Duterte to have a call center for complaints

He’s got but three full days to go and an international controversy continues to hound the Aquino Presidency right to the very end. It all began in August 2011 with eight Hong Kong hostages were killed at the Quirino Grandstand and now as the curtains draw to a close on the Aquino Presidency, Indonesia has banned ships from sailing to the Philippines because seven Indon sailors have been kidnapped by the blood thirsty Abu Sayyaf. At this point, there is nothing that Pres. Aquino can do, but hand over this problem to incoming President Rodrigo Duterte who takes his oath this week.

Incidentally, President-elect Duterte was in Cebu City for his second thanksgiving party, (I attended the first one at the Cebu Country Club hosted by the Bisaya na Pud Group) this time dubbed “One Love, One Nation.” He thanked the Cebuanos gathered in heavy downpour at the South Road Properties (SRP) for the resounding votes he got in the last May 9 elections. While Mayor Digong’s speech focused once more on the war against drugs, this time, he also talked about corruption in government.

President-elect Duterte warned small government bureaucrats who might be forced or intimidated by their superiors to commit acts of corruption that if they report these matters directly to him, and that he finds these allegations to be true, those who report to him any shenanigans of their superiors will be given the post of their superiors, while their bosses will be demoted! This is something novel and never done by any President.

President-elect Duterte also pointed out that he would establish a call center manned by 12 people on a 24-hour basis so that ordinary folk who have complaints against the government can report them and these would be recorded. I guess this idea was in answer to my earlier column where we sought for the creation of a Department of Complaints. With a call center just to record complaints I’m sure that this will have positive results in the fight against corruption within the government.

While many of us have great expectations, I’m sure that the Duterte Presidency won’t be picture perfect. So what I’d really like to know is, which government agency will get the wrath of Pres. Digong? Abangan!

So when Pres. Duterte steps into Malacanang on July 1, we can expect a lot of changes under a Duterte administration. Most notable among them is his frugal inauguration inside Malacanang where less than 500 people are invited, where even the media can only tap through the satellite feed of PTV-4. This is the kind of leadership that Pres. Duterte wants to exemplify, a leadership by example!

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Allow me to thank the members of the Rotary Club of Manila led by outgoing president Ebot Tan for bestowing upon this writer an award on Tourism Advocacies during the 12th Tourism Awards 2016 held at the New World Hotel last Thursday noon. Honors were also bestowed to the president of the Philippine STAR Miguel Belmonte as Personality of the Year Print Media category. This is the second award that the Rotary Club of Manila gave this writer. Two years ago, they honored me with the Opinion of the Year Award for Journalism, an honor that I will always treasure in my heart.

Through the years, I have developed good friends who are officers and members of the Rotary Club of Manila. Notable among them is Mr. Robert Lim “Bobby” Joseph, Dean Amado Valdez, PDG Frank Evaristo, DG Obet Pagdaganan, PP Rudy Bediones, former Tourism Secretary Vince Carlos and my Max Soliven connection whom I consider my brothers, Sir Arthur Lopez who was moderator of the event and People Asia’s Babes Romualdez.

Last Thursday’s 12th Tourism Awards had incoming Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo as the special guest speaker and she announced to the Rotarians that she had asked Rotarian Bobby Joseph to be tourism consultant pro-bono. Her appearance before the Rotary event was also graced by previous DOT Secretaries and DOT officials led by DG Vince Carlos, Mina Gabor, DG Obet Pagdanganan and retired DOT Region 7 Director Dawnee Roa. Their presence in that Rotary event made it more meaningful.

The following Friday, I was back in Cebu City for the 84th induction ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Cebu (Mother) held at the Artic Hall of the Waterfront Hotel. We witnessed the turnover ceremonies from outgoing president Bernard Vonn Sia to president Billy Chavez. Our special guest speaker was Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara who quite timely gave a stirring valedictory of the 16th Congress. Incoming president Teddy Ocampo of the Rotary Club of Manila also graced our former induction ceremonies after all; the Rotary Club of Manila is our Mother Club at 98-years old, while the Cebu Rotary Club is 84-years old.

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