Centrist Democracy Political Institute - Items filtered by date: June 2025
Wednesday, 18 October 2017 11:56
President Duterte declares liberation of Marawi City
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Tuesday, October 17, declared that Marawi City has been liberated from terrorists after more than four months of battle against the ISIS-inspired Maute group.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby declare Marawi City liberated from the terrorist influence that marks the beginning of rehabilitation for the people,” the Chief Executive said in his speech in Marawi City a day after Maute terrorist leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute were neutralized by government troops.
“‘Wag na natin itong ulitin kailanman. Sa panahon ko, hindi ako papayag. Government must have access dito sa loob,” he added.
In his seventh visit to the Islamic City, the Commander-in-Chief also expressed gratitude to the government troops.
At the same time, he lauded the military and the police for their bravery.
“Maraming salamat at maligaya kaming mga Pilipino sa inyo. Mabuhay! Mabuhay! Mabuhay ang Armed Forces pati police! Matatapang, lalo na sa babae,” Duterte said.
The President also expressed concern for the government’s security forces who were wounded.
“Mga minahal kong sundalo, pulis, ang problema ko ang nasugatan ngayon. Marami ‘yan. ‘Yung iba nabaldado,” he said.
“I can guarantee you. Sinasabi ko na sa inyo ngayon, walang iwanan. Ipupwesto ko silang lahat,” the President said.
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in the conflict, including more than 800 enemies, 47 civilians and 163 government troops since the rebellion started in May.
President Duterte: Old PUJs killing people
Meanwhile, President Duterte called on transport operators and drivers to modernize the public utility jeepneys (PUJs) as the old ones are already harmful to the public’s health.
“Kayong mga Piston, you know that you are poisoning the people. 2030, one-third ng Pilipino puro mahirap ‘yan mamamatay ng lung cancer,” the Chief Executive said.
“But change your machines, equipment because they are killing the people diyan sa carbon dioxide na ‘yan,” he added.
The President cited the program that would enable the operators to borrow from government and pay in tranches.
“Ang gobyerno may program, pinapahiram kayo ng pera. Ayan, bayaran ninyo dahan-dahan lang. Kung hindi niyo kaya ng monthly installment, ‘di piso kada araw,” Duterte said.
” You do it now. Implement now.. Gawain ko kung ano ‘yung tama, ano ‘yung kailangan para sa tao,” he added. (PND)
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Wednesday, 18 October 2017 10:37
‘Relatively, it's already safe to rebuild Marawi,’ says Andanar
Despite the presence of a few remaining Filipino and foreign terrorist fighters in the newly-liberated city, it is relatively safe to rebuild Marawi, said Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar on Wednesday.
His statement came the morning after President Rodrigo Duterte declared the city "liberated from terrorists," ushering in the beginning of the recovery of the ruined city.
"Relatively, it's already safe to rebuild Marawi," said Andanar in an interview on Unang Balita.
He said the rescued hostages he had talked to on Tuesday told him the number of terrorist forces had thinned out since Friday, when they last talked.
Andanar added that the main battlefield has decreased in size, from three hectares to two as of October 17.
In the outskirts of the city, rehabilitation and trade could begin, he said.
"Sa outskirts ng Marawi, syempre ang laking lugar n'un eh, ay okay na magsimula 'yung rehabilitasyon at kalakalan," said the PCOO chief.
What is not safe to say, on the other hand, is that martial law will be lifted after the presidential declaration of liberation.
"I wouldn't say that. I would leave that to the President," he said, adding there are remaining forces in Basilan and Jolo, Sulu that need to be countered.
Rehabilitation
The government will need P150 billion to rebuild Marawi City. The Office of Civil Defense, together with the Department of National Defense (DND), estimated the overall rehabilitation to cost at least P100 billion up to P150 billion.
Andanar said it is up to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno to source the funds for the immense project, but that an initial P5 billion has already been allocated for use until December this year.
The PCOO, for its part, has received P30 million to establish a Salam television and radio station for the city, he said.
"At least, in terms of communicating the message of government ay magkakaroon po ng sariling TV at stasyon ang siyudad ng Marawi," he said.
Rehabilitation has already started in some parts of the city, he said, citing the building of both temporary and permanent shelters in certain barangays around the city.
Marawi City's ground zero has to be cleared entirely, said Andanar.
"Talagang wala ka nang mapakikinabangan eh. You have to bulldoze the entire area, 'yung ground zero," he said.
The nearly 360,000 individuals who had been displaced by the fighting may return home once the area is completely free from explosive devices, added Andanar.
"Once that is cleared already, na-mop out na 'yan, then they can already go back," he said.
He said Task Force Bangon Marawi will hold a meeting later in the day to discuss recovery efforts for the city, which endured armed fighting for almost five months. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas /KG, GMA News
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Tuesday, 17 October 2017 10:50
Martial law in Mindanao stays despite death of Maute leaders: DND
MANILA — The Department of National Defense (DND) on Monday said martial law would remain in effect in Mindanao despite the death of top terrorist leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute in Marawi City.
“No, we are not talking about lifting martial law yet, tingnan pa natin, we are only looking in the immediate aftermath of the killing of these two leaders, we may, sabi ko nga we may be lifting, I mean announcing the cessation of hostilities within this week and then after that we will find out,” Lorenzana told reporters during the press conference.
President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation No. 216 on May 23 declaring martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao. This was a result of the attack of the Maute groupin Marawi City, which is still ongoing and is subject to military operations.
The DND chief said they had yet to assess the situation in order for them to determine whether they can recommend the lifting of martial law to President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We will find out, we will assess the entire Mindanao if there is a need to recommend to the President the lifting of martial law,” he noted.
When asked on the possible retaliation of Maute remnants, Lorenzana said “We are prepared, our troops are prepared, alam naman natin that it is the modus operandi of the enemy to make, to create diversion dito, diversion dyan, retaliation din, so our troops are prepared.”
As of Monday, the number of slain Maute terrorists are placed at 822 along with 162 troops killed-in-action. (PNA)
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Tuesday, 17 October 2017 10:43
US congratulates PHL military for successful operation vs. Hapilon, Omar Maute
The United States on Tuesday hailed the operation carried out by the Philippine military that killed the two ISIS-linked leaders of a deadly siege in Marawi City as it vowed to continue working closely with its Filipino counterparts to fight extremism and terrorism.
“We congratulate our partners in the Armed Forces of the Philippines for their reported success in killing two of the leaders behind the months-long clash in Marawi: Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute,” US Embassy spokesperson Molly Koscina told GMA News Online.
Hapilon and Maute were killed in a gunbattle and their bodies were recovered in Marawi on Monday morning.
The AFP is in the final stages of eradicating the remnants of ISIS-linked Filipino militants, who staged attacks on Marawi City last May 23.
Nearly 1,000 people, including many militants, have been killed in months of fighting and an estimated 40 gunmen, including foreigners, remain fighting in a much-smaller area in Marawi, the military said.
Thousands, who have been displaced, either live in temporary shelters or are staying with relatives.
President Rodrigo Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao to address the militant takeover in Marawi – the worst crisis he has encountered since he assumed the presidency in June 2016.
US Special Forces have been assisting the AFP end the siege by providing technical assistance and enemy surveillance to Filipino troops battling the militants in Marawi.
“The US is proud to support the AFP’s counterterrorism efforts in Mindanao through intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, and other technical assistance,” Koscina said.
Philippines-US counter-terrorism cooperation over the years has successfully led to the killing of key local terrorists in Mindanao.
“The US-Philippine alliance is built on a 70-year history. We will continue working with our Filipino friends, partners and allies to eradicate violent extremism and terrorism,” Kosina said. — Michaela del Callar/RSJ, GMA News
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Monday, 16 October 2017 09:14
DOF conducts lifestyle checks on all its employees
Employees of the Department of Finance (DOF) are playing catch me if you can with their employer.
The DOF is faced with the challenge of discovering the unexplained wealth of its employees, who it says are better at hiding assets the higher they are in the bureaucracy.
“Our problem is, the higher the rank, the smarter they get in hiding assets. We just have to outthink them,” said Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin.
The DOF is conducting lifestyle checks on its employees and on those working at its attached agencies after finding out that some workers own expensive condominium units and cars despite their meager salaries.
Review of SALNs
“So what we do is to look up the SALNs [statements of assets, liabilities and net worth] of everyone under our umbrella.” Agabin told reporters on Friday night. “And then we compare, look at the trend and [their SALN] declaration.”
The DOF’s attached agencies are the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Local Government Finance, Securities and Exchange Commission, Insurance Commission and all local treasurers.
“Some are, let’s say, earning P20,000 a month, but you can see year-on-year jump in their SALNs … We discovered also, for instance, that they do not declare properties in their SALNs,” Agabin said.
Some officials and employees also collect cars, expensive bags and watches, as well as guns, Agabin added.
Condos
“Recently, we secured four or five [employees] for dismissal. Some of them, even if they earn only P40,000 a month they have two condos in Makati, expensive properties,” Agabin said.
The finance official said the DOF was investigating “many” employees, but declined to identify them.
“A couple” of high-ranking officials were also being investigated, he said. “Personally, it’s better if we investigate high-ranked officials, or else we will be accused of targeting only lower-level [employees].
But Agabin admitted that higher-ranked officials were getting better at hiding their unexplained wealth.
The DOF has a unit called Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS), which investigates and files charges against erring revenue officials.
On its website, RIPS said that on the watch of Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, the DOF as of July had taken “punitive action against at least 19 erring local treasurers and other officials under its supervision, in line with President Duterte’s commitment to public accountability and transparency in government under his administration.”
Since its inception in 2003 until September this year, RIPS had investigated a total of 576 people, filed 250 cases, charged 305 people, dismissed 47 from service and suspended 96 others.
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Monday, 16 October 2017 09:00
Classes, gov’t work suspended for Monday’s transport strike
DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte suspended classes in all levels, both public and private schools, and government work nationwide as drivers and operators of public utility jeepneys schedule a nationwide strike.
The suspension of work does not include the private sector. The President is giving private employers the discretion whether to suspend work.
This was confirmed by Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, who, however, said the suspension of classes and government work covers only Monday.
Except for Davao City, the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) will launch a two-day transport strike to protest the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.
PISTON aimed to express sentiments of the jeepney drivers and operators against the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Omnibus Franchising Guidelines, which pushes for the modernization of public utility vehicles.
According to PISTON Chairman Charito Junares, a majority of the drivers and operators could not afford to buy the units because it would require them to put up PHP1.2 –1.6 million to own one unit.
He said that if the small jeepneys or the so-called multi-cabs would be deployed to the routes of the tricycles, it could trigger trouble among the drivers.
Manuel “Maning” Duran, chair of the Southeastern Mindanao Diversified Drivers and Operators Cooperative (SEMDDOC), said his group is also joining the jeepney strike.
He said most of the chapter presidents have signified their support to the strike. SEMDDOC has more or less 6,000 members both drivers and operators with 24 routes such as Mintal, Calinan, and Toril.
Duran said many cannot afford the modernization program much more borrow money from the bank to buy the new jeepneys.
He said most operators cannot even afford to replace or rehabilitate their jeepneys. According to Duran, a real modernization program is the Mindanao railway system.
He said the transport strike is their way of expressing their sentiments but they cannot really do anything if the government insists.
Old jeepneys would eventually just fizzle out in the light of more modern transport because the commuters or passengers have become choosy, he said.
Duran was concerned that a driver will lose a one-day income at an average of PHP500 if he will not work.
The government, however, envisions the PUV modernization program to meet safety, energy efficiency, and emission standards in order to enhance commuter convenience.
Under the modernization program, jeepney units that are 15 years old will be replaced with Euro 4 engines or electrically-powered engines with solar panels for roofs. Units will also be equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, a GPS navigation system, an Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS), speed limiters, dashboard cameras, and Wi-Fi.
On Friday, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio ordered the suspension of classes in all levels in Davao City on Monday. But in anticipation of lack of public utility vehicles during the strike, the city mayor ordered the deployment of buses to cater to stranded commuters, especially the workers.
While she respects the planned transport strike on Monday, Duterte-Carpio enjoined protesters to practice self-restraint in their actions as authorities would not tolerate crimes that would be committed during the strike. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
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Friday, 13 October 2017 16:06
Deegong’s controversial alter egos
Part 3
Shaping culture
CULTURE in the political management context, is the personality of the collective. The Deegong is very clear on this promise of “pagbabago,” or change. All incoming administrations have their slogans related to this much-prostituted word. But the Deegong has a proven track record encompassing two decades of local governance backing up this slogan. His administration is perceived to have one of the lowest incidences of corruption in government and he intends to introduce this culture of anti-corruption applying the same methods in the national level for the desired outcome.
The alter egos’ task is to help him shape this culture, from one where the practice of corruption is pervasive, legitimized and a matter of course; to one where corruption is perceived to be a perversion of positive values and ethically unacceptable. These Cabinet men and women must internalize the task to do what the Deegong did at the outset in his city—to overhaul their own respective departments also. They can’t go for cosmetic changes in techniques and tactics but must go all out to stamp out this sordid practice. Initiating management controls, reeducation and training are just some of the facets of the process. The more important aspects are the firing of corrupt personnel and instituting other sanctions, including cases in court. There is now a critical need to change this culture within the departments yet the pace of change will depend upon the political management skills of the principals—the Cabinet heads. And all these changes and initiatives need to be communicated to the public, clearly and unequivocally. And this is not simply a job for the presidential spokespersons – this requires the all-out efforts of PRRD’s alter egos, the Cabinet members. They need to be the “talking heads” of their own departments.
To understand better the political culture of the Deegong regime, we look back at where he comes from. A city mayor who ran his city successfully, boasting a good steady economic growth over two decades and imposing “law and order” on a city that was perceived to be the CPP/NPA laboratory during the martial law regime. Except for one term as a congressman, the mayor was really—as he himself admitted—“…just a local city mayor who did good by his constituency”. His no-nonsense approach to political governance was effective locally and he is applying the formula on a large scale for the whole country. This is perhaps where his critics may have some argument, on the type of people the President chooses.
Those within the periphery of power (not necessarily Cabinet posts) are from his intimate circle of friends and local boys and girls; some from his alma mater. The profile of his Cabinet are basically local personalities who made good in executive capacities as Cabinet members in past administrations (Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, heads the list with Secretaries Bello, Dureza and Diokno); some have extensive experience as local government executives (Secretaries Piñol and Sueño); and some have international exposure (Yasay of Foreign Affairs and Lorenzana of Defense).
Some chosen personally by the Deegong are those recommended by his allies in Congress, those he relied upon during the presidential campaign and the coalition he hammered to catapult him to the presidency. No doubt these choices are qualified and may have the complete trust of the President. We don’t exactly know who these people are but we do understand their entitlements in relation to the realities of this new government, the dictates of the coalition that support it and the decisions dominated by political imperatives. The President must now pay the price for the coalition’s support, by allocating as evenly as possible, appointive positions at all levels of government to the coalition members. This is of course a logical offshoot of the politics of patronage and spoils system practiced over several generations.
To date PRRD has reportedly over 3,000 positions in the bureaucracy and government corporations still left unfilled with the holdovers of the old regime still in place. This is understandable as the PDP-Laban, the nominal party of the President, does not have enough qualified people to take over the sinecures. The old office-holders may also be protected by the large influx of the Liberal Party members into the PDP-Laban who now practically dominate Congress.
But now, these people must perform their jobs based on their discernment of the new set of values which the PRRD has brought with him. And in turn those with specific Cabinet positions will have to reshape the missions and goals of their departmental turf. To do this, each Cabinet head and his own team must remold the organization and re-inject the concepts of ethics and creating public value. Those key persons in the “old organization” who are unable to give way and submerge their personal values to the collective (new political culture) must be done away with.
The job of these appointed presidential alter egos are not really cut out for them. But they need to follow the lead of their principal, the President. And here is where it becomes complicated. PRRD is a self-directed public manager always setting his own goals, pushing the boundaries of discretion. He is a proven political organizer and coalition builder. It was instinctive for PRRD to build consensus for whatever endeavor he is occupied with at the moment; but the Deegong is perceived also to be cavalier in anchoring his actions on the rule of law – and even seemingly has shown contempt for it.
Which puts the alter egos in a quandary as to how their own personal values and those of the President are analogous. A case in point is the concession given by PRRD to the CPP-NDF where three Cabinet posts were assigned to the openly avowed leftists. In the light of the failure of the peace talks between the government and the CPP/NPA/NDF, and the indictment by PRRD of these groups as terrorists; how will these alter egos now align their beliefs with that of their principal?
Another consideration for the managers recruited to populate the bureaucracy is a common belief that it is easy to transition from the private sector, where many of the Cabinet members and heads of GOCCs were recruited from. This is not exactly correct. Central to their careers as public entrepreneurs are their non-aversion to risk taking. While in the private sector, the gauge of the success or failure of entrepreneurship is in the pesos earned or lost, the bottom line for alter egos is the public good and value they create. Success of the alter egos’ work in government is reflected therefore in the eventual emancipation of the Filipino from the shackles of poverty and injustice – even perhaps at a great personal risk. This is the essence of public service.
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LML Polettiques
Friday, 13 October 2017 14:54
Digong’s controversial alter egos
Part One
IN the light of recent events in the country that have merited glaring headlines, this column, A View from the Center, will attempt at elucidation using as a backdrop the author’s paper on political management while working on a postgraduate course at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the 1980s (access www.cdpi.asia)
This will draw heavily too from personal experience as both an observer and a participant in political dynamics in the two decades serving under four administrations in various capacities from Presidents Cory, to FVR to Erap and with GMA. I was not in any way involved with PNoy’s regime. I too am not currently involved with the Dee-gong administration in any capacity. My observations on his presidency however will form a substantial part of this three-part article.
I don’t claim any intimacy with these past Presidents as most people privileged to work along the periphery of the high and mighty are wont to insinuate. I will not fall into the temptation of bloating my minor role, but will present my views as a student and practitioner of “political technocracy”.
The past few weeks’ headlines screamed for the heads of Trade Secretary Art Tugade and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. Both Cabinet members are victims of expectations—very high expectations—mainly the public’s. We are not privy to the presidential expectations but can only assume that their appointments were for the most part the result of PRRD’s assessment of their capabilities, experiences and competencies; and as classmates or alumni from the President’s university–-a not-so-light qualification given the Filipino culture of patronage.
The latter is critical as they have been designated as the President’s alter egos, and as such have the complete trust of the President and are expected to speak for and in his behalf in their areas of expertise. Such responsibility is a privileged one and both must understand the nature of the relationship.
For one, this bond is no longer a personal one, as in classmates, schoolmates or “tsokaran”. It has transcended the familiar and morphed into one containing the majesty of the office of the presidency. By this precept, both are custodians of presidential prerogatives, prestige and power; and adding their own to it to enable the President and them to do their task well. The sum of all these is the vaunted fragile political capital of the President with a sustainability dependent largely on a fickle citizenry.
All Cabinet members are by inference the President’s alter egos and must understand their roles perfectly well.
Cabinet members are heat shields and political lightning rods of the presidency. As such, part of their job is to deflect serious criticism from their respective publics and clientele of the presidency as a result of their official functions. As an efficient conductor of political heat, these honorable secretaries must prevent damage or serious erosion to the political capital of the presidency.
The high expectations of the riding public to solve the oppressive traffic situation in Metro Manila, which includes the unsafe and unreliable train system, has eaten into the perception of incompetence of the department head, hence the call for his dismissal.
Paradoxically by the above measures, the good Secretary Tugade has done well deflecting the harm to his principal, considering the enormity of the problems inherited from the immediate past regime and having occupied his office for only half a year.
The same is true with the Justice Secretary who acted to deflect from the presidency the failings of the justice system (the drug proliferation in the prisons); and more particularly the perceived anomalies perpetrated by the two alumni of their law school who very early in this administration had begun to put their dirty little fingers in the Office of Immigration.
Both Cabinet members did their job as political heat shield, but still have to prove their mettle by serving the public by doing the job they were meant to do; but the long-suffering public has understandably short patience.
The third case is the curious actuations of the head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on the alleged murder of a Korean national within the confines of his office. He claimed that a massive manhunt had been ordered personally by him to apprehend the perpetrators, only to find out from the media that the main suspect has been assigned all along at an office a stone’s throw from his. His claim once that a police rub-out suspect was freed upon the instructions of someone “higher in authority” was so inane and tragically comical as, in his job description, there is no person higher in authority than the President himself.
This series of incidents reflect his mis-appreciation of a job that catapulted him from a local provincial sinecure to the head of a critical agency in the national government. The general was utterly clueless reinforcing an elementary rule in political management that is the first duty of a presidential appointee: discovering what one’s job is. Job description at most higher levels, and in this case the top police general, is neither defined for you exactly nor “announced in the newspapers”. It is more or less the ability to “grab” authority and responsibility and incorporating the same into your own little rectangle (in the organization chart).
Calls for the resignation of these three presidential subalterns could be premature considering the short time spent at their jobs; they simply need to be on top of the learning curve. But along with the perks accorded top presidential appointees should be their readiness to prevent damage to the presidency and the country even at the risk of their own.
Such is the essence of their function as presidential alter ego; a duty to give all in the service of the President and the Filipino—and to discern well the sequence of that duty.
The phrase that they hold office upon the “pleasure of the President” is an absurd one reflecting indecisiveness. This puts the onus on the President and a wasteful withdrawal from his political capital.
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Friday, 13 October 2017 14:47
Deegong’s controversial alter egos: The talking heads
Part 2
PRESIDENT Deegong’s breakout from an image of a small-time but effective local city mayor to a national candidate of prominence and onto the presidency was single-handedly defined by the force of his personality. Looking back these past two years from his debut on the national stage, his image as a no-nonsense mayor was projected at first by the local media and captured by the national press but, as claimed by some locals, was distorted to some extent, such that at one point, the Deegong refused any further “press-cons”.
The original talking head, Secretary Pete Lavina, who was competent enough speaking for the Deegong locally was out of his element on the national stage. His demeanor and attempt at the “English language” was perceived to be a disaster; and he was unjustly disparaged for it. Blame too could be attributed to the Deegong who may not have understood the difficult role of his spokesperson. One cannot cage a whirlwind out to proclaim his message to the four corners.
Atty. Panelo’s stint was even more short-lived as the Deegong’s message was deflected by the flamboyant persona of the talking head himself; redirecting instead people’s attention to his sartorial tastes, a garish multi-hued combination and his forced attempt at explaining the presidency, also in colorful language uniquely the President’s. He was better off using his excellent legal mind in the service of the President away from the public glare.
The two that followed, Secretary Martin Andanar, the communications director, and Secretary Ernie Abella, the presidential spokesperson, have been recruited to do almost impossible jobs. Which brings us to the issue at hand.
These two Cabinet members who handle the Deegong’s image and disseminate his messages are his alter egos too, and aside from being his political heat shields and lightning rods, must understand the more specialized roles assigned to them. The current problem of “vigilantism and extra-judicial killing” has entered the lexicon of the political conversation. This issue needs to be expounded in a different light projecting a different image. Changing the face of the issue is one such tool in political management. The issue must emphasize the inevitable slow but deadly slide towards narco-political abyss. Why not capture a big fat drug lord and make an example of him? A Lim Seng of the Marcos regime but going through the justice system–-and doing it fast. Surely, the political capital of the Deegong can guarantee fast justice.
Or project real investigations of rogue policemen and generals whom the Deegong have already shamed, but not in the TV camera-centered congressional hearings that go nowhere. Why only poor dead addicts, why not dead rogue policemen and rich corrupt politicians? Why not sample congressmen in the presidential blue list (refer to the Manila Times, “Conversations with the Deegong” Dec 15, 22, 29 2016…www.cdpi.asia)
And this cannot be the job only of the “talking heads”. Make it an executive department-wide concern and expand the context by bringing it to the national consciousness. Field articulate Cabinet members to several national TV and radio networks where they can defend the government action on illegal drugs as a legitimate response to a threat, menace and danger. There are countless literature and horror stories in Columbia, Mexico and some other South American countries of drug cartels and narco-politicians capturing political and economic power and sipping the life-blood of the country dry. Bring these out as illustrations of weak states! This massive government response could succeed in changing the character of the debate from one focused on human rights violations to that of the legitimate right of the people with the help of government to defend themselves and their homes from the evils of illegal drugs. But this can’t be left alone for the President to champion. This requires a well-oiled team in the highest echelons of government. But do we have that team? (This will be discussed in the last part of this 3-part article).
Relating with external environment
(Excerpts from the above-mentioned paper www.cdpi.asia) “A critical appreciation of a job of high officials in public service is the importance of relating with key elements of their external environment: interest groups and lobbyists who tend to see their issues as having preeminence over others (anti- and pro-capital punishment etc.); a majority of those who supported the winner’s candidacy may call upon the administration to extract their pound of political flesh for their perceived entitlements; the practitioners in the media who consider themselves the “fourth estate” and sometimes final arbiter of conflicts, and are prone to reporting controversial events and nothing else. The power of social media and the internet was also shown during the presidential campaign, which helped catapult the Deegong to the presidency, freeing him from dependence on the editorial boards. The political and legislative overseers who have a handle on the Cabinet departments’ resources (threat of budget cuts, tightening funds flow, restrictive laws and regulations); and the more important authorizing environment, Congress and more particularly the President, who, in the course of the transition from the PNoy regime also brought with him a new change in a set of dominant values.
“It is in relation to the realities of this new seven-month old government, the dictates of the coalition of political parties that support it and the decisions dominated by political imperatives that will have to reshape the missions and goals of each department and of each Cabinet secretary. They who are themselves the President’s personal choices should be ready to accept Usecs and Asecs whose qualifications are offshoots of the politics of patronage and spoils system—not necessarily congruent with the demands and skills needed for the jobs.”
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Friday, 13 October 2017 09:26
Ramos reminds Duterte: Decline in trust ratings sharper than before
Former President Fidel V. Ramos on Thursday reminded President Rodrigo R. Duterte of the recent decline in his trust ratings, following the latter's latest outburst against European diplomats.
"The declines in Presidential trust and credibility are sharper than before," he told reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN Leadership Forum in Makati City.
Ramos was asked to comment on the recent remarks of Duterte against the European Union, threatening its diplomats to leave the Philippines within 24 hours. He did not elaborate.
The latest tirade comes after a seven-member delegation of the Progressive Alliance and Party of European Socialists, who warned that the Philippines' Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus(GSP+) may be affected should killings in the country persist.
The GSP+, currently under review by the EU, is a tariff mechanism that gives developing countries — including the Philippines — the privilege of exporting zero-duty merchandise to EU member states.
It requires the Philippine ratification of 27 international conventions that cater to human and labor rights, environmental protection, and good governance, among others.
According to results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS)n survey released on Sunday, Duterte's net satisfaction slid by 18 points to the "good level" in the third quarter.
This translates to a +48 score, the lowest the President has received so far during his term, and the first time his score fell below +60.
Earlier in the forum, Ramos said he was "authorized" by Duterte to be his "fiscalizer."
Ramos said he was only "playing [his] role as an older brother in (the) family."
"I am free to fiscalize him but anyone out there, please don't try to do what I'm doing because you might be put into jail," he said. — BAP, GMA News
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