Tomorrow, the second Ferdinand to ascend the palace throne will most likely become the 17th president of this Republic. Marcos Junior won what many observers, particularly those coming from International Observers, described as “fraudulent elections.” While local election watchdogs did not see anything irregular, there is a saying that when a thing looks excellent, there is a possibility that the truth is far from what the eye sees.
Anyway, what’s in store under a Marcos II regime? First, it seems like BBM insiders followed the prescription of this writer that the president-elect chooses individuals with enough skills and expertise to head lead agencies. Toots Ople, a long-time OFW advocate, is the most qualified of all appointees to head the newly created Department of Migrant Workers. The same goes for Benny Laguesma, a former labor secretary who re-assumed his role during the Arroyo administration. Laguesma’s task seemed very crucial at this point, what would the impending economic and global recession predicted to occur this coming August or September.
I don’t know about you, but I am perplexed by the decision to hand over MECO to former labor secretary Silvestre Bello III. Bello is supposed to retire with his principal, Mr. Duterte, but it seems that Bello prefers to stay with the government. Isn’t it enough that Bello was once tagged as a corrupted member of the Duterte administration? Insiders say this must be Bello’s reward for being close to Sara and BBM. Bello’s wife is an amiga of Sara, Imee, and someone named Gina Pena.
The most surprising appointment came when BBM announced that Jimmy Bautista, a former airline executive, would head the Department of Transportation and Railways. The DOTR is a critical part of the state’s modernization program, and while Bautista is a friend, it may be a tall order for him and even shock him when he begins his job as DOTr secretary. Bautista has not been involved in governmental affairs. His years of experience are in the private sector.
It is pretty understandable for Marcos II to retain Benjamin Diokno, who served as head of the economic team of both Estrada and the Duterte administrations. Curiously, a former Tourism Secretary, Berna Puyat, is now a deputy. I believe in the skills and capabilities of Ms. Berna, yet I am quite uncertain whether she fits the bill as a policy maker in the economics department.
A good friend, Erwin Tulfo, is being attacked by BBM trolls for being appointed DPWH secretary. What? Tulfo, in my book, is qualified unless, of course, Mr. Tulfo has some skeletons in his closet?
Marcos II did right when he said he would head the department of agriculture. His campaign centered on helping people cope with rising prices mainly of foodstuffs. Marcos II must be accompanied by a particular group of men willing and able to neutralize these syndicates embedded in that department, namely, the sugar barons, the rice cartel members reportedly composed of seven big Chinese traders, and the vegetable gang responsible for the spike in prices.
This administration must identify these scumbags, charge them, and haul them to court. Even better, form a task force composed of military men and conduct the operation similar to the one Duterte did against drug peddlers. Hey, these men are liable for massive economic disruptions tantamount to economic sabotage.
The next few months would surely rattle the economic, social and political foundations of this country and it will not be the fault of this incoming administration, no.
This coming economic catastrophe is the product of decades of structural anomalies within capitalism, resolvable only thru structural re-engineering.
