By the second or third week of October, we will see a new set of personalities in President Ferdinand Marcos Junior’s cabinet. Two reasons were given: first, the move is to destroy the structure of relations created by a disgraced official whose associates had records of previous corrupted acts, and second, to eliminate other power centers again, represented by several personalities who associated with PBBM at the later stage of the campaign.
And I understand what close friends of the President want: they want him to succeed in his mission of fixing our economy. The President intends to bring the country back to its feet after several years of a slump after the effects of devastating pandemic restrictions. One of the problems identified is the effects of corruption possibly coming from these power centers, whose interest is to protect several syndicates operating and destroying the bureaucracy.
Based on intel reports, most of those placed in several government posts by this disgraced official is known to be political operators. Worse, they are extremely dangerous because most have ties with a foreign government that wants nothing more than swaying the leadership in another direction. These corrupt men and women want nothing more than weaken the government. If I were government, I would investigate these people’s ties with the Chinese communists and slap them with charges of destabilization. Anyway…
One of those identified mainly is this person whose connections with syndicates date back to his days as a media person cum customs operator. Through his connections with the media, most of those who allied themselves with this disgraced official before the elections, this person were able to early on, ride the BBM bus. This operator and his media group made many claims, most of them lying, yet impressed this disgraced official so much. I can’t fault this official for believing too much because he was the one who decided to affiliate himself with these shady characters; most were already non-practicing media professionals who got themselves booted from their respective media outlets due to their records of corruption. Unbeknownst to this official, it was this group that sealed his faith.
This official thought that he had the media by the balls, and was shocked when he got burned early. Well, you played the game without even studying the rules.
This explains why another personality with extremely solid loyalties for PBBM got himself sidelined. This personality had been protecting the hide of the Marcos family for years and had always been loyal. Many sources wonder why he was left out when several of these unscrupulous men of this Customs operator got very sensitive posts in the bureaucracy. I pity this personality because his friends are well-meaning, and I was delighted when some of them were appointed to several regulatory agencies. I believe they will do good at those posts, and unknowing to them, I have been doing my share of helping them by putting good words about them on occasions when I manage to talk with the president or his close associates. These true friends decided not to involve themselves with the affairs of the state and just remain, friends. And they are a-plenty.
The political operator and the personality I talked about clashed, each claiming to have produced results during the campaign. But what shocked PBBM’s close associates was the brazen claims made by this media cum political operator that he is so close to the Powers-that-be inside the palace that he assured these syndicates that they “can’t be touched” while he remains with the PBBM group. He even claims to have several aces on his sleeves that he can use against PBBM. Some people believe these to be bluffs, but to hell with this person! He does not know that he is now under surveillance by our patriotic military elements, and very soon, his illicit affairs will be exposed for all the world to see. He will see himself out of the colambo very soon.
Effects of the bypass
Okay, the good news is that this interregnum will produce extremely good results in the end. It allowed PBBM to review his appointments. Unknown to the public, this decision was made several weeks ago at the height of the sugar scandal. Many of PBBM’s closest and most loyal friends got legitimate intel about the activities of some of these appointees, their closest associates, and their ties to shady carpet baggers. Fortunately, some of the closest associates of these appointees got sloppy, and their illicit activities and plans were exposed.
I am not saying that all of these bypassed appointments did something wrong. No. Most of them will pass the CA. These people must be included in those bypassed so as not to expose the grand plan to change the structure of relations within the palace.
Anyway, some sources vouch for the integrity of the daughter of a former labor minister, and when Congress resumes the CA hearings, she will pass the bill. Another is this former media personality whose heart is really for the poor. He, together with this lady, will get their confirmation.
Now, some sectors, including a religious one, are campaigning hard against the appointment of this industry player who went out of retirement just to serve his friend’s administration. While he has solid friends who sit at the CA, he was bypassed because he fought for the interests of the industry sector, where he belonged for several years. Unknown to him, several unscrupulous former officials want his position and are willing to go to extreme lengths just to see him go. I hope PBBM will remain true to him and back him up.
Another appointee, sadly, is being thrown even the kitchen sink by some people. His/her fate has been decided already, and I know that she has been informed already, and her replacement is just negotiating for him to just serve as a spokesperson instead of handling the entire communications machinery of government. Her fate will be announced very soon. And the minute her fate goes public, that would signal a massive termination of services of her and the disgraced official’s group now serving in various capacities within the bureaucracy.
And the disgraced official knows this. The fact is, he has just been told to expect nothing, not even an ambassadorial post. He has lost the protection the Presidential Security Group (PSG) provided. And the lady who sang a discordant tune will likewise note the same thing a day or two. Sad.
After this, some people hope, all of these shenanigans who successfully rode the bus wanting nothing more than eating their pieS, will all be gone, and will just be served humble pies. And we will have a government run by honest and upright people whose main goal is just to serve, and serve with honesty, the 31 million Filipinos who put their faith behind PBBM.
