Smooth transitions

During the 1965 presidential elections, the animosity between Ferdinand Marcos and Diosdado Macapagal had become so intense due to the one-year campaign of mudslinging from both camps, replete with all forms of black propaganda including the highly-popular “komiks.” Marcos won by a landslide, but the rivalry had become so bitter and personal to the point that Macapagal refused to ride with his successor from Malacañang to the Quirino Grandstand for the oath taking ceremonies.

Traditionally, the transfer of power from an outgoing president to his successor should be at the very least cordial — with the smooth transition becoming a showcase of democracy and a signal of political stability in the country. Nonetheless, there have been several instances when presidential transitions had been less than smooth.

In 1944, Sergio Osmeña assumed the presidency upon the death of Manuel Quezon in the United States. Osmeña took his oath in the US, returning to the Philippines with so much fanfare, accompanied by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the famous “Leyte landing.” Apparently, this was not enough to gain him enough support for a full term on his own, having been defeated by Manuel Roxas in the 1946 elections. However, Roxas’s term was cut short, dying of a heart attack at the Clark Air Base two years into his tenure.

In 1948, Elpidio Quirino took over as president but the Hukbalahaps — declared by Roxas as subversives — became such a headache for his administration. His Defense Secretary, Ramon Magsaysay, successfully quelled the Huk movement and became so popular with the people, much to the alarm and chagrin of Quirino who saw this as a threat to his re-election. True enough, the two became rivals during the 1953 elections, with Magsaysay getting more than 60 percent of the votes.

By then Quirino had become so bitter about Magsaysay’s success that he issued “midnight clearances,” giving presidential pardons to many of his allies that irritated and annoyed Magsaysay no end. Magsaysay’s popular presidency was cut short on March 17, 1957 when he died in a plane crash. His then-vice president Carlos P. Garcia took over as president.

Looking back at history, one couldn’t help but think that those who come into power due to the death of a predecessor were more or less deprived of an opportunity for a smooth transition, eventually becoming unpopular presidents like Garcia who was defeated by Diosdado Macapagal in 1957. Although in all appearances the transfer of power was smooth with both men being cordial on the way to Luneta for the oath taking, there was strong resentment between the two mainly because of Garcia’s “midnight appointments.” Immediately after the inauguration, President Macapagal nullified all 350 appointments.

Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law in 1972 effectively abrogated any presidential transition for the next 20 years. Over the years, several traditions associated with transitions were done away with. In 1986, Cory Aquino took her oath of office at Club Filipino in Greenhills before Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee. Marcos had his own inauguration at the Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang an hour later.

In 1992, the country witnessed a smooth and jovial transfer of power for the first time after so many decades when FVR, Cory Aquino’s candidate, became president. In 1998, the transition from FVR to Joseph Estrada was seamless, with the outgoing president even giving his successor a tour of Malacañang. Erap chose to take his oath in Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan (the same venue of Emilio Aguinaldo’s inauguration in 1899). That was the last time the Philippines saw any smooth transition because Estrada’s term was rudely interrupted by EDSA II in 2001 - resulting in a Constitutional disruption that allowed a sitting president like GMA to run in the 2004 elections. This created a highly-polarized citizenry, resulting in a government that has remained in power for the last nine years. 

In some countries like France and the UK, a new government can take over the day after election results become official. However, presidential transitions normally take longer and are carefully planned to facilitate the continuity of government operations. In the United States, one instance of an unanticipated transition happened during the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, with Lyndon B. Johnson taking his oath of office onboard Air Force One, bearing the coffin of the slain president en route to Washington, DC.

During the recent US presidential elections, transition plans were made ahead of the polls, with George Bush briefing both the teams of Barack Obama and John McCain regarding the economy and foreign policy. Despite the animosity, Bush promised to inform Obama about important decisions he would be making in the last few months of his presidency. Before Obama’s inauguration, President and Mrs. Bush invited Barack and Michelle Obama for a familiarization tour of the White House.

In the Philippines, the work that is waiting for president-apparent Noynoy Aquino, soon to be called PBA III, is enormous, to say the least, starting with the headhunt for qualified people to fill up more than 1,000 co-terminus positions. Malacañang created a Presidential Transition Cooperation Team to prepare a blueprint for the incoming administration with details about the current status of the economy, agency functions, ongoing projects and “situationer reports” involving various departments.

PBA III is already familiar with Malacañang having lived there when his mother was president. GMA’s offer for a joint Cabinet meeting with her presumptive successor before June 30 is a positive step that would pave the way for a smooth and orderly transition — showing the world that the Philippines is indeed back on track towards a vibrant democracy.

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