No shadows behind the throne?

In a tv interview about a fortnight ago, former Rep. Jose "Peping" Cojuangco and former Senator "Butz" Aquino were grilled on their probable role in President-elect Noynoy Aquino's regime. Both were emphatic not to intervene in Noynoy's decisions, albeit they will be "accessible" should their opinions or advice be sought.

Rep. Cojuangco was quite bitter that in his sister's reign, he had been pilloried by critics' canard as the main schemer of the "Kamag-anak Incorporated" that he denies vehemently. Like Senator Butz Aquino, he distances himself from Noynoy's reign. When pressed if he and Butz would totally keep mum even in cases so grave, they candidly relent to tell their nephew about it.

Sometime later also on tv, three young nephews of Noynoy, together with Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski, uniformly opined not to interfere in decision-making. Noynoy's four sisters had likewise assured not to dabble in matters of the State, although on youngest sister Kris' keeping quiet is taken with a grain of salt. While the sisters have vowed to keep taboo from Noynoy's governance, Ballsy confessed that she is one of the "screeners" of the presidential-appointment aspirants.

Most recently, Peping Cojuangco was on a lurch, reeling in umbrage for the intrigues from those "around President Aquino's" close-in confidants. He was so bellicose without holding back or hiding his emotions. This could trigger a parting of ways between the cloistered coterie of "trustees" and the close-knit family and clan that bodes disunity this early.

Anyway, coming down to earth in brass tacks, not all Aquino friends and faithful - even the Aquino-Cojuangco clique - are totally selfless, altruistic, and without personal agenda of their own. Not all are only to serve and help the idealistic Noynoy make good in his watch and to make the changes, both in attitude and aptitude.

Even among do-gooders with the best intentions, their opinions or advice are not per se always plausible and correct. There are those who feel at positions of priority for whatever reasons, like, family closeness; actual election campaign loyalty; class or schoolmate or childhood intimacy; self-belief of pseudo expertise as yet unproven; showbiz abuzz to render "public service" for which they have enrolled in public admin, like, Reps. Pacquiao, Lani Mercado, et al. for just ten days "seminar" on "the protocol" or parliamentary procedure. So simplistically naïve!

As if knowledge and wisdom could be acquired by short-cut, short course seminar in public administration, the likes of such showbiz characters now fading into the sunset of marketability, are now expert lawmakers. Ai-Ai de las Alas for one plans to enroll in the subject as fall-back option in the near future.

Total ignorance and little knowledge are equally dangerous. But, not knowing the limitations is the greatest bane on government by those who wriggle into the inner circle simply because they "helped" in the election campaign. What a tragedy!

It doesn't need an eagle-eyed observer to keep abreast of Noynoy's main thrust to slay the graft and corruption dragon. Watch the timeliness, as a badge of commitment in filing plunder charge with the Ombudsman on July 1, following the ceremonial assumption at noon the previous day. As anticipated, Noynoy's regime shall swim or sink by his commitment to stomp out graft and corruption.

Hence, the resurgence of the miasmic corruption such as the P728M Bolante fertilizer scam, the billion pesos road users' tax hocus-pocus, the aborted $329 million NBN/ZTE misdeal, the Macapagal Highway, and other foul-smelling infra projects, the dollar deposits and real estate owned abroad by the first family, the P2.5 billion foreign travel of GMA for nine years, etc.

Instead of intrigues and maneuverings for the inner circle, including showbiz aspirants to distract Noynoy's priorities, just let them have the propriety to await their call, if there be any. Get them out of the shadows of governance for their pretext of being ready to serve when their real motivation could be sheer opportunism.

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