The post-election period has been relatively quiet, except for the opposition and some DDS and Marcos loyalists banging heads. That’s par for the course in the political environment. It wouldn’t be normal if those were absent. We’re nowhere near that level of civility where everyone buckles back down to work after a winner has emerged.
In 2016, it was a different environment because the winner of the Presidential race immediately took center stage. The very same evening he won, Duterte was already holding a presser. On his own. No spokesperson. No press secretary. Not even Bong Go was beside him.
And it was to be this way for the rest of his term. Duterte was an effective communicator because he had a good grasp of what he wanted to achieve as President. Except for the economy. That he left to Sonny Dominguez. But by the time of his inauguration, the Duterte administration had rolled out it 10-point socio-economic agenda. This was the blueprint for the next six years.
The Marcos administration has only been in office for a month and a half but it appears to be listless. The inauguration was a success. Personally, I thought the parade was a stretch. But then again, the Marcos’ are very much into the pomp and pageantry of the Presidency. It was good to hear Pilipinas Kong Mahal again. It was a welcome respite from that damn and blasted yellow ribbon and the glorification of democracy icons.
So what exactly is happening with the Marcos administration? Before the inauguration, there was already the buzz about Christopher Pastrana’s appointment to the PPA and the conflict of interest issue.
Next up was the memorandum for career and appointive officials about their tenure. There was no need to stir the honet’s nest. Transition in the Philippine government only goes two ways; easy or hard. Hard is when the incumbent refuses to step down for whatever reason. It’s an addiction for some which requires an intervention.
There were raised eyebrows about the choice of Press Secretary which gave rise to doubts about the vetting process, if any was employed. The second Executive Order abolished the PCOO. It didn’t make much sense doing so if the Press Secretary wasn’t up to par.
The obvious question was why a mediocre appoitnment when and effective and efficient communications machinery is essential in the Marcos administration given the excess baggage of the President? The target on his back won’t go away because he won the election. The attacks will continue and may become more vicious which is why a veteran is needed for the post. It was very disappointing for some quarters because the Marcos’ aren’t known for tolerating mediocrity.
The elephant in the room was the taint of yellow and red on the appointee’s back. The same issues were raised with the DDS after Duterte took office. Most of them were on the other side of the political fence when Duterte joined the race. It was only after he won that they jumped to the other side for the sake of convenience and a shot at partaking of the spoils.
I didn’t bother checking on the background of Vic Rodriguez seeing as how he appeared to have Marcos’ trust and confidence since 2016. I had issues with some of his press statements, particularly with the grammar and the flow. He was mostly under the radar from 2016 and only surfaced during the campaign out of necessity.
But as it turns out now, his background is a bit off as well. It would appear that he was recommended to the Marcos’ by none other than the First Lady.
Liza Araneta Marcos is one of the founders of MOST – Marcos, Ochoa, Serapio and Tan Law Office. What they have in common is they are partners in the law firm and classmates at Ateneo Law.
Jojo Ochoa is the former Executive Secretary of PNoy. Ochoa got his start in politics with former Speaker and Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte, when he ran for Mayor after his stint as House Speaker. Ochoa was appointed City Administrator.
Another appointee at that time as Special Assistant to Head of the Permits and Licensing Office was Vic Rodriguez. It’s safe and logical to assume that it was at Ochoa’s prodding that Rodriguez became part of the QC adminstrative and political machinery.
It’s also safe to assume that it was Ochoa who recommended Rodriguez to Liza Araneta. But reports have it that Ochoa and the First Lady have had a falling out and Ochoa is no longer a partner at MOST.
Another appointment that got my attention was Jose Acuzar as Secretary of Human Settlements and Urban Development. Jerry Acuzar is married to Jojo Ochoa’s sister. He’s the principal shareholder of New San Jose Builders. Remember that Pabahay sa Riles project during the Ramos administration? That was proposed and undertaken by New San Jose Builders.
It’s also an open secret that Jerry Acuzar was close to PNoy. Reports had it that they would gather at the penthouse of the President’s Tower building along Timog Avenue for “parties.” Given that Acuzar’s business is based in Quezon City, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how and why he obtained his appointment, given that he’s married to Jojo Ochoa’s sister and Vic Rodriguez is an Ochoa/Belmonte protege’.
Then there’s the brother of the Executive Secretary who’s also been the subject of controversy because of his presence at the MMDA and the LRTA. Edwin Rodriguez’s curriculum vitae at the Poro Point Management Corporation specifies his date of appoinment as 2016. He is a graduate of BS Tourism from UST and started out as an employee at DHL Philippines. He is the president of three logistics companies and a security agency.
It appears that he was influential in getting Carlo Dimayuga appointed as MMDA Chair. It was reported that he was given a consultancy at the MMDA after Dimayuga’s appointment but backed out after it was made public and created a furor. He was also supposed to be the representative of the MMDA to the LRTA Board, which explains his presence at the first board meeting called for by DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista.
The 2022 mayoralty race in Quezon City was exciting because the group of Winston Castelo broke away from the incumbent Belmonte camp and put up their own slate with Mike Defensor challenging Joy Belmonte for Mayor.
As it turns out, Edwin Rodriguez is a key member of this group. It would appear that the former protege’s of Sonny Belmonte thought the time was ripe for them to take over the reins of the city from the daughter. Recall that Joy Belmonte was about ready to jump to Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. This was the reason why. She wanted to nip in the bud the challenge posed by this breakaway group but they beat her to it and no way that she could do what she did in 2019 when she aligned herself with Sara’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
At the moment, the Marcos adminstration is being rocked by the sugar import controversy. Those who are familiar with the ways of business in this country is aware that there’s an existing sugar cartel composed mainly of the big-time hacenderos in the Visayas, mostly Negrenses and transplanted Negrenses in Leyte and Bukidnon.
The timline of the controversy is indicative that something went wrong somewhere but again the appointment issue crops up with Negros Occidental Vice-Governor Jeffrey Ferrer raising hell over the appointment of Aurelio Valderrama to the SRA.
Courtesy of MNT Facebook
Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer yesterday called on newly appointed Sugar Regulatory Administration board member Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama to resign from his post “if he still holds an iota of delicadeza.”
Ferrer said that Valderrama was known as a hard core “pink supporter,” and uttered unfavorable remarks against the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the campaign period.
Valderrama, who admitted of openly supporting the presidential bid of then Vice President Leni Robredo, took his oath of office recently before Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, also a strong ally of Marcos Jr.
Ferrer, who led the presidential campaign of Marcos Jr. in Negros Occidental during the May 9 elections, reiterated that his concern is to protect PBBM, as far as the appointment of Valderrama as the new SRA acting Board member, representing the planters is concerned.
“As a loyal supporter, leader, friend, a family and the President’s Personal Adviser, I will protect him especially in choosing the right leader for the sugar industry who are truly deserving of President’s appointment.” Ferrer said in a statement.
As of this writing, only Valderrama hasn’t resigned from the SRA Board. I asked a friend in Negros Occidental as to what really went on and this was his reply, “Si ES medyo aanga anga, pero si Valderrama ayaw ng nga loyalista dito kasi core leader ng mga Dilaw. May nasabi pa si Valderrama about Presidente na papahiyain niya. Natunugan nila Lamata at magsumbong kay Albee na may direct personal access to Presidente. Ayan.”
It begs the question what really happened behind-the-scenes since the controversy began when news broke out that the SRA had issued Sugar Order No. 4 only for the same to be taken back within hours of it being posted on the SRA website.
In an ambush interview yesterday after attending the DOH’s launching of its booster vaccination program, Marcos said that he has left it to the House of Representatives to investigate the SRA officials involved in the controversy. This is again different from the statement of the Press Secretary that the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs is in-charge of the investigation.
Marcos also said that the SRA will be reorganized. This begs the question, why has Valderrama not resigned? Is it because he still has the the backing of Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez?
Patronage politics is normal in the country. This is the backbone of the government bureaucracy which is why we have always been left behind by our regional neighbors.
It’s also an open secret that cartels exist. When Marcos the elder declared martial law, he went after these cartels and this was the reason why despite the economic crisis from 1983 to 1986, prices of commodities didn’t go up to astronomically high levels. It was under the control of the government through the NFA headed by Jess Tanchanco.
I don’t think there’s an actual shortage of sugar. The sugar cartel just wants to make a killing in the market since the price has gone up. In trading parlance, what they’re doing is aribtraging since there’s a huge price difference between Thai and Vietnamese sugar compared to the domestic production.
But at the end of the day, the onus is on the President to get his administration in order at this early stage. Not for anything but he has large shoes to fill in terms of the brand of leadership that Duterte exhibited and practiced.
Despite his heavily-accented English and unorthodox communication methodology, Duterte excelled at getting his message across to the people not only in words but through action also.
But the P0.64 elephant in the room question is, what is BBM doing being surrounded by Yellowidiots?
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