The Little President

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – They attended the same law school and their fathers were friends, but it’s their mutual passion for public service and concern for others that may have prompted President Duterte to tap his services, according to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

“This story is not about friendship, but of a public servant willing to give courtesy or comfort to the public he serves,” Medialdea said, describing his working relationship with the President, a schoolmate at the San Beda College of Law.

He stressed they were never friends when they were young. Before his appointment as executive secretary, the 65-year-old Medialdea had an impressive career, including a stint with the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz (ACCRA) Law office and as one of the founders of Medialdea Ata Bello and Suarez Law firm.

Their paths first crossed when they were both lawyers – Medialdea in private practice and Duterte as city prosecutor. It was also during one of his trips to the provinces for ACCRA when he met Ma. Bertola Dizon, also a lawyer, who would later be his wife.

One day at the city prosecutor’s office, he recalled, he sat absentmindedly on a chair that turned out to be Duterte’s. A secretary called his attention just as Duterte was coming in.

Introductions revealed their fathers were close friends. “I asked him about his relationship with Gov. (Vicente) Duterte of the undivided Davao province before, whom I knew was a colleague of my father (Justice Leo Medialdea), who served as assistant prosecutor of the undivided Davao,” Medialdea said.

When he became mayor, Duterte got in touch with Medialdea to seek his legal advice.

Medialdea said he values the trust the 71-year-old President has shown him.

“When you say value, it means that I also have to make sure that nothing skips me when it comes to documents and other matters that should reach him. I have to review everything and check the flow of the documents,” he told The STAR.

This early, Medialdea said he has come to realize that Malacañang is true to its reputation as a “snake pit” from which he has to protect the President.

He revealed he has to deal everyday with documents and letters screaming for the President’s attention.

“You’d be surprised how certain individuals have the gall to insert documents without passing through the proper channels before they are supposed to reach my office,” he said.

To tackle the problem, Medialdea said he is now applying a system he learned in ACCRA.

“I am now using the docket system which we had in ACCRA to keep track of all the documents that come in or out of my office,” he pointed out.

He revealed a probe is underway to determine how some papers have moved “in mysterious ways” in Malacañang.

Even if he is considered the “little president” because of his position, Medialdea emphasized power has never gotten to his head.

He was no stranger to power, having served briefly as presidential assistant for political affairs from July to October 2000 during the Estrada administration.

“No, power never got to my head. I am just here to work and help our President carry out his task, being the highest official of the land. This is not for me. This is in the name of service to the people, the Filipino people that President Duterte swore he would protect and serve,” Medialdea stressed.