If I were 'P-Noy'

YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW
Linggoy Alcuaz
9/12-14/2011



If I were P-Noy, on the eve of my second visit to the USA, I would be very worried. I have lost most of the moral high ground that I inherited from my parents, Hero Ninoy and Saint Cory, and that the people raised, reinforced and maintained for me.

My twin campaign slogans, “Walang Mahirap Pag Walang Korap!” and “Matuwid na Daan!” (or something sounding like so) are in tatters. They are now embarrassing to recall.

My poor governance has slowed the economy down.

My government is hoarding fiscal resources while at the same time raising taxes contrary to my promise of no new taxes.

Blown Beyond Proportion
The morale of my appointees has gone down because of unabated internal intrigues.

I have parted with a few of my key none-“Ka …” appointees in messy firings or resignations.

Balay and Samar refuse to disappear.

The mainstream mass media holds my administration in contempt.

My Communications Group is adding to our perception problems instead of solving them.

Our accomplishments are not communicated and seen.

The smallest of our mistakes are blown beyond proportion.

Vengeance, not Reform
We have lost the perception game.

We have lost the survey wars no matter how high our scores are.

The only thing we have improved on a lot is in the persecution and prosecution of our enemies.

However, due to the long stalled anti-corruption efforts, the enemy was able to recover, delay and fight back.

Our efforts are seen as mere vengeance and no longer as reform.

The business community derives no satisfaction from these drives. They want me to move on.

But how can I? This is what I know.

From Regular to Zero, vice versa
Our efforts have aroused the persecuted and prosecuted.

From an initial defensive posture they may and have actually assumed an offensive posture.

They have manipulated the media from the very beginning. That is why I never had the luxury of a honeymoon.

Already, elements of both the old administration and old opposition are getting together in a combined effort to sabotage our efforts.

If, as I put it, my love life, like Coca Cola, has gone from Regular to Zero, my political life has remained close to Zero.

I have to change my lifestyle and workstyle in order to go from Zero to Regular.

I have to extricate myself from the Ka … How can I let go of Jojo, Rico, Virginia and the likes of them.

My narrow experience and small world of existence do not make it easy for me to trust others.

OJT Forever
I need a paradigm shift to mature politics.

I and my Administration cannot remain at “On-the-Job Training” forever.

Governance is not a student council.

I have to extricate myself from family and friends and operate in the political realm of my political party and its political alliances.

I have to recognize, accept and trust strangers.

I have to see through my kabarkada, kabarilan, kaklase, kamaganak, etc…

Political Dwarf
I need a top-to-bottom overhaul in my anemic administration.

I have to start with my Executive Secretary and the Cabinet Secretaries.

I chose most of them when I was still a boy.

Now, although late, I have to become a man. I have to choose stout-hearted men rather than boys with big egos and pockets.

I now have to think, “What would Dad Ninoy and Mom Cory, rather than me, Noynoy, the boy, have done?”

I now realize that being a political dwarf myself, standing on the shoulders of another political dwarf, Midget President Paquito Jojo Ochoa, still makes the two of us shorter than my predecessors.

This is very clear in relation to Manuel L. Quezon, Sergio Osmena, Manuel A. Roxas, Ramon Magsaysay, Jr., Carlos P. Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal, Ferdinand E. Marcos, Cory S. Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, and Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada .

There were Men, only
Even the diminutive Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was a giant in corruption.

I fail to tower over her. Only my parents’ shadow can look down on her.

In the realm of economics, I still look up to her as when she was my teacher with me seated on my desk and she standing short but walking about.

However, my hard-headedness and pride prevent me from using the lessons I learned from her.

When we make comparisons at the level of the Executive Secretary, just imagine, how does Jojo Ochoa compare with Eddie Ermita, Bert Romulo, Rene de Villa, Edong Angara, Ronnie Zamora, Alexander Aguirre, Teofisto Guingona, Jr., Peter Garrucho, Oscar Orbos, Catalino Macaraig, Joker Arroyo, Alejandro Melchor, Ramon Diaz, ……, Jorge Vargas? Sorry, if I forgot the others, I was still a boy or unborn during their era.

What I do know is that there were no boys in government then, only men.

Kitchen Cabinet
Before I fire another one of my officials, I have to learn to fire then straight to their faces and not through intrigues, rumours and the media.

I will start with my 24/7 kabarkada, Jojo Ochoa. I will ask him to please understand. I have to sacrifice him for the common welfare as well as for my administration’s survival.

Then, in the long run, I will be able to save him too.

However, I will give him another position. I will transfer him from the Palace to the Park across the Pasig River. He will be the Chief of the Kitchen Cabinet.

Since I’m male and I don’t have a First Lady, my Kitchen Cabinet can be composed mostly of males and third-sexers.

We can limit females to just a very few.

Then, I don’t have to fire anyone anymore. I will just transfer them across the Pasig River.

More Suitable E.S.
Then, I will appoint a more suitable Executive Secretary based on political considerations rather than my familial and friendship relations.

I will do the search, interview and selection from among the candidates myself.

Search committees are bullshit.

We only end up with more CESO’s than even my Ateneo classmates (CESOs are Classmates of Executive Secretary Ochoa).

“Mas masahol ang kapatas kaysa sa haciendero.”

My own selection process has come up with a short list of possible successors.

As soon as I talk to Jojo, I will float their names and get feedback.

Learning from Past Mistakes
I will learn from my mistakes of the past.

I can go back to the original plan: I will keep on playing while Mar Roxas does 80 % of the work.

After all, in his two and a half months as DOTC Secretary, he has recruited Liberals more sparingly than Jojo recruited CESO’s.

If I want the Islands of Batanes to become bigger than Luzon, then I will appoint Secretary Butch Abad as the new Executive Secretary.

He is very good at saving money.

When there were crises in the Middle East and North Africa, he was still able to save money from the DFA’s “Aid to Nationals” fund.

When there was a crisis in ferreting out waste and corruption, Butch Abad slashed the COA’s budget.

Bachelor’s Quarters
Even when the DSWD’s capacity to absorb a massive injection of Conditional Cash Transfer funds was limited, he managed to double, triple, quadruple its budget.

He had the same blind faith in the CCT program and in the DSWD as he has in Dinky.

He believes that Dinky can grow and become a giant. He believes that CCT and Dinky will save us from an EDSA IV just as they saved GMA.

Then, I will review the performance of all the line Cabinet Secretaries.

I will look for round pegs in square holes and vice versa.

So, the first thing is to do a rigodon. It is not at all expensive.

No one is fired. Those who are neither round nor square will cross the Pasig River.

Ochoa will take care of them.

The savings we derive out of their transfers can go to expanding my bachelor quarters.