Too many cooks?
By Gonzalo Duque
MAYBE Dagupan City Hall is already missing the presence of former City Administrator Vlad Mata, whom I consider a good administrator. Vlad, a former councilor and experienced in budget-making process, would have readily addressed the various procedural and substantial problems at city hall. He is definitely a big gain for the Commission on Appointments of the Senate but a big loss to Brian Lim and his administration.
In his stead, I heard there are five administrators at the Dagupan City hall today and it took them five months past the deadline to submit the Devolution Transition Plan, and three or four months late in submitting the Indicative Annual Procurement Program.
Too many cooks spoil the broth, di ba?
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The events of the past days indicate that Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is out to have the endorsement of President Rodrigo Duterte to seal his ambition to become the next president of the Philippines. I understand that he had a meeting with the President and was even advised by the latter on how to act like a president. Was that short of being formally endorsed by Digong?
But since PDP Laban-Cusi wing already officially endorsed Bongbong for president, where does that leave Isko Moreno Domogoso and all the other presidential aspirants now? President Duterte is really an astute politician because even Isko Moreno and other presidential bets are salivating for his endorsement.
He’s the only president whose endorsement is very much sought for. This is in itself a phenomenon. Even his enemies can’t believe that our people still revere him.
It’s because the President’s achievements before the pandemic hit us, are aplenty: the war on drugs, Build, Build, Build, the extension of the passport to 10 years and the driver’s license to five years, modernization of the mass transport system, improvement of school facilities and many others.
His efforts even received a boost from that Mandanas doctrine that made the local government units stronger. Their shares, not only from the internal revenue allotment, but all taxes collected by the government, have been increased as decided by the Supreme Court.
So, finally imperial Manila’s authority, the center of power, is now devolved to the provinces. But bago nila ibigay yong pera sa LGU, mayroong programa silang isa-submit! This is the Devolution Transition Plan! Tapos, Dagupan City submitted its DTP more than five months past the deadline. Ano ba yan?
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I am still not so concerned about the trends in national or local elections as much as my concern about people not observing social distancing during stumps of different political parties. I fear this could again result in another surge of COVID-19.
While the rate of infection is lower, another surge may occur after the elections. I hope it will not happen! The next president’s initial duty is to contain the pandemic and contain the economic dislocation we’ve been suffering because of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
I am also more afraid that because of that war Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries will unite to again impose oil embargo against the U.S. We are repeating history here.
During the martial law years in the Philippines, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia imposed an oil embargo against the U.S. because it backed Israel in the Israeli-Arab War. For the first time, the government imposed oil and gas rationing. (At that time, I could only get 20 liters a week to go to San Beda. Fortunately, my car was a Volkswagen. Medyo matipid ito sa gasoline).
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I wish to congratulate my classmates and friends who’d been appointed to various government positions. Among them were Alfredo Lim (COO of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation), Judy Carol Layos (NFA administrator), Saidamen Pangarungan (chairman of Comelec), my good friend Mike Regino (newly appointed Social Security System president), and Aurora Baby Ignacio, a Dagupeña (from SSS to the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation as a director whose tenure is six years).
I could say that many graduates of Class 76 of San Beda College, the only law school that attained the 100 percent passing in the Philippine bar, were designated to various positions in government. Note, not everybody is Duterte’s fraternity brod. (I don’t belong to his Lex Tallones fraternity).
I may have failed to mention everyone because I’m quite sure that there were still many who were appointed to government positions during the Duterte administration, so I ask for their indulgence because of my age.
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