Hi Manila B Thanks for the article I agree with you A leader is a dealer in hope but I always believed when a leader request for help it would appeal to people self interest and not to their mercy or gratitude. I remembered an incident in Gamu farm, the farmer decided to chop down a tree for firewood that is rare and ancient but bore no fruit. But what save the trees when I pointed out that they is a bee hive full of honey he could harvest down the road which might reap much economic gain to him and also his health, it seems that self interest took care of the rest now the trees is of great value and godly, rather than just firewood. Nothing beats self interest.
Posted by Manila B
"A leader is a dealer in hope." - Napoleon Bonaparte
The immediate challenge come day one of the new Chief Executive, President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, will not be the vaunted "transformational" changes that he had pledged to pursue towards the dramatic reshaping of Philippine society and politics, but the rigors, monotony, and tediousness of "transitional" administration, political accommodation, and jockeying for positions in the new government.
However, before President Aquino can sit down with his advisers on his first 100 days accomplishments, drafting of his first SoNA, the budget deficit, the legislative agenda, and other big ticket issues, he has to confront on day one the tricky issue of "midnight" appointments of out-going President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo since this issue will be a messy legal tangle that could distract the new administration from tackling the more important national concerns.
On the one hand, President Benigno Aquino can adopt the Erap approach of full speed ahead, never mind the torpedoes or legal niceties provided he gets what he wants.
Alas, the euphoria of a landslide victory and hubris eventually led to excesses and ultimately the ouster of President Estrada with EDSA-Dos just after 2 ½ years in office.
Earlier, under the revolutionary government of President Corazon Aquino, all local government units (LGUs) executives were unceremoniously and forcibly removed from office, and replaced with OICs.
Later, except for the celebrated case of then SBMA Administrator and Chairman Richard Gordon, the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos had strictly adhered to the rule of law vis-à-vis presidential appointments with fixed tenure of office.
Now comes President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with her massive midnight appointments with a new twist.
It was ordained that ALL presidential appointments, with or without fixed tenure of office, were all in an "acting" capacity, a term prefixed to their appointment papers to ensure loyalty, or else.
With this innovation, office holders with terms fixed by law, or enshrined in their respective corporate chargers were ignored and were all, therefore, removable at the pleasure of the President, or by a mere "desired" letter from the Chief Executive.
Thus, President Aquino can either (1) respect the law vis-à-vis executives with fixed terms; or (2) immediately replace Arroyo appointees with the term "acting" prefixed to their appointment papers or (3) replace them and let the courts determine their fate.
At worst, the courts will decide in their favor by ordering reinstatement with back pay, but also, hopefully, will be reinstated, after six years.
When all is said and done, the issue of "midnight appointments" needs to be resolved at the beginning since the new administration must govern with people of their choice and confidence.
Moreover, the issue of loyalty will constantly bug the President, and if tolerated, will ultimately result in corruption as these operators have neither loyalty to their employers nor to the country, but in their own interest.
This tolerance and the presence of appointees of various loyalties, political persuasions, and propensity to commit graft will stigmatize the administration as being corrupt to the chagrin and lament of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
A good purging of the undesirables is in order.
You be the judge.
