A tough job for Cerge

The year closed with an apology from Press Secretary Cerge Remonde. The other day’s STAR story titled “GMA unpopular? My fault — Cerge,” said the cabinet official claimed the “unpopularity” of his boss, the Chief Executive, whose ratings “remain at record lows with only six months left in her term,” reflected his performance.

Cerge said, “Maybe I have failed to do my job as press secretary for 10 months now, of collectively communicating the achievements of our very hard-working President.” He said this in reaction to the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed a majority or 61 percent of Filipinos remain dissatisfied with the President’s performance.

The Fourth Quarter 2009 SWS survey, conducted from Dec. 5 to 10, showed that only 23 percent of respondents were satisfied with Mrs. Arroyo’s performance, giving her a “bad” net satisfactory rating of .38.

A presidential press secretary’s job is not easy, particularly when criticisms are being hurled left and right at one’s boss. Cerge has had to come to the defense of the President. The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) is the agency of the government “responsible for planning, programming, and coordinating the activities that will most effectively collect information about what is happening to the Executive branch of the government and getting that information to the media. In addition the Office’s greater role is to help Filipinos understand government policies and programs as well as shore up support for such.”

What the public reads and learns a lot from the print and electronic media are Cerge’s defense of the President’s actions. It must be said that the government’s good programs do not draw so much attention from the reading and listening public, although they are printed and aired. But when it comes to “bad news,” the public laps up everything bad written about the President.

The media has the right to report and criticize presidential actions and policies, like her declaration of martial law, to cite an example.

But there has been the tendency for muckrakers in media to look for and exaggerate data that they religiously believe are inimical to the interest of the country. Instead of focusing on OPS sub-agency reports on the benefits of the President’s meeting with US President Barack Obama, critics lambasted the President’s and her delegation’s dining at a restaurant in New York City and spending $20,000 for a meal. A newspaper itemized the menu, and short of asking the public to go up in arms for spending taxpayers’ money on an exorbitant dinner — while a lot of Filipinos back here were living in poverty. I could not find the source of this remark of Cerge as of this writing, but he was supposed to have remarked to the effect that the president of a country should not be expected to eat hotdog at a stall.

Cerge had to explain by radio broadcast to his countrymen back home that the dinner did not cost that much, that Le Crique restaurant was “not really as exclusively as it was being featured,” that it was not a favorite hangout of renowned personalities, but was patronized by Filipinos, and that when the group arrived, “we only had two tables in one corner in the restaurant.” Some of those who came to the unplanned dinner arrived in a bus.

Cerge had to deny reports that President Arroyo had undergone a breast repair, calling them “absurd.” She had gone to the Asian Hospital for biopsy tests to check the lumps in her breast and groin, which were discovered when she underwent routine tests; the tests found that the lumps were benign, and the hospital discharged her with a clean bill of health.

He had to defend the frequent presidential trips abroad. In a press conference with Cebu’s media, he said that the trips were needed for the global community of investors and developed nations to know more about the Philippines as investment and leisure destination.

The President’s ratings could not be blamed on Cerge. But he is loyal to his boss, and must come to her defense. The STAR story quotes him as saying, “I am very sad about the public approval rating of the President in spite of all the good things she has done and the many sacrifices she has made for our country.

 “We consider this as a challenge to work harder so that the Filipino people can better appreciate what a great President this country has in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”

A series of press secretaries had preceded Cerge. He was a famous Cebu broadcaster and headed the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas. He was appointed press secretary, then head of the powerful Presidential Management Staff when the President asked him to head the press office again, 10 months ago. It’s a tough job, I must say again, but Cerge is doing his best to make things lighter for his boss.

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Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III, who has served the government in its peace-making efforts, is running for the Senate under the ticket of Kusog Mindanao (Strong Mindanao), the largest multi-sectoral gathering of Mindanao stakeholders. Organized in 1994, Kusog Mindanao was primarily established to increase the voice of Mindanawons in national policy-making. Its head, Fr. Eliseo “Jun” Mercado Jr., OMI, believes that Bello, his comrade in Bayan Mindanao during the Marcos regime, would be able to give a holistic perspective on the peace process.

Bello, former head of the GRP panel negotiating with CPP/NPA/NDF under President Ramos, proposes the inclusion of all stakeholders in the peace process because he believes that peace building should not only be between the government and rebel groups but should involve all affected sectors.

Bello himself was a victim of injustice during the martial law years. He was jailed for offenses that were never proven. He then became an activist against martial law and human rights violations. With similar-minded lawyers who fought the dictatorship, he joined the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) founded by the late Sen. Jose Diokno to provide legal services to those who confronted the dictatorship. He was one of the leaders of Bayan Mindanao, and after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, he led the Justice for Aquino, Justice for All (JAJA) and the Coalition for the Restoration of Democracy (CORD) in Mindanao.

 Bebot ran for senator under the ticket of Lakas President Ramos in 1992. He ranked second in Davao, and fourth all over Mindanao.

 Bello’s roots can be traced back to the Ilocos and Cagayan valley regions; he migrated to Davao in the 90s.

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My e-mail:[email protected]