High lily white standards of integrity, high expectations

There are lessons P-Noy can and should learn from Barack Obama. They were both elected during an extraordinary time as the anti-thesis of very unpopular incumbents. People were voting not so much for them but for what they symbolized… full of hope that the change being promised would simply materialize if they elected them to the White House and Malacañang.

The expectations are very high and I am afraid it is very easy to be disappointed even before the first hundred days are over. The first signs of troubles ahead are already starting to show as P-Noy selects the members of his Cabinet. People seem to have very high standards for the people who will be around P-Noy. Even a hint of impropriety is likely to disappoint because P-Noy promised that “walang corrupt” and they will hold him to that promise with every official he appoints.

Winnie Monsod fired the first public salvo on the propriety of having the colorful Vice President-elect Jojo Binay in a supposedly corruption-free Cabinet. Her Business World column recounted the many apparently questionable deals and suspicions of impropriety that characterized Binay’s many years as Mayor of Makati.

I would tend to take the view that Binay is different because he was given a national mandate by the people who cannot be unaware of those charges that had been haunting the mayor all these years. Out of respect for those who voted for Binay, there seems to be a political obligation for P-Noy to give Binay a national position that would put his many talents and abilities to good use.

But Binay aside, I think people will be very disappointed if within the first hundred days or even earlier, some of P-Noy’s major appointments will be found to have major chinks in their ethical history. There were some appointments that President Obama had to withdraw. In the case of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, he had to sweat it out and almost didn’t get confirmed because he was found to have a tax obligation.

Vetting the candidates for the various appointments is thus a very important thing to do before announcements are made. In the US, the FBI helps in putting together a comprehensive folder of information on all candidates for appointment by the new President. All we have here is a rather informal screening committee composed of some sisters of P-Noy, a few close friends and a newspaper columnist.

The people earlier announced to be heading the search committee had either refused the job or have since stayed away from it. I understand that former Supreme Court Justice Adolf Azcuna declined the job and former CSC Chairman Karina David eventually decided to stay away and is actually now abroad. Both Azcuna and David are respected names in public service and their presence in the search committee would have added confidence on the quality of the output.

From what I heard, the work of the search committee had been pretty frustrating. They have a deluge of resumes to consider but they are finding it very difficult to get the persons with the right qualifications for the jobs at hand. The other important consideration is that the candidate must already be known to the Aquino siblings. No radical leftists need apply.

The qualified people being targeted from the private sector have been prone to decline the honor of earning less than junior executives in their offices. A good example is Bank of Philippine Islands CEO Gigi Montinola who was offered the Finance portfolio but declined. He reportedly expressed a preference for BSP Governor but that position won’t be open until a year and a half later and even then, Say Tetangco has done quite well so far that there will be pressure for him to be reappointed for another term.

They also have to reserve a number of cabinet seats for some of the losing candidates in the last elections so they need good people who will agree to be seat warmers for a year. A good case in point is DENR where Nereus Acosta is expected to assume the position after a year. This would likely mean the current secretary, a career bureaucrat, will keep the seat warm until then.

The DILG post is also supposedly being reserved for PNP Chief Jesus Versoza when he retires and will be kept warm by a certain Rico Puno, not the singer. But even now, tongues are wagging about the fact that it was Versoza’s wife who led the Euro generals in that scandalous incident in Moscow some years ago. Liberal Party stalwarts want multi awarded Naga City mayor Jesse Robredo in the post. Of course, so does VP Jojo Binay.

Then there is the problem of the so-called Ka-barkada. The one supposed to take over Pagcor already had a stint in the agency which did not end quite well. Passing the lily white litmus test may prove difficult in this case.

Even the anointed Executive Secretary is expected to find confirmation in the Commission of Appointments difficult as rival politicians are reported to be starting to gather information on his past, supposedly summarized in a World Bank report. Opposition politicians, smarting from their recent defeat, would like nothing more than to spear such a high level big fish early in the game.

There are also cases of offers being made and withdrawn overnight. Poor Johnny Santos, former Nestle president and DTI Secretary, had experienced that twice… first as campaign manager and lately as Foreign Secretary. I understand it is almost certain that Foreign Secretary Bert Romulo, who declared his support for Noynoy almost as soon as Noynoy declared his candidacy, will keep his post at least for the meantime. Secretary Romulo is a good man to keep for DFA but I must confess a bias… he is an uncle on my mother’s side.

There is supposed to be some amount of tampuan between Butch Abad and P-Noy over what assignment Butch will get. But Butch’s very capable daughter, Julia, who acted as P-Noy’s chief of staff during the campaign will likely head the Presidential Management Staff. AIM Prof. and former DOTC Usec Sonny Coloma was earlier rumored to be in line for that position.

For tourism, I understand that singer/songwriter Jim Paredes is in the running even as Shangri-la Philippines chief executive Andy Bautista is also in the list. Andy, also the dean of FEU’s College of Law, is supposedly also being considered for Justice Secretary.

Former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez Tan is reportedly telling friends he will assume the position in the new Cabinet. But he is placed in an awkward conflict of interest situation because of his alternative medicines business, a sector that recently got the attention of incumbent Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral for misleading health claims.

Being closely watched is P-Noy’s choice for Energy Secretary, given that a power crisis is likely to greet the new administration as it settles down in the next few months. DTI will likely get a seat warmer as Mar Roxas may assume his old cabinet seat after a year as a platform for being P-Noy’s economic czar. In that case, the career Senior DTI Undersecretary, Thomas Aquino is more than capable to carry on for the meantime.

The other returning cabinet official is Cesar Purisima who will be in Finance with former BIR and Customs Commissioner Willie Parayno leading the anti-smuggling drive via Customs. Former BIR official Kim Hernares is reported to be the choice to head the BIR. The Chinoy business community is reported to be lobbying hard against Purisima.

Finally, I understand Ricky Carandang has accepted the offer to be Press Secretary. My very best wishes for lots of luck to Ricky! I hope he will be as effective a press secretary as he is a television anchor. Anyway, he can afford to prematurely age a few years in the next year. Or is this premature because Eric Canoy of Radio Mindanao Network is said to be also still in the running?

Well, here’s hoping that the search committee is able to vet all prospective appointees very well so that there are no surprises in terms of skeletons in the closets of the final appointees… or even a dirty sock. As much as possible, everyone must pass the lily white litmus test of integrity. P-Noy must live by the extremely high standards of integrity inherent in his campaign promise of “walang corrupt”. –Boo Chanco (The Philippine Star)