Wow Malacañang

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda has come out with this Malacañang advise:

“It behooves any Cabinet official and any government official to see that if he has become a liability then he should do the honorable thing (resign) as what Undersecretary Romano did.”

Considering the perks and privileges of a high government official, I doubt if anybody will listen to Sec. Lacierda’s advice. Most officials drunk with power believe they are assets, not a liability to the Administration. Start with the Office of the President, Mr. Secretary. Let the Communications Group set the example first.

Meanwhile, Sen. Vicente Sotto III, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, Congressmen Winnie Castelo (Quezon City) and Ben Evardone (Eastern Samar) lauded Usec Romano for his act of delicadeza.

At a TV 5 interview Thursday morning, Usec Romano confirmed that President Aquino approved the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” brand. He also confirmed that his daughter directed the show that launched the new brand at the Mall of Asia.

If P-Noy wants to be a President of all Filipinos, he can prove that by reappointing Ace Durano as Toursim Secretary and Richard Gordon as Presidential Adviser on Tourism. They are proven Tourism experts. He retained DFA Sec. Bert Romulo, didn’t he?

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LITTLE PRESIDENT . . . The post of Executive Secretary is the most powerful in the government. He decides 90 percent of the cases. Only 10 percent goes up to the President for decision. Note that all decisions of the Cabinet and other executive officials are appealable to and can be reversed by the Executive Secretary. He is the Department Head of all agencies under the Office of the President including Pagcor and PCSO. He is also the President’s chief adviser and has complete access to him. That’s why he’s called the Little President.  

Under President Aquino, the Executive Secretary is even more powerful because he has delegated more matters to him for decision.

The success or failure of any administration depends greatly on the efficiency and competence of the Executive Secretary.

Outstanding Executive Secretaries have been Teodoro Evangelista under Pres. Quirino, Justice Fred Ruiz Castro under Pres. Magsaysay,

Juan Pajo under Pres. Garcia, Professor Amelito Mutuc and Feny Hechanova under Pres. Diosdado Macapagal, Rafael Salas and Alejandro Melchor under Pres. Marcos, Sen. Joker Arroyo and Sen. Frank Drilon under President Cory, VP Tito Guingona and Ruben Torres under President Ramos. No. 1 bar topnotcher Ronaldo Zamora and Sen. Ed Angara under President Estrada. Alberto Romulo and Renato de Villa and Eduardo Ermita under Pres. Gloria Arroyo.

None of them were called lightweights.

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GHOST PATIENTS AND PLACEMENTS. . . President Aquino cannot understand how with its tremendous income, the GMA administration left the PCSO P1.8 billion in debt and payables.

PCSO funds were bled to death by way of bloated payments to media personalities, TV and radio stations plus PR expenses. A syndicate also raided the PCSO treasury by falsified and inflated hospital bills for alleged indigent patients. The COA is partly to blame. They turned a blind eye to the anomalies. For hospital payables alone there is still P500 million outstanding.

PCSO purchases of security paper and sweepstakes and lotto tickets also overpriced.

But the PCSO robbery is peanuts compared to the Pagcor plunder.

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MOST DANGEROUS . . . A UN expert has reiterated the opinion that the Philippines is the most dangerous place for journalists. It is also the most dangerous place for local government officials.

Last week 6 barangay officials were gunned down in Abra and Isabela. Last Wednesday, 2 term City Councilor Rodrigo Casas was shot dead in busy barangay Zapote, Biñan City.

It has become a dangerous place for teachers. Many of whom had been kidnapped in Basilan, Zamboanga City and Zamboanga Sibugay.

Kidnapped Principal Cecilia Sosas of Lamitan, Basilan is still unreleased.

Dr. Nestor Yamsuan, a principal of Bagong Silang High School in Kalookan City was shot dead. Previously, a high school teacher in Kalookan was stabbed to death by a student.

Local police appear helpless to protect their officials and teachers.

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SEARCH FOR COMELEC CHAIR . . . Malacañang has announced the start of a search for a Comelec Chairman and 2 Commissioners, after Chairman Jose V. Melo formally announced his resignation effective January 31, 2011.

The following names maybe considered: Chief Justice Reynato Puno, PPCRV Chairperson Ambassador Henrietta de Villa, PPCRV Legal Counsel Professor Howard Calleja, Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Congressman Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon, DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo, Rep. Victor Ortega and Supreme Court Justice Antonio Nachura due to retire next year.

The principal standard should be independence of mind and integrity, not personal friendship and being a classmate.

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IMPORTED BOTCHA . . . Our report on imported botcha from China has been validated by the confiscation of 60,000 kilos of imported frozen pork in boxes at the Balintawak Market in Quezon City. Containers of cheap pork are also flooding the Cebu markets with local hog producers complaining that slaughtering of local pigs has been greatly reduced. Imported meat has been seized at Tuguegarao, Cagayan which our sources say come in thru the CEZA at Sta. Ana.

This is a big health problem. It shows that Customs personnel will for the price allow any prohibited item to be smuggled in without regard to the health and safety of Filipinos.

Mayors should now actively inspect all the meat products being sold at their wet markets. The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) should now test the sausages and longganisa being sold to the public.

The Secretaries of Health, DILG, Agriculture, Justice and Finance must meet to discuss the botcha problem. It must be stopped, the sooner the better.

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SAY IT’S NOT TRUE . . . A government corporation CEO’s attention has been told to limit his tongpats to 20 percent. That’s still corrupt.

That’s not a straight path. There are persistent reports of overpriced contracts at Tesda. Containers slip thru Customs under the usual arrangements. The number of resin shipments have dropped to almost zero. Carnapped and smuggled vehicles are still being registered at LTO.

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QUOTATION OF THE DAY . . . “I want to see people arrested. I want to see firearms confiscated. I want to see people brought to jail,” President Aquino.

As Sen. Johnny Flavier said “Just DOH it.”