Why Boy should be in government

The past two weeks, talks were rife about how Boy Abunda was getting this and that government position after he helped campaign for soon-to-be President Noynoy Aquino. Supposedly he’s going to chair either the Movie, Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) or the Optical Media Board.

In this paper’s front page yesterday, Ricky Lo broke the news that Abunda hasn’t received a formal offer yet, but that there had been feelers — except that he (Abunda) is not inclined to accept. At least not now. “Maybe in two years?”

If you ask me, Boy should go for it — for as long as the assignment is related to entertainment or the arts. Like I can’t see him as the Secretary of National Defense — although why not? After all, he is Waray and they are known to be fearless and courageous.

But then, if he becomes Defense Secretary, we may end up with military men all fighting in the battlefields garbed in Dolce et Gabana uniforms and those aren’t exactly the most ideal combat gear.

Seriously, I would want Boy to be in the MTRCB for the following reasons:

He has integrity.

He is not corrupt.

He is fair.

He is an artist and understands cinema.

He is very approachable, reasonable and open to suggestions and would never lock himself up there in an ivory tower. These are the qualities of current MTRCB Chair Consoliza Laguardia, which is why she is very effective in her post and will be missed when her term ends June 30.

He will be very liberal.

Oops, that last one may cause him problems among our self-appointed guardians of morality. He would have to weigh his decisions carefully and even if I trust him with that, moral crusaders are a bit tricky to handle.

Then, there is also the issue of his being part of television as host to many shows. He may have to give up his TV career, which I’m sure will be very difficult for him since that had already become his life.

Also, if he gets a government position, there will be criticisms about how Noynoy is paying political debts. But if I were Noynoy, I won’t have qualms about appointing Boy to positions to which he is qualified because the talk show host/PR-talent manager is capable of handling responsibility

 Okay, the MTRCB post may not be a good idea if you think about it now because of the issue of conflict of interest. But there must be something that he can do for the government because I’ve always known him to be selfless and eternally willing to be of service to others.

Okay, here’s a suggestion: Why not make him president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines? Of course, weeks before the elections, I was told there was a mad scramble for positions at the CCP and I am not sure if Noynoy can still undo that when he sits in office. But really, Boy is perfect as CCP head since he was once a theater artist and he has the heart and passion for the performing arts. And he can keep The Buzz because that’s on a Sunday — though he may have to give up SNN.

Another idea: While he is CCP president, maybe he can work out something to revive the Metropolitan Theater. From what I know German Moreno has already spearheaded the restoration of the MET by launching a fund-raising drive wherein donors are asked to fork in P2,500 each, which is the cost of an upholstered theater seat. Maybe Boy can work in tandem with Kuya Germs and help in the renovation of the MET, which had always been dear to him. This was where he tried out being a stage actor and eventually became its resident public relations officer (he was the best ever!).

Wow, bringing the Metropolitan Theater to life is a tall order. But I have faith in Boy — and in his managerial skills.

Yes, he knows how to run a company. In fact, I was no stranger to his now very successful Backroom group. You should have seen its beginnings — in Boy’s Cubao apartment that didn’t even have its own landline (no cell phones yet in those days, kids!). To communicate and relay their concerns to him, his talents had to dial the next-door sari-sari store that charged him per call.

The poor tindera minding the store didn’t have any idea what was going on — and what exactly was Boy’s profession. To her, Boy was some cuckoo that kept equally loony friends who fancied introducing themselves as Kuh Ledesma, Celeste Legaspi and Zsa Zsa Padilla every time they called. If I have to tell that tindera now, those callers were actually Kuh Ledesma, Celeste Legaspi and Zsa Zsa Padilla, whose publicities then were being handled by Boy!

I won’t be surprised if that tindera ended up undergoing psychiatric treatment — having gone mad probably trying to figure out Boy’s astronomic ascent to the top.

Actually, Boy’s secret to success is no secret. It was plain dedication and hard work — and honesty, too. I don’t know of anyone who had been hoodwinked by him in his past dealings.

Assigning him to the Department of Tourism may also be a good idea because he knows how to sell. While I would still insist that this country is truly beautiful and has great scenic spots, Boy may just be too honest to point out to tourists some of the metropolis’ ugly crevices and get them scared.

Oh, there are other posts that are ideal for him. But he’s not like those shameless, unqualified people now jockeying up for juicy administrative positions. Oh, boy, he’s too decent to take advantage of his situation. If only he could share with our government officials just a fraction of his sense of decency, then we’d all have a better life in this country.