On Noynoy's team

While President Arroyo may go down in history as the most unpopular president, it would be unfair to say the same of her entire team.

True there are some rotten eggs, but not the whole basket was spoiled.

When President-apparent Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III starts choosing his team, he should think twice before he replaces everybody.

There are indications though that Aquino is open to the possibility of retaining some government officials serving under the Arroyo administration.

Liberal Party stalwart Rep. Erin Tañada was quoted as saying that those who have worked well in the last administration and those who have not been tainted by corruption could be retained.

Even Dinky Soliman, the only official that Aquino has so far confirmed would serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and herself a Cabinet rehash, had said that what is important is the track record of the appointee. She should know.

Keeping in government those who have proven their competence, independence and sincerity in serving the people will prove that the incoming President is not the vindictive and confrontational type as others have portrayed him to be.

This move will also fuel the hope that Noynoy could truly become a unifying president, and a leader who places merit and performance above any other consideration.

Some of those who would probably be retained in the Cabinet are Esperanza Cabral and Jose Ibazeta, both Arroyo appointees, having kept their noses clean amid the spate of scandals that have rocked Malacañang.

Two more GMA officials who could be retained by the incoming Chief Executive are Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jesus Verzosa, who has proven his loyalty to the Constitution and capability in marshalling the PNP to protect the welfare and interests of the people. As competent people, they could be given different jobs and still perform well.

Good talent should not be put to waste. Verzosa has already proven his worth as a dedicated official whose independence cannot be questioned. Remember that Verzosa had earned the ire of President Arroyo when he said that the PNP, as the protector of the Filipino people, would not support any extra-constitutional attempt to thwart the people’s will.  Mrs. Arroyo was so pissed off that she did not attend the commencement exercises of the Philippine National Police Academy—an event that a sitting Chief Executive traditionally attends—and did not acknowledge Verzosa’s presence during the Philippine Army anniversary celebration.

Verzosa, who will retire on Dec. 25, has said he would tender his courtesy resignation on June 30 to give the next President a free hand in reorganizing the PNP, but many hope that Aquino will keep him beyond June 30.

Verzosa is truly an officer and a gentleman, with a firm grasp of what needs to be done to further professionalize the PNP and restore public confidence in the institution.

Before tendering his courtesy resignation to the new President, he said he would submit a 15-point roadmap that would serve as the government’s guide in transforming the PNP into a world-class police force by 2030.

True, it would be nice to have fresh faces in the Cabinet, but there is no substitute for experience and good track record. After all, what our country badly needs is a continuity in government programs so that we would not always be moving one step forward, then two steps backward.

Unfair attacks

The Law Firm of Villazara, Cruz, Marcelo and Angangco (CVC Law) or more popularly known as “The Firm “ and its partners have been the target of nasty attacks the past week.

This is not the first time they have been in the news, but in the past, it was for the right reasons.

Former Ombudsman Sonny Marcelo is well-known as the main prosecutor in the Erap impeachment and plunder cases. Avelino “Nonong” Cruz, Jr. is widely credited as the defense secretary who instituted the Philippine Defense Reform program in the military establishment. He successfully introduced measures that promoted professionalism within the military and curbed corruption in defense contracts. Unfortunately, both left when they had policy differences with President Arroyo in 2006 over her attempts to amend the constitution through the people’s initiative.

But little is known about the Firm’s role in the breaking up of the behemoth PLDT monopoly during the Ramos administration. Their pivotal role in the break-up may reveal why the Firm is being “feared” by vested interests intent on preserving the status quo.   

PLDT used to be a monopoly of the worse kind. Notoriously inefficient, its service or lack thereof was best described by Lee Kuan Yew, the former Singapore Prime Minister, when he joked in 1992 that “98 percent of Filipinos are waiting for a telephone. The other two percent are waiting for a dial tone.”

The old PLDT monopoly stood in the way of economic development. With a teledensity of one telephone per 100 persons, communication was inefficient and cumbersome. The Ramos administration needed to break up the monopoly and open it up to new players immediately. But the old PLDT monopoly was an entrenched interest with deep resources intent on retaining its hold on the market. The traditional legislative route to break up the monopoly would be slow, tedious and bloody.

Upon the legal advice of The Firm’s telecom expert, Pancho Villaraza, and implemented by the then Chief Presidential Legal Counsel (and now Associate Justice) Antonio Carpio and National Security Adviser Joe Almonte, the Ramos administration issued two executive orders that ordered PLDT to interconnect with other telephone companies and issued licenses to new telecom players. These unilateral presidential actions resulted in the immediate liberalization of the telecom industry and the entry of new players. The issuance of the EOs was a smart move since the Ramos administration no longer had to wait for the glacial pace of legislative action to introduce reform. The effect was immediate. The industry grew tremendously and had a positive multiplier effect on the economy.

We now enjoy the consequences of that legal advice that led to the liberalization of the telephone industry. The long wait for a telephone is a now thing of the past.

For comments, e-mail at [email protected]