Thinking out of the box of politics

Many years ago I read an article about a country in Africa that had just become independent. It was advertising for a company to run the country. I thought it was outrageous having been accustomed to think that the men and women who fought for a country’s  independence have the right and obligation to run it.

In a certain sense, that is true. But it has also been learned that in many cases that revolutionaries make poor managers in running a country. The more mercenary among them are only interested in the spoils of war and want only their share of it. Others may not be mercenary but to them the logic of revolution or wars of independence is that those who fought for it expect the reward of running the country with reforms of what they fought for in mind.

This is true of thoughtful people in general. After fighting a bloody war against a colonizer, whether local or foreign, they are not inclined to let go and would watch with a hawk’s eye on how the country should be run.  After all, if they fought for it with their blood, sweat and tears, they remain committed to its well being.  True but this has its downside not least of all is capability. Often the new leaders have no idea on what needs to be done. That was the case with the Solidarity government under Lech Walesa in Poland. It is a long story but it is enough to understand that he and his group could not run the country.

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The real revolutionaries behind the toppling of the Marcos regime now regret the turn of events after 1986. We have seen the first Aquino government after Edsa 1 return the oligarchy to power. It did not have the understanding or the courage to change the system. A friend said it clearly “it was not a revolution nor even a pitch for reform, only a changing of the guard. That has been the direction of our government and politics since 1986 in the first Aquino government. It still is the direction of government and politics in the second Aquino government despite the rhetoric of reform and declarations of good intentions.

Those who lament the Aquino government 2 are not against Aquino the person. It is against the system that pushed for the election of Aquino despite his dismal lack of credentials to run the country. Those who sincerely want a better Philippines should repudiate the misconceived Aquino agenda.  He may have been the son of Cory but we must not forget that she had betrayed the ideals of the real revolutionaries of Edsa. That is not so hard to understand with the unfolding drama of Hacienda Luisita and Aquino III’s government ineluctable siege of total control of government.

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But to return to why the African country that advertised for a corporation to run their newly independent country. Come to think of it, it was not such a ludicrous idea seeing how many countries run by alleged revolutionaries turned to grief or worse trapped by thieving ignorant politicians. The idea behind this “thinking out of the box” is to simply find the best way to manage a country. There are good corporate practices that can help. As stockholders in a corporation we must watch how the managers do their job. Executives are hired and fired on how well they do their job. They can only do their job if they have the talent and the know-how or expertise on what to do.

The idea can be refined and implemented through a melding of sound political and corporate approaches. For the moment it may sound vague but I remembered the African country’s advertisement when Meralco, the country’s biggest power distributor told “its 5.3 million customers to temporarily set aside their December 2013 billing statement in deference to the Supreme Court’s 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) on electricity rate increase.” It showed that it is possible to find solutions to the problem. The temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court is only what it is — temporary.

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Meralco and other electricity distribution companies should sit down with concerned officials to find a more permanent solution. It will not be without sacrifices from the corporation and from government but it must be found if the economy is not to suffer irreparably.  In the past, the Lopezes as managers of the company were too political. The Manila Electric Company was said to have been used as a cash cow for political designs.

That has now changed with entrepreneurial Manny V. Pangilinan wresting the management from the Lopezes as chairman of the company. Recently it was also known that he was buying another 5 percent from San Miguel Corporation stake holdings.

The transaction would give the MVP group 53.34 percent of the biggest electrical distribution company. That could be a boon or a bane to his reputation as a successful manager and entrepreneur.

 The forbidding cost of electricity will harm the country’s economy. And yes, electricity costs will bring with it a higher cost of living that more and more Filipinos will be unable to afford. Moreover foreign investors are shunning the country because there are other countries with cheaper electricity to run their business. It is not an easy problem.

We need experts and corporate managers with foresight and vision to deal with it and able to find solutions. The TRO as some pundits have rightfully said is temporary. Someone will have to sit down and burn the midnight oil to work out the figures. Moreover he should have the ability to secure investments for the undertaking. We have a unique opportunity for a corporate man to find a solution to help solve a problem that  could be a disastrous political debacle for the country.  The man who would face the challenge  will be a hero overnight. How about it MVP?