A virtual revolving door had been installed at Malacañang Palace just shortly before the end of the pivotal first 100th day of President. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in office.
President Marcos must bear in mind the support of a super-majority even though he was the most maligned and the sole target of vilification by his political adversaries. Much of his political fortunes he owed to Vice President Inday Sara Z. Duterte, thus it was and still is compelling that President Marcos Jr. exercises caution in selecting the crew that would help him navigate through turbulent waters.
The President-elect actually has 60 days to select and vet the people who will make up his Cabinet before he takes over the helms of the government. Crucial are the choices of those who are to work closely with him. Among these is the Executive Secretary which is often referred to as the “little president,” the Presidential Spokesperson cum Press Secretary, and the Legal Adviser.
Midway through the 1st 100 days, signs of trouble emerged. The scandal in sugar importation showed serious symptoms of corruption. There were reports of essential commodities shortages coming from the Executive Secretary’s office. Why these involved the ES office invites suspicion. In these instances, PBBM should have jettisoned the rats in his organization.
There were nagging issues of questionable appointments in sensitive positions in the Bureau of Customs with forged the President’s signature I have not sensed any ripple of anger from the President.
If these were not enough to shock President Marcos, talks about the demolition of the President’s residential house located directly opposite the Malacañang Palace across the Pasig River is another shocker. Called “Bahay Pangarap,” the building was totally demolished when the plan of the President was just for some minor renovation. The late former President Benigno S. Aquino III and Pres. Rodrigo Duterte opted to stay in this house instead of the opulent palace. It is not clear who ordered the demolition, but for certain it will be a potential exhibit of profligacy. The culprit could be someone who had the gall to go beyond what the President had wanted. Make your guess.
We hope that President Marcos will carefully screen the people with whom he will work with and confide the presidential decisions to.
“Ang pangarap nyo ay pangarap ko” (Your dream is my dream). You are absolutely correct, Sir. We are all in this together.
Mr. President, you exude calmness and goodness. But for Pete’s sake, sometimes you have to show your teeth. Your silence can be construed as acquiescence and insensitivity. And this, as you have experienced in your first 100 days, invites abuse. Be like your big sister, Senator Imee Marcos, who gave a piece of her mind to your Foreign Affairs Secretary for “xeroxing” the defense strategy of other nations.
The President’s temper and choices of people will define his next 100 days. It is part of his task to separate the grain from the chaff. And talking of grains and chaffs, you and your subalterns in the Department of Agriculture have yet to demonstrate whether you have the wherewithal to address the plight of the farmers and fisher folks. For now, it’s all rhetoric.