A few good men

Because of her growing unpopularity, many of the actions of President Arroyo get lumped together as being similarly sinister and thus get roundly criticized wholesale. This is unfair. We must continue to sift through her deeds in the hope of finding rare gems.

There is, in fact, one rare gem of an Arroyo decision which ought to make the fiercely proud Cebuanos swell inside. And this is her appointment of Francisco Benedicto as undersecretary of foreign affairs.

That position is a notch shy of what should be the ultimate recognition of Benedicto's impeccable record in the foreign service of this country. Indeed, it would not come as a surprise if Benedicto is eventually named foreign affairs secretary.

While Benedicto is an Ilonggo by birth, he grew up in Cebu and has made Cebu his home. While he cannot deny his Ilonggo roots, it would be a great injustice to the man, and to the Cebuanos as well, if we deny the fact that he has become just as Cebuano as the rest of us.

Cebuanos are a great people and many Cebuanos have been given the rare privilege of being called forth to serve their country and people. But among those chosen for that very rare honor, Benedicto is right up there, in the rarefied air of the very distinct, at the top of the heap.

It is not our wish to cast aspersions on the qualifications of those Cebuanos who have been called to serve, but many of those who heard the news of Benedicto's appointment were one in their reaction --- that this was one appointee who richly deserved the appointment.

Because he has been away much of the time because of the nature of his job, having been ambassador to Singapore, South Korea, Brazil and Canada, there is little that one can get to hear of Benedicto in the news.

But we in the media do get regular updates of his work in his various overseas assignments through embassy newsletters that he never fails to send regularly. Perhaps it is our fault that all too often we fail to pass on the good tidings in favor of the bad local news.

The name Benedicto, however, is hardly unknown. It is, in fact, amazingly well-known throughout the province of Cebu and environs, due in large part to the generous philantrophic acts of his family.

There is probably no town or city in the entire province of Cebu that does not have at least one school building donated by the Benedicto family, an act that has gone a long way in helping promote the cause of education in this country.

The appointment of Benedicto as undersecretary of foreign affairs is propitious in another way. His ascendancy comes at a time when another distinguished Cebuano is about to call it a day.

Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. is another great Cebuano who has served his country and people well. But he is retiring sometime in the middle of December and is apparently not interested in any other government position.

The departure of Davide will leave some sort of a vacuum in the hearts of Cebuanos who take great pride in those of their own who served their country selflessly with great devotion, honor and integrity.

Thus the Benedicto appointment mitigates somewhat the loss we feel with the departure of Davide. At least, even in a different field, Cebuanos can rest assured that another Cebuano will carry the torch of public service with the same devotion, honor and integrity.