Reforming presidential appointments
BY DUCKY PAREDES
Lightning rods
‘What kind of sophomoric drivel is this that is put into the mouth of the President?’
THE Communications Group of President Aquino is being lashed from pillar to post over the damage to the image of the country caused by the botched attempt to rescue foreign hostages last week. The ComGroup probably deserves it, but no amount of massaging the message can paper over the patent, empirically verifiable bungling of the people and agencies which handled the hostage crisis.
An apple polisher can only do so much to improve the appearance of a blemished fruit.
While the ComGroup may not be riven by factions as has been speculated, the principals are on record as saying they indeed came from groups which operated separately during the presidential campaign. These groups did not have congruent political agendas. One was for the Aquino-Mar Roxas tandem while another was pushing for Aquino and Jojo Binay. It will take more than assurances from the media handlers of Aquino that they form one lovey-dovey family before the perception is erased that they are pulling in different directions.
They have to get their act together, if only to serve as lighting rods while Aquino takes his time deciding on what to do with the mediocrities who somehow managed to get themselves appointed to high positions.
Aquino has only been two months in office. Now, it seems years ago when the people were one in their optimism that a new era of clean, honest and competent government was dawning.
Where is the self-confident Noynoy of June 30? Certainly not on his Facebook account where he recently was reduced to pleading for continued trust in his administration.
"Manalig po kayo. Nasa likod ninyo ako at ang aking administrasyon," he said. "It is important for us Filipinos to take stock of ourselves as a people – of who truly are as a people."
What kind of sophomoric drivel is this that is put into the mouth of the President?
Aquino has wasted valuable political capital in putting out brushfires such as the indiscriminate sacking of appointed officials and, lately, the bloody hostage taking.
In the meantime, the bigger challenges – for example, bringing the thieves during the Arroyo administration to justice – have been placed in the backburner. Noynoy might just find his stock of political capital depleted when the showdown comes.