Building PNoy’s Ark is no walk in the park

Despite a love life reportedly at nil-nil, or a scoreless draw between him and the plucky girls he's been seen dating, PNoy should have a very merry Christmas, thanks to SWS' latest high approval ratings that give him a net satisfaction score of +64. He won't be singing that Beatles number just yet — When I'm 64 — but it's likely that eight years after his term ends, when he does turn that age, he will still be remembered and thanked for the anti-corruption legacy he is sure to leave behind. For now, barely six months into office, Benigno Aquino III enjoys popular approval primarily owing to a sustained image of fresh change, especially in terms of his perceived personal "cleanliness" — that is, of apparently being impervious to any sweet deal involving his powerful office. That image alone buttresses the belief that he won't condone any, if not much, hanky-panky among his chosen ones. And if there may be greased palms somewhere below the level of his Cabinet, he is expected to apply the axe.

Not that he's done any such thing, yet. Nor do we hear of any continuing manifestation of the kind of under-the-table extravaganzas or peccadillos perpetrated in previous administrations, the last one in particular. But we may also ask: Sure, he hasn't been on the take, but has he done anything at all? Has he used the power of the presidency to initiate other reforms, or gone pro-active on new directions, birthed visionary plans? The legal positions his office has taken have generally been trumped, and many are the voices saying he has a weak or amateurish legal team. And that this inner circle has also been responsible for the glacial manner in which the Office of the President has filled up positions in government agencies. Slow but sure? The jury's still out on that one. But it's safe to say that previous administrations did not take as much time in filling up all board seats or head positions in government. Take the NCCA or National Commission for Culture and the Arts, which is close to our artists' hearts, we of the community that may not like to be so embroiled in governance or politics, but who believe we do contribute significantly to nation-building. The CCP or Cultural Center of the Philippines had a better time of seeing order restored at the top with the relatively quick re-appointment of Dr. Jaime Laya et al. as directors, thus leading to the re-installation of Emily Abrera as Chair, after that awkward hiatus dictated by the outgoing president's mischievous string of midnight appointments. But with the NCCA, only recently have we heard of Felipe "Jun" de Leon Jr. assuming head honcho position, but this only through a press release that may have been issued by the supposed appointee himself. What we know is that an anomalous state of affairs has persisted for several months now in the NCCA. PGMA's satrap Vilma Labrador already lost her post at the Department of Education, yet continues to sit as Chair, in evident violation of office policy. An NCCA agenda had long been drawn up for PNoy, but it has been gathering dust. Budget Secretary Butch Abad reportedly told NCCA Executive Director Malou Jacob to wait for the new NCCA Chair to relay it to the President. But the nominations for Chair can only start in January when the new set of four NCCA Commissioners have been put in place. Thus, the administration of culture stays on a back burner, while an overstaying Chair just sits there, without pushing for any immediate agenda. The Film Development Council of the Philippines is only now beginning to re-organize under new head Briccio Santos, while the rest of the agencies that involve the film community — reputedly awarded to nominees of Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito, lest he get angrier after his friend Tirso "Pip" Cruz lost out on the FDCP post — also still have to fully re-organize. Santos gained appointment last September, but his recommendations to fill up the seats at the Cinema Evaluation Board and the Film Fund are still undergoing presumably intense vetting. The same is happening at the MTRCB or Movies and Television Ratings and Classification Board. Grace Poe-Llamanzares and "Direk Maneng" Borlaza were appointed Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, months ago, but they cannot call a board meeting because the rest are holdovers plus several empty seats. Conditions of stasis like these have persisted since June 30 when PNoy was sworn into office. Five-and-a-half months have gone by, and the inner circle's vetting process continues. One might argue that these are small, relatively insignificant agencies that have no import on our international relations or economic conditions. These are, however, the areas of cultural expertise familiar to this writer. And I can imagine that if such is happening, or not happening, with regards these offices, then the same holding pattern may be prevailing with regards other offices that have to do with finance, trade, foreign relations, international funding, communications, transport, aviation, etc. I am pleased to note that Atty. Magdangal Elma has been recruited to beef up the Palace's legal circle. He was a linchpin as an invaluable apparatchik in the time of President Cory Aquino, when Catalino "Big Mac" Macaraig assumed the post of Executive Secretary vice now-Senator Joker Arroyo. Retired SC Justice Adolf Azcuna was also part of that A-Team that assured the constant flow of papers that were pushed under Mrs. Aquino's eyes for ultimate deliberation and approval. Maybe former Justice Azcuna should also be called in to provide guidance and help avoid another epithet from Sen. Arroyo as to the "student council" level of the bureaucratic process inside Malacañang. Otherwise, legal eagles may continue to snicker about how all those papers appear to be overwhelming the apparently overmatched junior pair of Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa and his Palace partner Eduardo de Mesa. Now, it may also be posited that the fluidity of performance right under him could only be revelatory of the character of the President himself: apparently laid-back, easy-going, casual, still to attain gravitas or show sparks of initiative let alone brilliance. He appears to rest on the image of an administration that is bent on discontinuing the anomalous practices of the past. For now it is holding water, since the public appears to be generally content with that. It is not a feature of any "honeymoon period" anymore, not with the media or the public. As heaven knows, and as SWS has itself pointed out, controversies have hounded the nearly six-month-old administration. The worst has to be the Mendoza bloodbath, where a confluence of unfortunate elements also exposed the fumbling in terms of command responsibility and communication. But with the Pinoy's short-term memory, most everyone can apply the tsk-tsk only so much and so long. PNoy's sustained Teflon quality has also helped him recover quickly from a close adviser's alleged links with jueteng, an underling's gauche remarks while on a foreign visit, and even the continued setbacks of legal positions. Sometimes we fail to see any rhyme or reason to any method, however. It seemed clear, for instance, the minute PNoy voiced out his support for amnesty for "mutineers," that he should also take the initiative in setting the "Morong 43" free. But a flip-flop was what ensued, unless the advice given was to time the dramatic announcement for International Human Rights Day, surely quite whimsical and cruel at the same time. We can imagine how PNoy has to keep the military happy, or at least not up in arms over any policy shift. Now, methinks it took some time before the liberals in his circle managed to convince him to convince, in turn, say, Defense chief Voltaire Gazmin, to lift objections for the release of the Morong 43. At least in time for Christmas. Again, it took time. While the tri-headed Communications Group appears to have gotten its act together, at least on the surface, it has not exactly done wonders on a concededly tough job. I considered as a sterling initiative PNoy's thrust to get foreign governments to go easy on their black travel advisories. It achieved results. But no way ought a press release articulate that USA Prez Barack Obama "pleaded" for understanding on that matter. And I totally agree with columnist Alex Magno when he questions where the Communications Group was, all that time (and still this time) that the usual "tibaks" from the studentry were protesting LEFT and right against the supposed budget cuts affecting state colleges and universities. If what Sen. Frank Drilon and other allies have been saying is true, that there is in effect no budget cut, then how come it can't seem to be explained, in an effort to stave off demonstrations. Of course it can be said that nothing can convince student radicals that actually attending classes is the requisite of a good education. But at least the rest of us laymen can be enlightened on the matter. And while the Com Group is at it, maybe it can also point to the rise in street activity among leftist groups as a sure sign of committed funding, and an increased effort to test the early strength of the Aquino administration. Unfortunately for these radicals, the majority of Filipinos dismiss their rants just as easily as they're ranted. Some of us do want to know however if there's any orchestration happening, as seems to be obvious. And we continue to wonder if media is just being too lazy to find out. Here's where the Com Group can "inspire" its private counterparts in rendering enterprise stories. We've wondered too how come yet another national holiday had to be established in relation to our Muslim brothers. An unnecessary sop? Aren't there too many holidays already? On the other hand, the Palace takes no note of the 135th birth anniversary of national hero Emilio Jacinto, on December 15. A dearth of advice on that one? What we'd like to see is a more energetic PNoy going hither and thither, traveling the length and breadth of the archipelago, seeing regional and local problems firsthand, and more importantly, establishing personal relations with local officials. This was a thrust put to effective use by his predecessor in the pursuit of her programs, legit or not, other than mere reliance on her pork-barrel control of legislators. And maybe while he's traveling in Mindanao, the idea can come, or be heard, of how a circumferential railroad system can spur development on that island, and that maybe a conference with, say, the Sultan of Brunei, could lead to investment for that essential infrastructure, apart from helping find employment for all the armed men in Mindanao. Surely they can be co-opted to provide security for sections of that railway. In brief, we wish for PNoy to strike out and stamp his mark in other fields of governance, provide that spark for a concerted national effort It's been nearly six months. That's about one-twelfth of his term of office. Would that the rest of it be brought up to speed, and be made to address the laggard aspects of the Filipino's quality of life. Yes, tall order: education, justice, peace, security, the economy, employment, science advancement, agriculture, local governments, traffic, smuggling, jueteng, grandstanding in Congress and the Senate, gadflies in media, the Corona Court, all the landmines and rear guard battalions left behind by a savvy predecessor. Etc. etc. Running a country is no lark. With this country, it's far from a walk in the park. But building a PNoy's Ark ought to rely on 24/7 thought and action, a.k.a. judicious haste. - GMANews.TV