Over 200 midnight appointees so far

One would think the busiest persons these days are the members of President-apparent Noynoy Aquino’s search committee. Reportedly dozens of applications for government posts are swamping his Quezon City home, for screening by the select team. But there’s a more frenetic search unit on the other side of town. Everyday in Malacañang the members meet to draft midnight appointments of the First Couple’s loyalists. Insiders say they’ll keep at it till President Gloria Arroyo’s last minute in office at noon of June 30. The aim is to preempt Aquino’s cleanup of the bureaucracy, but in the meantime the appointees may help themselves to the public coffers. So much for Arroyo’s promised smooth transition to Aquino.

Among the earliest placed were Arroyo’s personal manicurist, First Gentleman Mike’s private accountant, and their gardener. Soon followed her favorite generals and his closest Rotary Club mates. It does not matter that they should all be co-terminus with Arroyo. So far more than 200 have been positioned or extended in real or imagined tenured positions — to sit two to six years beyond her term. And so have been packed not only state corporations but also authorities, commissions and boards with specialized functions. Apparently Arroyo’s midnight search body thinks the Supreme Court will uphold the illegal appointments.

With Arroyo’s numerous midnight appointees, Aquino could end up a lame duck from his first day in office. But sources say the incoming President has been forewarned and so forearmed. He has vowed before and after the election to revoke the onerous appointments; his legal advisers know how to do it.

Arroyo’s subalterns have also been making midnight deals and expenditures. But again Aquino has been informed and is showing displeasure. After he pointed to last-minute purchases of Army weaponry, foreign governments halted negotiations with the departing admin. Of the unbridled spending, Aquino said over the weekend: “Many are saying that the releases are continuing. I hope these are not covered by the campaign ban (Jan. 10-June 10). We are looking for a demonstration of managing the (fiscal) deficit, but what we’ve heard is that the spending is continuing.”

Palace insiders are said to have sent word to Aquino’s men about Arroyo’s fund releases just before the campaign started. Allegedly among these were P1 million each to the 159 barangays in Arroyo’s Pampanga 2nd district, and 186 barangays in congressman-son Dato’s Camarines Sur 2nd district. Arroyo had wanted a government firm to bankroll the total P345 million, but professional officers resisted due to lack of funds. So she supposedly was forced to advance the money from her official budget, and is now pestering an agency for refund. “Cleaners” are attempting to doctor covering papers. But as Jun Lozada said of quick and dirty deals, bubukol ‘yan.

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At the Manila International Airport, the style of managers to get themselves extended in office by the incoming Aquino admin is to have the employees’ union “clamor” for it. At the Clark International Airport it’s coarser. The directors there are sucking up to an Aquino campaigner in the hope of getting reappointed to the board. They’re rushing to award a long-term modernization and development contract to the influential fellow.

The new President must be formally told about the goings-on. This deal might explode in his face. More so since the campaigner’s partner in the deal is an Aquino kin, whom outgoing President Arroyo allegedly happens to favor. Better to appoint a totally new board, which will decide if it is to accept the campaigner’s proposal.

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Four workers fell to their death from the 27th floor of a condo under construction in Quezon City Friday night. They were welding the steel frame of the elevator shaft when their platform gave way from under them. The site engineer gave as excuse the sudden blowing of “strong wind” that buffeted the platform. And the police believed him. Nobody said anything about obvious lack of safety rules and procedures at the worksite. That’s how easy they can pass off to nature the blame for four untimely deaths caused by negligent management.

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”Those who subvert the truth see subversives in those who proclaim the truth.” Shafts of Light, Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ

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