Dr. Paje has been with the DENR since 1990s as an assistant secretary, one of the youngest holders of that position in government around that time. Dr. Paje, however, has a level of performance that is similar to that of the president when he was still a member of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines – mediocre.

Stated differently, the appointments of president Aquino do not convey the message that he projected in his inaugural speech. And the bad news is, he is beginning to show signs that he is becoming what he promised not to be.

The Good News

President Aquino still has nearly six years to become what he said he will be. His insistence on the no wang-wang policy is admirable. His decision to keep the Director General of the Philippine National Police, Jesus A. Verzosa, is commendable. His mere presence in the current political landscape simply evokes pride, joy and optimism.

His appointment of Mr. Butch Abad as head of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is better compared to an earlier hint that Mr. Abad will get back the Department of Education (DepEd) portfolio. It has been suggested by some quarters that someone who at least has an earned doctorate should head the basic education department given the fact that many of the employees of that agency have postgraduate degrees. Thus, the appointment of the president of De La Salle University (DLSU) to the basic education portfolio, Brother Armin Luistro, is a curious case. Brother Luistro does not hold a doctorate but his being a former president of DLSU is a possible equivalent qualification. That Brother Luistro was among the few who called for the resignation of Arroyo at the height of the “Hello Garci” scandal in 2004 is another story. And so is the appointment of Mr. Abad’s daughter as head of the Presidential Management Staff.

The Philippines operates on the principle of delegated sovereignty. The citizens take care of themselves and their families and a few others are elected or appointed in government positions to ensure that the rights and liberties of the citizens are protected and upheld. Those who violate the citizens’ trust should be prosecuted and punished. President Aquino said something like that in his inaugural speech. There will be no reconciliation without justice, he said. And he has a good benchmark that he could use to measure his level of performance in this regard. Arroyo prosecuted Estrada, who was found guilty of plunder by a Special Division of the Sandiganbayan but managed to get a presidential pardon by what some people call political intervention.

Mr. Aquino espouses no clear political and economic ideology; hence, no expected clear economic and political agenda. His main message in his inaugural speech is good governance: one that is dedicated, transparent, effective, efficient, consultative, equitable, predictable, and subservient to the will of the people. This is his main tool to pursue reform, build infrastructure, provide employment, raise revenue collection, promote quality education, provide health services, establish safe communities, and strengthen the police and the military.

In other words, he wants to plug the holes and put in place what should have been there. This is firefighting all over again, although not in the same category as her mother did. But, may be, this is the first thing that should be done. Before one can think out of the box, sometimes one has to stay inside the box until one realizes that the box is no good at all.