Mixed feelings on prospective Duterte appointments

Several businessmen expressed their “mixed feelings” about some of the prospective Cabinet appointments announced by incoming president Rodrigo Duterte, in particular, those offered to the National Democratic Front, the Communist Party of the Philippines and other left-leaning groups.

Mayor Duterte has offered four Cabinet positions to the NDF, namely the Departments of Agrarian Reform, Environment and Natural Resources, Social Welfare and Development, and Labor and Employment. A lot of people, however, are wary, remembering the time when the late president Cory Aquino released a lot of political prisoners which did not really end the insurgency, but only strengthened the armed New People’s Army that reached its peak of 25,000 armed guerillas during the term of Mrs. Aquino.

It is understandable though that this offer of Cabinet positions is part of the incoming president’s attempt to reach out to insurgents, which could hopefully begin the healing process and help the incoming government in forging a roadmap to real peace. The fact that Joma Sison was a professor of Mayor Duterte at the Lyceum of the Philippines already shows a personal connection that could do a lot in helping end the four-decades old communist insurgency in the country.

In fact, Sison has already broached the idea of a “mutual ceasefire” between government troops and the rebel group, while an advance team from the National Democratic Front has already flown to Davao to begin “exploratory talks” with the group of Mayor Duterte. 

According to several political analysts, the Cabinet positions offered to the left-leaning groups is part of the trust and confidence building measures which could help address issues that, according to observers, are at the heart of the insurgency problem: mainly agrarian reform, basic social services and joblessness. Besides which, the said portfolios are not “sensitive” as far as national security is concerned, opined some.

We just don’t know, however, if this development will ruffle the feathers of the military since it is the soldiers who are at the forefront of the fight against rebels and insurgents. The underlying sentiment of many about the potential appointment of known left-leaning individuals was also underscored in the exchange between Duterte spokesman

Peter Laviña who expressed concern that they could prove to be “roadblocks” to real change, saying these groups cannot continue with their habit of holding protests and demonstrations on every issue instead of joining hands to address the problems that continue to beset the country.

Laviña’s comment was in response to an earlier salvo by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan that very early on has criticized the mayor’s 8-point economic agenda as a “continuation of the neo-liberal poison imposed on the people by the Aquino regime.” Both Laviña and Bayan’s Renato Reyes however have sobered up a bit, with the latter saying the Cabinet offer was unprecedented and very much welcome.

But while many have expressed disquiet about some of the potential appointees, among the names that have been welcomed and praised include Art Tugade for the DOTC, Jun Yasay for the DFA, and Andrea Domingo for PAGCOR.

Art has done a great job at Clark Development Corp. even if his stint was very short, having resigned his post to help in the campaign of the incoming president. Art is known as a self-made man who makes no bones about having been a “squatter” when his parents lost their home due to a fire. Those who know Art very well describe him as a good man who has a heart for the underprivileged especially the children, as evidenced by his longtime support for Tuloy Foundation, a Muntinlupa-based charity organization that rehabilitates street children.

Jun Yasay, who was at the helm of the Securities and Exchange Commission as chairman, is a lawyer who also has a good business head between his shoulders. Known more as a technocrat, many are hoping that Jun’s interim appointment will become long term considering the situation in the international front. Jun is set to meet with outgoing DFA Secretary Rene Almendras to get a briefing on where the Philippines stands regarding our relationship with the international community. We have to remember that maintaining good international relations is very crucial especially in a global world such as ours. We cannot remain isolated from the rest of the world especially because we have more than 12 million overseas Filipino workers deployed all over the globe, and so our relationship with these host countries is of utmost important if we want to uphold the welfare of our OFWs and protect our citizens working and living in foreign countries.

Former Immigration commissioner Andrea “Didi” Domingo is also another good choice, a former congresswoman of Pampanga who has a very good reputation. Everyone knows her as a tough woman who famously said, when asked about working in a department that has traditionally been the domain of males: “I have a brain, and my brain has no gender. It is just as good as anyone else’s – man or woman.”

Those who are familiar with Domingo – who admitted having had to change her cellphone number several times during her stint as Immigration chief due to the nasty messages including death threats that she was getting – say she is one feisty lady, which is not surprising considering that she also worked under one of the feistiest women in the Philippines – Senator Miriam Santiago when the latter served as Immigration commissioner in 1988.

Lawyer Salvador Panelo, who is Duterte’s incoming Press Secretary, on the other hand, is also a good addition since the man is very articulate and also has good relations with a lot of media people – not to mention the fact the incoming president listens to his advice.

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