I'm no Mar, but I'll do my best - Abaya

MANILA, Philippines - Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya yesterday thanked President Aquino for the confidence entrusted in him and vowed to do his best as secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), replacing Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

“I thank the President for designating me to this challenging endeavor. I am no Mar but I will do my best at DOTC,” the Cavite congressman told reporters in a briefing at Malacañang, where he and Roxas were introduced as new members of the Cabinet.

Aquino, who was still a presidential son when Abaya served as his mother’s aide-de-camp, said the administration lawmaker is “fully aware” of the tasks that await him at the DOTC.   

However, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said Abaya would likely remain in the House at least until the end of October to shepherd the passage of the proposed P2.006-trillion national budget for 2013, which is on third and final reading.

Abaya is the secretary-general of the Liberal Party (LP) and is serving his third and last term in the House.

Aquino said undertakings like the improvement of all ports in the country – airports and seaports – still remain a priority of his administration, as well as the link that will connect both the South Luzon (SLEX) and North Luzon expressways (NLEX).

“We intend to continue with the current team of DOTC. They have been well organized, well-prepared, high-caliber team now set in place,” Abaya hinted, adding what he needs now is an “executive assistant,” since he has been used to working alone.

He said he and Roxas have already discussed how things should be going at the DOTC, and noted that all projects seemed to be in the pipeline and only need implementation at the soonest time possible.

Abaya said his priority is to continue the projects that Roxas has started. 

Aquino said that since Roxas and Abaya are good friends, a smooth transition is expected.

Roxas will be taking the place of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, who died in a plane crash last Aug. 18.

Abaya said that as former President Cory Aquino’s aide, he used to open doors and pull chairs for her.

He said President Cory was “very instrumental” in his “formative years” when he was still a neophyte congressman at the House of Representatives.

Being both LP stalwarts, Aquino and Abaya have consistently voted for the impeachment of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who survived several impeachment attempts during her nine-year administration that ended in June 2010. 

Fit for the job

Abaya, the chairman of the House committee on appropriations, is a retired naval officer of the Philippine Navy. He graduated from the US Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis in Maryland with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and obtained his law degree from Ateneo de Manila University in 2005.

Abaya is also an engineering graduate from the University of the Philippines, and has a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University in New York.

He topped the entrance examinations at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) before going to the USNA. 

After completing the mandatory 20-year military service, Abaya went for optional retirement with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, equivalent to Lt. Colonel in the Army.

His appointment was hailed by military and police officers as “a step in the right direction as he is qualified for the job.”

However, the officers declined to comment on Roxas’ appointment, saying “the local government people would be closely watching his every move.”

“The midterm election is coming and one cannot just ignore the fact that Secretary Roxas is a politician,” an officer said.

Philippine Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Edmund Tan said Abaya’s appointment is advantageous for them because the latter is familiar with the maritime agency’s functions, being a former naval officer. – Paolo Romero, Jaime Laude, Mayen Jaymalin