Former Defense Secretary Avelino “Nonong” Cruz was not one of the speakers in last Friday’s forum of the “The Powers of the Presidency: Preventing Misuse and Abuse” but he was asked to say something when the issue of the Ampatuans’ private armies came up inthe question and answer portion.
Cruz gave a two- word advice for the coming May elections: “Choose well”. He said it will go a long way in instituting reforms in governance if we have a president that will lead by example.
He, of course, didn’t ask to vote for the presidential candidate he is advising: the Liberal Party’s Benigno Aquino III.
Karina Constantino-David, former chair of the Civil Service Commission, also stressed the importance of choosing a president with integrity because she said, “in the final analysis it is the character of the President, his/her honest dedication to public service and not just to power that will speall the difference between decency and judiciousness on the one hand and mis-use and abuse on the other.”
David said the President’s power to appoint is awesome. The President appoints approximately 10,000 officials including justices of the Supreme Court; judges; officials of the Constiutional Commission; cabinet members; ambassadors; heads and members of the board of Government Corporations and Financial Institutions; military officers – colonels to generals; officers of the Philippine National Police from the rank of senior superintendents and up, and about 3,500 career officials from director to undersecretary.
David said Gloria Arroyo did not use the power to appoint to strengthen the bureaucracy. Instead, she used it to protect herself and in so doing she weakened the government.
Describing it as “warped perspectives”, David said Arroyo wields the power of appointment to solidify her control and not for public service. “ Appointments are made based on personal loyalty and not on qualifications. Positions are given as rewards and part of the political spoils and not based on competence. “
David bewailed the proliferation of “calling card secretaries” whom they also call “monobloc secretaries” (because they are so many some offices don’t have desk for them they are just given monobloc chairs).
She said the job specifications are vague and some even duplicate existing positions. Some have comical titles. She said Arroyo has appointed six special ambassadors to China, the embassy in Beijing are at a loss how to deal with them.
David said there are positions in the government where members of the board are empowered to decide to choose the head like the presidency of the University of the Philippines. She said during the time of President Aquino, the housewife-turned chief executive would just “bulong” (whisper). During the time of President Fidel Ramos, there was the “marginal note.” The “desire letter” started during the abbreviated term of President Joseph Estrada but it was not used as indiscriminately as Arroyo is doing. Nothing escapes her, not even offices like the “ Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, “ David said.
David also said Arroyo’s penchant for ad-interim appointments is a control mechanism. “They have perfected the art of “acting capacity”, she said.
Not surprising at all because Arroyo herself when she grabbed the presidency from the elected president, Joseph Estrada, in January 2001, she said “She will act as president.”
The bureuacracy is “too politicized.” She said for officials to go up the ladder of bureaucracy, one “has to learn to kowtow, learn tob e timid and learn to stop thinking.”
David asked the public and media to watch out Arroyo making “midnight” appointments for tenured positions . Some of those are in the office of the Ombudsman and in the Commission on Audit, offices that would be involved in anti-graft cases.
The forum was organized by the International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEgov) composed mostly of former senior government officials in partnership with Asian Institute of Management with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy.]
RE: Cruz gave a two- word advice for the coming May elections: “Choose well”.
Di namin kailangan ang iyong advise Mr. Nonong Cruz sa May 2010 eleksyon, wala ka ring binatbat at tulad mo din ang EDSA DOS con Hello Garci na row 4 ang takbo ng mga kukote?
Nagmamagaling kayo e almost 10-years na kandakuba ang Masang Pilipino sa inyong kagaguhan ng iluklok nýo si Gloria sa Malacanang not Once, but Twice.
Enough is enough…diskarte na ito ng Masang Pilipino coz’sa 2 1/2 years ng Pangulong Erap e kahit papaano mayroong magandang nangyari sa bansa. Kayo ANO…sige magsalita ka?
Shut up! Bingi na ang aming tenga sa inyong kahambugan at walang kwentang nota.
isang must-do ng kung sino man ang magiging pangulo natin sa jun2010. at least hanggang bureau director man lang, wag nang mag appoint ng isang taong galing kung saan lalo na mula sa private sector. palakasin lang ang career system sa pamahalaan. maraming magagaling na empleyado sa ating gobyerno. dapat buhayin ang sinimulan ng CESDP na phase II ng career system development program – tandaan lang natin na ang sweldong gobyerno ay napakababa kumpara sa sweldo sa private sector. kaya sinumang mula sa pribadong sektor na tatanggap ng career executive post sa pamahalaan ay di maaasahang gumawa ng matino kasi saan siya kukuha ng pangtuition man lang ng kanyang mga anak na nag-aaral sa ateneo, la salle, miriam, assumption, …malamang mangungurakot siya para matustusan ang luhong kinasanayan na ng kanilang pamilya.. hindi ba? kaya ganito ang level ng corruption natin ngayon… binalewala ni gloria ang career system.
Kahit naman kasi pumili at makapamili ka ng maayos sa mamamahal sa Pilipinas, kung gagawin lang puppet ng mga mason, anong silbi ng pagpili mo?
Si Erap, pinaglaruan lang ng mga iyan, ayun laglag.
Mag lagay ng may political will, ang bansag diyan, diktador. Ayaw na kasi ng mga tao ang control. Everything goes na. At pag pinuna sila, magagalit.
Mag lagay ka ng check, baka naman dumami ang C5 at ang dami ding extension.
Ilagay mo si Flash G. baka naman dumami ang mga suplado at suplada.
Ilagay mo yung evangelist daw, ah lalo na. Magwawala siguro yung mga Adventist. Sila daw kasi yung remnant ng true church. Mag salpukan pa yung mga may sayad. Alanganin di ang JIL.
Ilagay nyo ulit si Brenda, dadami yung mawawalan ng tornilyo.
Choose well? Ang mga pulitiko pag ngumiti sa mga pangangampanya nila akala mo maamong tupa na pwede mong lapitan kahit anong oras at may maaasahan pag nagsalita. Pag naka-upo na walang hiya pala.
RE: Kahit naman kasi pumili at makapamili ka ng maayos sa mamamahal sa Pilipinas, kung gagawin lang puppet ng mga mason, anong silbi ng pagpili mo?
Well Golberg, TAMA KA…but we need to exercise our freewill and freedom to choose kung sino ang inaakala natin na maka-Masa?
After all, kailangang magtulungan upang magtagumpay ang lahat ng ating mga pangarap sa buhay or else tama ka walang magandang kapupuntahan kung ang iniisip ng mga lingkod-bulsa e ang kanilang mga sarili.
Yes, choose well or we remain stuck in a rut!
choose well. wala namang mapipili lahat naman yan demonyo.
Appointments are made based on personal loyalty and not on qualifications. Positions are given as rewards and part of the political spoils and not based on competence.“ taliwas sa isinasaad ng konstitusyon na nagsasabing all appointments in the civil service must be according to merit and fitness.
but we need to exercise our freewill and freedom.
Ang kaso igan Balweg, pati yung freewill natin at freedom na itinatag nila dito, binabastos nila. Pati constitution na sila ang may akda binastos nila e.
Choose well? Where? Among whom?
And for whom or what? For Filipinos who are prepared to sell their votes? For what, a few hundred pesos?