Blessed are the meek

“ I just want to give him a little legal practice before he becomes a lawyer.” With this tongue in cheek quip, US President John F. Kennedy sought to deflect public attention from the glaringly controversial appointment of his kid brother, the 35-year-old Robert F. Kennedy. A two-year lawyer, “RFK” was given what was arguably the most powerful cabinet portfolio at the time, the Justice Department.

RFK turned out to be one of the most outstanding attorneys-general in history. He fought sustained battles against organized crime, was a powerful advocate of the civil rights movement and had a lead role in the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Justice Department edifice in Washington D.C. was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building by Republican President George W. Bush in 2001.

We replay this famous word play due to the playful efforts of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to play us as he downplayed the accountability of his players he claims were outplayed. Is he pleading for patience for two “blessed” personalities, his two Customs Commissioners? We are supposed to understand that they were just practicing?

Well, RFK proved his detractors wrong. The unqualified turned out to be overqualified. In the case of PRRD’s men, however, it’s the utter reverse.

A test of faith. However anxiously the strongman desires to finesse the serious shortcomings of his men, he cannot exculpate them by character testimonial. Even if we were prepared to defray the high tuition involved in their matriculation: the countless lives lost or destroyed by the approximately P11 billion and P6.5 billion quantities of illegal drugs allowed to slip through their “innocent” hands, it simply isn’t good policy to ignore the blunders and to hope that these men were angels. As public officials entrusted with sensitive responsibilities, a thorough and immediate investigation should be welcomed, specially by them. Its good that the Senate is on it. At least, one agency is on the ball. 

Converting to Hinduism. PRRD promoted Lapena, as he did Faeldon and the several similarly impenitent before them. Its odd that a man so ready to make tough decisions seems to be gun shy when personal friends are on the dock. Just how many sacred cows will we find in this administration? May we suggest that the President widen his horizon for talent. The personalities he seems powerless to chastise are all personal friends. To avert public opprobrium of this open escape hatch, maybe consider opening the qualifications of his factotums to more than geographical origin or personal histories. Wouldn’t it be easier then to display the iron hand?

Causes of discontent. On Tuesday, the American public judges Donald Trump. President Trump rose to power on the wave of protest rather than on inherent merit. But he has clearly tapped into a native sentiment that belabors identity deficits as importantly as economic deficits. With him wielding the baton, Nationalism has been brought to the mainstream.

If Democrats take back Congress, President Trump’s capacity to govern is compromised. The Republican advantage is at 51 – 47 in the Senate, with 2 independents; and, in the House, 235 – 193 with 7 vacancies. A democratic House effectively ends his planned tax cuts, immigration wall, etc. They will surely commence impeachment proceedings. A democratic Senate, though unlikely, makes him a lame duck.

Midterm elections are anticipated as being referendums of the administration’s performance. The same can be true in the Philippines. With the exception of the positions of President, Vice President and 12 Senators, more than 18,000 elective offices face mandated renewal challenges next year. Finished or not finished, pass your papers! It won’t only be their personalities we grade. There are also the classic indicators such as effectivity, efficiency and providence of their actions. At bottom, the enquiry for critical reflection is “am I better off compared to 3 years back”?

Careful what you wish for. Getting blamed is the occupational hazard of asking for the job. Government assumes responsibility for accelerating development and candidates run on this platform. When there is no discernible progress or improvement, people can be less forgiving than PRRD is with his own proxies.

Leaders and the bureaucracy they command cannot escape this high expectation. Such is the essence of republicanism. Both elective and appointive officialdom exist to represent us and to serve us. Hence, the instinct is always to tweak the system, whether the reform is incremental or wholesale.

The President has been doing just that, lately, and less wishy-washy this time. He has gone on a binge of Executive Orders mandating the piecemeal streamlining, abolishing, transferring out or in, rationalizing, reengineering, of agencies under the Office of the President. Some of the agencies affected are the NFA, TESDA, Philippine Sugar Corp., National Anti Poverty Commission.

Sven Goran Eriksson. We welcome the former Team England Manager at the World Cup and Euro Cup. He who coached the golden generation: Beckham, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Owen. Eriksson was national team manager also of Mexico and Ivory Coast (of Drogba). At Club level, he managed in the English Premiere League (Manchester City, Leicester City) and at champion clubs in other top flight European Leagues (Benfica, Lazio, Roma). The man is unquestionably one of the best managers in the world. And now, he is officially the manager of the Philippine National Football Team, the Azkals. How’s that for respectability? Its like having NBA’s Pat Riley coach the Gilas National Basketball Team.

Eriksson makes us more competitive and elevates our profile in the world football community. We should regain top South East Asia ranking from Vietnam. Already, leading Fil-European players are expressing their interest to enlist. We read that two Bundesliga mainstays, from Mainz and Bayern Munich, are open to playing for the country of their mothers. This development hastens the realization, in quantum leaps, of my generation’s dream to someday salute the Philippine flag, with our sons, at a World Cup stadium.