Using and abusing Bong Go

Proximity lends itself to power and influence and the one person who knows all about that is Special Assistant to the President - Secretary Christopher “Bong” Go.

His faithfulness, integrity and loyalty to President Duterte has certainly raised him up from an “alalay,” Chief of Staff, confidant all the way to rank of Cabinet Secretary. If he continues on the path, he may even become Senator soon. But Bong Go’s ride has not been without cost and consternation. Unlike many of his peers, Bong Go by comparison has not had a “life” and very little personal time. I don’t even know if the guy has a wife or children given how he has been Duterte’s shadow and goffer for decades.

Yes, Bong Go has risen to power by virtue of proximity to President Duterte and that to be fair, is his just reward. But if  “With great power comes great responsibility,” but with power comes the pests of life. Last week, just like the many weeks before it, painted a clear picture of how Secretary Bong Go’s name and character has now become regularly used and abused by fearless name droppers and self styled influence peddlers. In one case Bong Go’s name was dragged into the resignation en masse of officers of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund – Oil Millers Group. The resignation was triggered by the alleged insistence of Malacañang to install their choice of Chairman who had lost in an election of the Board of Directors. In the ensuing Media coverage, someone from the group of resigned officers said that a Chinese-Filipino couple had been name-dropping Sec. Bong’s name in relation to his supposed Senatorial bid and the need to raise funds.

In another case, a former LTO official in the Aquino administration and member of a very influential religious group reportedly visited Secretary Art Tugade claiming that he has been appointed by “Digong” to replace the current Regional Director for NCR. It so happened by chance that the LTO Chief Asec. Edgar Galvante caught wind of it and suggested that Sec. Tugade verify with Secretary Bong Go if he or the President had issued such instructions or appointment. As expected Bong Go flatly denied the matter.

Secretary Bong Go’s name has been used and abused by friends and strangers alike. On one hand, it is simply the Filipino way to claim association or relationship with powerful personalities, on the other, it is a reflection of the gullibility and laziness of government employees and officials to verify. Many of them don’t want to check, challenge or question if someone’s claim to fame or the famous is legitimate especially when what they are proposing is boldly bordering on criminal activity or acts of graft and corruption. If anything this is a problem or a project that Secretary Bong Go can put some effort on: to educate and train government officials on how to deal with the influence peddlers, namedroppers and “sindakan” experts or bluffers trying to get what they want from government!

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I rarely endorse or openly support individuals or specific government officials publicly, especially “political appointees.” But once in a rare while we all come across an exception whose character and humility draws us to them and whose leadership skills are so good that they inspire even the little people on the team to make personal sacrifices. Just so the readers know, there is a “Batman and Robin” Team at the Land Transportation Office who have exemplified all that, to the point that I myself have become an adviser on call (regularly) without pay!

The combination of Asec. Edgar Galvante and Director Clarence “Chuck” Guinto for NCR has worked so well that they have managed to turn the tide of public contempt from the previous administration and worked their way towards accomplishing so much. “LTO’s Batman and Robin” have fixed the supply chain and distribution of the 5-year license card, revived and upgraded the technology and output of the formerly antiquated and manual license plate manufacturing plant of LTO which I believe produces 2000 plates a day (?). Chuck Guinto has used the NCR as the laboratory or testing ground for E-payments where car dealers can now pay new car registrations on line instead of carrying 1 to 2 million pesos every time they pay for bulk registrations. LTO-NCR is now testing the PASS or Personal Appointment Scheduling System and soon they will be trying out another concept where LTO customers can use something similar to G-Cash to pay for their transactions.

Very few people know that the leadership of the LTO, the Employees Union as well as personnel even in provincial offices have often sacrificed their day off / Saturdays and Sundays and worked just to catch up on the deficits and delays racked up in the past administration. While Asec. Galvante is always being called by officials to explain and defend his people; I have worked closely with Director Guinto who has demonstrated the unique gift of leadership that recognizes the talents and resources under him. He listens and allows people to try, experiment even take risks in the interest of better public service.

It seems that there is now a determined effort by a group from the past, to unseat Galvante and Guinto especially because of the upcoming elections where the LTO was used in the past by “political appointees” to collect campaign funds from new car registration, bus operators, truckers, car dealers etc. We should all put a stop to this!

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In an effort to honor and promote one of my attending physicians at the Heart Center, I may have demoted him or unofficially promoted and put him in hot waters! I learned that Dr. James Ho is not the “Director of the Cathlab” at the Heart Center.  Dr. James Ho is the Section Head of Interventional Cardiology / Acting Manager – Department of Adult Cardiology. Of course, as far as I am concerned his titles don’t give justice to skills and confidence in the O.R.

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