Political will

It is what will differentiate the Duterte watch from the current administration, the supporters of the president-elect say. The incoming cabinet members are promising they will show political will in resolving long running problems of governance that will be evident in the first hundred days.

That is, of course, good to hear. But for many of us, to see is to believe. Nevertheless, it would be alright to cheer them on in the hope that finally, we might have elected a government that is determined to solve long festering problems.

Many of our big problems appear to have no solutions that we can have in the short term. The problems of illegal drugs and criminality are on top of the new administration’s list of urgent things to do but can it be dealt with in six months?

The link to political protectors makes crime fighting complicated. Politicians and other government officials, specially the police, are known to profit from illegal drugs and criminal syndicates.

Big money is involved and it is easy to assume that no matter how well intentioned a new administration may be, ningas cogon sets in. After a few months of headline-grabbing arrests and even liquidation, things die down. A crime lord must only patiently lie low for a while and it will soon be business as usual.

How should we measure the Duterte administration’s political will in eradicating illegal drugs and crime syndicates? By the president-elect’s statements, we will probably have to go by the body count. Indeed, the killing has started. But how do we know the bad guys are not killing potential witnesses against them?

Another way was suggested by the crusading priest Fr Shay Cullen that will truly test Mr. Duterte’s political will.

“For sure, the hoped-for anti-crime action of president Duterte will be a big success if he will order the cancellation of government licenses and permits of sex bars, brothels, karaoke joints and sex hotels.

“These are proven fronts for prostitution and sex and drug abuse centers for children and young girls in debt bondage. Drugs are always there to make the girls submissive and docile for the rough foreign rapists.

“That executive order or new law would be world news and a great anti-crime move with huge positive results. The sex tourists will pull up their pants and flee and family and eco-tourism arrivals will double…

“Now if the new president really wants to show crime-fighting success, he can immediately strike a blow at the heart of the cyber-crime child abuse online. He only has to get the police and the National Telecommunications Commission to implement the 2009 anti-child-pornography law and make the Internet service providers (ISPs) obey it.”

Other than crime, some other problems, like Metro Manila’s traffic situation,  also do not have quick solutions. But even here, political will is necessary to start the process of change.

For instance, fixing the bus routes together with getting bus drivers off the boundary system… we have talked about this for a long time. Is the Transportation Secretary ready to confront politically influential bus operators?

It is the same thing with MRT 3. At the root of its problems is that horrible contract awarded by the Ramos administration to the MRT consortium composed of very influential business groups. But unless the government has the political will to reach an amicable agreement with this group, we have to wait for nine more years until their contract expires.

Sometimes, however, political will is not enough. The administration must know what to do. Take agriculture, for instance. The incoming Agriculture Secretary probably has the best intentions for the good of farmers and consumers. But he may not have all the information he needs to chart a course that will make a difference.

It is worrisome that the new administration intends to follow the old strategies that have resulted in pretty obvious failures and are at the root of corruption. The plan to aim again for rice self sufficiency and keep the NFA import monopoly is likely to produce the same old failures.

I hope Sec. Pinol finds the time to talk to economists who have studied the problems and have offered new approaches that require political will.  As one of them remarked, maybe we ought to change the report card of the Agriculture department from rice self-sufficiency to increased farm incomes and reduction of rural poverty!

Having an open mind to new ways of doing things will give meaning to the political will this new administration says it has. Indeed, it is encouraging to see that the new education secretary has chosen to defend the K-12 program amidst protests from the left.

Secretary Liling Briones explained quite clearly that the long term benefits of the K-12 program far outweigh the growing pains we are feeling now. She was also quick to offer a supplementary program on alternative learning to cover those who may be left out by formal education.

In finance, it was reassuring for the business sector to hear incoming Secretary Sonny Dominguez so receptive to tax reform. This is one area where the Aquino administration had been totally deaf.

Sec. Dominguez agrees that it is a good idea to simplify the tax system to make compliance easy. That means a redesign of the tax forms and a review of tax regulations including an update of the tax brackets.

Another good area for the Duterte administration to use political will is to legislate an elected Metro Manila Regional Government. This is going to happen anyway when Federalism is adopted but we need it sooner.

With the population of Metro Manila approaching 15 million, the current system of 17 city mayors working independently of each other is at the root of most of our more serious problems. We need a regional government to plan, implement and coordinate programs on mass transportation, traffic management, flood control, solid waste management, health among others.

Exercising political will often mean spending some political capital.  This is why it makes sense for Mr. Duterte to be careful his actions and words do not waste political capital.  On the other hand, a successful exercise of political will replenishes the president’s reservoir of political capital.

I think Mr. Duterte will find out early enough that running the national government is so different from running Davao City. Campaigning as the presidential candidate promising change is also so different from being the elected President expected to deliver change.

The buck now stops with him. All the loud claims of having the political will to deliver change will be tested… and in this social media age, in an unforgiving manner.

For so long as we remain the democracy we claim we are, a President must always have the humility to go back to the people for approval as often as needed. My sense is that for so long as it is clear the President is honestly trying to make a positive difference in our lives, public support will be there.

Right now people want to see results. People may give allowances for things that need time to implement. But they will see through hollow claims of doing something when in reality nothing is happening beyond the press releases.

It would be easy to see if Duterte is turning into an Aquino and his cabinet members turning into Abayas.

Vital figures

From Inc magazine.

Your financial figures are like bikinis: What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. Be careful not to reveal too much--just enough.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @boochanco.