'Romulo should refrain from recommending the appointment of more than three DFA undersecretaries as it will be against R.A. 7157.’
A FRIEND sent me the following quotation from noted author Frank Herbert:
"Good government never depends upon laws, but upon the personal qualities of those who govern. The machinery of government is always subordinate to the will of those who administer that machinery. The most important element of government, therefore, is the method of choosing leaders."
I believe this applies not only to President Noynoy Aquino but also to all those he has appointed to the cabinet and other high government positions.
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I am informed that future ex-foreign secretary Alberto Romulo now wants "peace" to reign in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
In truth, what he actually means is for the career officers who oppose his retention to stop whatever it was they are advocating – which is change. And the first change they want is for him to step down. They also object to the illegal extension by Romulo for three months of the tenure of political ambassadors which expired June 30.
Romulo underestimated the determination and strength of character of these officers who happen to care deeply about the raison d’etre for the DFA’s existence, i.e., the promotion and protection of the national interest and the country’s image abroad. Romulo failed miserably on both counts in the last six years.
Peace he will get, provided he starts treating these people fairly and squarely, with dignity and respect. These are senior officers who have already earned their spurs in the service of the country. What has he earned?
The best legacy Romulo can ever hope to leave when he finally retires is that he in the end worked assiduously to do his job as foreign secretary, not as a "tourism" secretary.
The professionalization of the foreign service and everything that goes with it should always be uppermost in his mind from now on, not just the benefit of a few officers who meet his comfort level. After all, he will not be around for long. Before we could even say "Merry Christmas", the New Year will be upon us.
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One of the most harmful things that Ms. Gloria Arroyo did was the "prostitution" of the civil service. For instance, she appointed what I would call "colorum" undersecretaries in many departments, the DFA included.
Section 6, Title I of Republic Act 7157 (Foreign Service Act) specifies that there should only be three undersecretaries in the DFA. There were at one time six, five at the end of last month.
(Romulo should bear this in mind in case he is thinking of recommending the appointment of new undersecretaries in addition to the present three. He will be committing an act contrary to the law governing the Foreign Service and in the process, drag Noynoy into making another mistake as he did in recommending the extension of the tenure of the "kapit tuko" political ambassadors beyond June 30. He should also remember that Noynoy promised to trim the excess fat added by Arroyo to the government bureaucracy. If need be, he can always fill the two positions left vacant by assistant secretaries.)
One of these "colorum" undersecretaries (for special concerns, kuno) was Rafael Seguis , a retired foreign service officer.
When Seguis’ appointment as a "colorum" undersecretary ended last month, Romulo had him appointed by Noynoy and assigned to the legitimate post of undersecretary for administration. He was hoping Seguis would be able to assist him in the peace-building process he had in mind.
Wrong! Seguis does not enjoy the respect, trust and confidence of his erstwhile colleagues because of his track record and widely known vindictive character. But that’s another story that will be told another time.
At a meeting of the undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and sundry officials convened by Romulo last week purportedly to talk, inter alia, about the department’s input for Noynoy’s State of the Nation Address and the fate of OFWs condemned to death in Saudi Arabia, Seguis, out of nowhere, blurted out something like "those who are not happy should go", or words to that effect. Catching himself, he mumbled "my door is open…"
Everyone, including Romulo I suppose, was taken aback by Seguis’ uncalled for remarks, although he was civilly ignored. (Nobody left either. To begin with, he did not say where those he was alluding to should go.)
While it was not in the agenda, the participants thought the meeting was Romulo’s way of trying reconciliation with the career officers except, of course, those who cater to his every whim who shall remain unnamed for now. He had never before convened such a meeting of the top officials in the department.
If Seguis’ duncelike outburst is conciliatory, I don’t know what is not.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Seguis, who apparently has got Romulo by the b…ls, is now plotting the "ouster" of those officers representing the majority opposed to him and his boss. In DFA lingo, that could either mean being relieved of their present jobs and shunted to the freezer (and become "Internally Displaced Persons") or assigned to an "obscure" post abroad to get them out of the way.
There goes Romulo’s plan for reconciliation!
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Senator Serge Osmeña said it might be too late for Noynoy to appoint someone else in place of Hilario Davide as chairman of the Truth Commission.
It is never ever too late to right a wrong. The Truth Commission is supposed to ferret out the truth and, eventually, put a closure to the anomalies committed during Arroyo’s unlamented regime. To make it effective, the Commission must be headed by someone whose credibility is not suspect. Davide’s record is not exactly untainted.
No, I say Noynoy should look for someone else who will enjoy the trust and confidence of the vast majority.
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The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) charter states that the DPWH Secretary is its ex-officio chair. However, out of delicadeza, Rogelio Singson decided to quit the position after critics pointed out a possible conflict of interest. He was the CEO of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. prior to his being tapped as DPWH secretary
That’s what I call a class act!
What say you, Messrs. Romulo, Davide, and Alvarez?
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Question: Which one of Noynoy’s cabinet members is still supposedly being congratulated by the people in his department three weeks after he was retained in his position? Three weeks, mind you!
Answer: Alberto Romulo, whose photo appears on a giant tarpaulin being congratulated by an unidentified person ostensibly on behalf of the DFA personnel. Typhoon Basyang didn’t do a good job of blowing it away. The tarpaulin went askew but not away. Romulo’s sycophants hastily hung it up again – with his consent I suppose. (It was still there defacing the DFA Building as of yesterday.)
As my driver would say: Ngek! Wa class! Wa delicadeza!
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After nearly four years, retired ambassador Emelinda Lee-Pineda finally received from the GSIS the balance of the proceeds from her insurance policy.
The new GSIS management should give priority not only to those similarly situated as Lee-Pineda was, but also to old-age pensioners, including those living abroad, who have not received their pension for the last four or five years – and pay them! These people are in the twilight of their years. They should not be made to wait a minute longer. It’s unconscionable!
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I would like to wholeheartedly endorse what esteemed columnist Jarius Bondoc of the Philippine Star had to say about shaming grafters, to wit:
"A twin measure would be to shame grafters by, say, public ostracism. Posting on the Net their photos, with kith and kin, in all their opulence, will communicate mass disapproval. Families would cringe; friends would stay away. Shame campaigns can be boundless. The exposed can be denied entry in restaurants and cinemas, or purchases of furniture and airline tickets, or just plain enjoy themselves. Social isolation is the best deterrent and worst punishment for grafters. It blunts the appetite for plunder, which is to get materially ahead of everyone, and leaves the plunderer unable to benefit from his wealth."
If memory serves, a similar shame campaign was resorted to by the Argentinians years ago with astounding results.
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Today is the 84th day of the fourth year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.
Has the Commission on Human Rights started its thorough probe of Jonas’ case as mandated by the Supreme Court?
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