A sea change?

The people were thoroughly disillusioned with President Gloria Arroyo. It’s why they poured out into the streets when Cory Aquino died. It’s why they voted for Noynoy Aquino despite his lackluster record. They wanted an honest leader, an honest government above all else. They wanted change in the political system.

In many ways, what happened was a repeat of 1986 when a hugely corrupt Marcos was kicked out by a disgusted public. Only then, a revolution on the streets was needed to do it. A more mature populace this time was prepared to wait to ease Arroyo out through elections. Filipinos take elections seriously. Anyone who monkeys with them risks forced expulsion, so it was reassuring that the elections produced an accepted result.

The result had Aquino enjoying a margin so wide that it can’t be seriously challenged. But I’m not surprised that Estrada tried to challenge it, or at least refused to accept his defeat gracefully —but then, what else can you expect? The man should have been in jail, not campaigning for the presidency. You can blame Arroyo for that, too. There was no justifiable reason for pardoning someone who plundered the citizenry.

Noynoy has some very good people around him so we should see some professionalism return to a number of the key departments. But Noynoy will still have to lead, be the strong, determined leader that is essential if change is to truly occur. He will have to deal with a recalcitrant Congress who will do everything they can to maintain the status quo, even worsen it.

He should move fast while public sympathy is with him (it will soon fade if they don’t see action).

A first, very positive step would be to ask Congress to direct the pork barrel to education and health. The public would overwhelmingly support it and Noynoy would put an immediate stamp on his presidency that marks him as a strong, no-nonsense leader. From then on he can get much done—some big tax cheats in jail for example could be next.

I cannot emphasize this too strongly (and as a long-time analyst, CEO of several corporations and reader of political history can put some weight behind it) the first 100 days will make or break Aquino’s presidency.

He has to do it now or it will never happen.

Choice of his Cabinet will be equally important. It must be a team. Cory had too many disparate groups she was trying to bring together, it didn’t work (I’m convinced Jimmy Ongpin killed himself in part because of the harassment Joker Arroyo was giving him. I was with Jimmy the night before he died and this dominated our discussion). Gloria chose only for political and personal loyalty reasons, competence for the specific job was never a consideration (mind you, there were some good men in her Cabinet, but sometimes in the wrong post).

So a team that can work together that has similar ideologies and individual expertise, experience and competence for the particular post is needed. Undersecretaries should be similarly chosen. Everybody else should be career public servants who have risen to the top through superior performance. The morale boost to government employees can’t be underestimated, nor the improvement in public service we’d likely see.

The worst of this is that it’s all just good common sense, sound management techniques that every manager knows. It shouldn’t need saying but given the history of the Philippine political leadership, it very definitely does need saying.

So I hope Noynoy Aquino is listening and will effect these actions. I’d like to see the Philippines as the great nation it could be before I die. I hope Noynoy won’t disappoint me. And all of the 15.2 million Filipinos who voted for him because they believed he’d do these things. But, remember, a larger 20.9 million didn’t. They didn’t believe in him and his abilities. He needs to prove them wrong and that his fans made the right choice.

After he has established his leadership credentials by the above actions, Noynoy needs then to concentrate on 3 things: Bringing education back to the pre-eminent position it used to hold in Asia in the 60’s; accelerating infrastructure to catch up on the 20-plus year lag that now exists; and handling finances responsibly so as to avoid a fiscal crisis.

What he also has to do is get investor confidence back. He needs business on his side so they’ll create the jobs he must have if he’s to get Filipinos out of poverty. That won’t be easy he’s rarely met with business. They hardly know him so he’ll have to change that fast. Meet with core groups, talk to big groups, have active businessmen involved in policy preparation.

Finally, let me reiterate it again in as strong a term as I can: President Aquino MUST take drastic, dramatic steps in the first three months; if he doesn’t, he’s finished. You have to establish your position at the beginning, you can’t build to it slowly.

With regard to his choice of Armed Forces chief, which is much in the news now, I have this to say. I listened to General Bangit’s speech when he assumed the top position and I could almost see President Arroyo squirming in her seat – just behind him. He stated very clearly he would not allow the AFP to be used for partisan purposes and that he would keep it divorced from politics. As the conduct of the elections showed, he did.

Yes he was Presidential Security Group Commander to Arroyo, and it’s commonly assumed that made him a loyalist puppy. That turnover speech destroyed that belief.

I know General Bangit quite well and am impressed at his apolitical professionalism. It’s a pity politicians don’t have a similar sense of professionalism. Their failure to confirm not only Bangit but other top public officials plus the deliberate failure to pass the Freedom of Information Act demonstrates a Congress that cares not a whit for the national good.

A belief reinforced by the fact that over the last 6 years they passed only 123 laws that would really help the people on a national scale.

The failure to confirm General Bangit’s promotion to four-star general in Congress raises an issue I’ve questioned before—with no satisfactory answer. Which is: why does Congress have any role at all in who the president appoints to his/her term? Congress is a separate, co-equal (not superior) independent branch of government.

The Executive is also a separate, co-equal independent branch of government. Congress has the right to question the performance of Cabinet Secretaries, but not the right to decide who they should be. If they insist on that right, then the Executive should, equally, have the right to approve the choice of leaders of congressional committees. That’s only fair where co-equality is supposed to exist.

Anyway, this President, correctly in my view, ignored it. Secretaries that weren’t confirmed were just re-appointed. There are 21 in her Cabinet now in that situation.

So what’s the point of confirmations anyway? About time it went. Let’s hope a review of the Constitution takes it out.

Incidentally, on the Freedom of Information Act, it doesn’t need a law. Incoming President Aquino can just order the Executive Department to release all information to the public when they request it, except that information that could put national security in jeopardy.

If he’s the leader of change he promised to be, here’s a first act that would quite dramatically show that. Why not make it his first Executive Order? –Peter Wallace, Manila Standard Today

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