P-Noy must act on GOCC perks

Even before the hostage crisis, P-Noy’s leadership qualities are apparently under question. The President is getting no respect from at least one subordinate working at the MWSS. Macra Cruz, administrator of the MWSS was reported in Congress to have given herself some P238,000 in “privatization anniversary bonus” on July 26 or a day after P-Noy delivered his first SONA precisely denouncing MWSS excesses.

If this is true, Cruz was clearly mocking P-Noy. Worse, over a month after, P-Noy has done nothing about it… making him look inadequate. In fact, according to Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, President Aquino promoted Cruz from deputy administrator to administrator in July.

What is going on here? P-Noy denounces an anomaly but promotes one of those apparently guilty of what he was passionately denouncing in his SONA? Did P-Noy even understand the speech he read? How can this instill confidence in our leader? “President Aquino could not expect Cruz to implement reforms in the MWSS because she herself misused the funds for her own benefit. The President must replace Cruz immediately,” Herrera-Dy said. “She virtually made the MWSS her milking cow.”

According to the congresswoman, Ms Macra Cruz is an expert in “inventing all kinds of bonuses for herself including a Christmas bonus that came in September.” According to Rep. Herrera-Dy, in 20 months, Cruz created P6 million in bonuses, of which P4 million she had awarded to herself.

“When Christmas time came and Cruz found she already overused the word ‘Christmas’, she rewarded herself with P200,000 in productivity incentive bonuses in December 2009,” said Herrera-Dy. She also said Cruz collected her 13th month pay in September 2009. She also collected grocery, “Family Week” and scholarship allowances amounting to P250,000.

Vouchers and receipts furnished Herrera-Dy by “concerned individuals” showed that two weeks after the devastating storm Ondoy inundated Metro Manila in September 2009, Cruz awarded herself P100,000 in calamity assistance. Another P100,000 was drawn from funds for her “year-end financial assistance.”

On Nov. 6, according to the congresswoman, Cruz received a P130,000 Corporate Christmas Package and some P100,0000 in Christmas bonuses on Nov. 17. A day later, she took out P800,000 in car loans, documents showed. On Nov. 24, Cruz was granted P100,000 as a productivity incentive bonus and P20,000 in PX Mart allowances. On Dec. 10, she granted herself P300,000 in financial assistance and another productivity incentive bonus of P94,000.

Four days later, or on Dec. 14, Cruz received some P143,000 in discretionary allowances and on the same day another P100,000 as a collective negotiation agreement bonus. The following day, Dec. 15, Cruz received P100,000 in “OGCC/GOCC celebration” funds. From Dec. 17 to 22, she received P200,000 more in productivity bonuses.

The congresswoman must have been misinformed. What she is saying is incredible. Jaded as I am through years of covering them, I find it hard to believe that a public servant could be that greedy. But why is Sen. Frank Drilon saying just about the same thing?

The MWSS, must have, in Sen. Drilon’s mocking observation, run out of letters of the alphabet to call its laundry list of bonuses. The perks come with the most commonplace names, but the amounts they guarantee, and the fact that they repeat themselves in ever more desperate-sounding variations, ensures the generosity of the largesse.

Ironically, a memorandum order issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001, explicitly barred any GOCC executive from receiving salaries twice the regular pay of Cabinet secretaries (about P69,000 monthly, gross). But documents submitted to the Senate show that board members of the Government Service and Insurance System were paid as much as P6 million each annually, or P500,000 every month. Their work? Attending two board meetings a month.

What is P-Noy doing about all these? He must act decisively to retain his credibility now that it is badly challenged. People like Macra Cruz are apparently taking advantage of his laid back attitude. At the very least, P-Noy must show he does not only denounce something in his SONA, he quickly does something to correct what he already knows is a serious anomaly.

One last question, what is his executive secretary doing? He should be protecting P-Noy’s backside on these administrative matters. Obviously, he isn’t and we can only speculate why. A text message I received reacting to the hostage crisis but applicable to most other things this administration is fumbling on: hope administration grows quickly into the job. There’s only so much room for amateurs at the top.

Reactions from abroad

From Spain, I got this reaction from Jose Alejandrino to my thoughts on P-Noy’s credibility as a leader.

I thought about it long and hard. What are the qualities needed of a great Philippine president? Well, I have come to this conclusion. He or she must have the intellect of a Jose Rizal, the political shrewdness of a Manuel Quezon or Ferdinand Marcos, the honesty of a Ramon Magsaysay or Cory Aquino, and the courage and audacity of a Benigno Aquino Jr.

Will we ever find such a person to lead the nation? The day we do, the Philippines will become a great nation.

From New York, here’s one from A. Reyes who works in the financial sector.

I don’t think having credibility eroded in front of a global audience is that bad. Take a look at India. Foreigners were killed in the 2008 Mumbai massacre, yet the world still thinks India is the next economic miracle. You didn’t see PM Singh getting on his knees and begging for the world’s forgiveness.

In Mexico, US citizens are occasionally caught in the crossfire between the military and drug cartels, yet Calderon did not cry woe-is-me to the White House and thousands of Americans still flock to Mexico every year for spring break. In fact, Calderon is even blaming America for Mexico’s drug troubles.

In both countries, their police and militaries were proven to be inept.

If India, Mexico and other crisis-prone poor countries can get over the initial embarrassment and put the past behind them with no apologies, why can’t the Philippines?

The reality is people around the world know that bouts of incompetence are a given in poor countries. The key to handling the aftermath is to use this discounting of expectations to one’s advantage, instead of apologizing for not handling the situation in a way that a richer country would have done.

From someone whose e-mail address is noar8.

I want to commend you for your article today. I wrote you the other day with a negative reaction to a previous article, and I take it back. Sorry about that. Your article today (Monday) calls a spade a spade. Great!

More and more reference is made on the first presscon of P-Noy by the HK people which apparently has caused a lot of the damage we see today. Coloma is smart. I was his student in AIM, but he is no PR man. At one point the entire class filed an official complaint against him for his rough/abrasive treatment of students. Carandang is the anti-thesis of PR, his training is bashing the administration for the past 6 years. This new role is a major paradigm shift for him.

Again, great article which I will share with others.

All the best!  

What if…

My good friend Romy Bernardo texted me this “what if” exercise by his daughter.

What would have happened un the hostage crisis had the following been president:

Gordon – would have offered himself in tears in place of the hostages, moved Mendoza to shoot himself.

Gibo – would have checked the manual on how to deal with hostages and done it by the book, after checking with Niki.

Villar – would have promised Mendoza house and lot and sent Willie Revillame to negoltiate for good behavior — of ABS-CBN.

Jamby – would have blamed it all on her relatives, and Villar.

Erap – would have promised to make a movie of Mendoza’s life in exchange for hostages starring Bong Revilla and co-star Jinggoy as the driver.

Perlas – would not have happened. He promised to get rid of polluting buses in first month in office.

Bro Eddie – wouldn’t have happened also because araw araw prayer meeting sa Luneta.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]