Instrument of change

PERRYSCOPE
Perry Diaz

Elected on a promise of “change,” President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is now faced with the gargantuan task of fulfilling his promise. The magnitude of the work ahead of him is so overwhelming that he’s probably wondering where to start.

Indeed, he can pick any of the, perhaps, hundreds of agencies in the government where corruption was seeded and blossomed into a monstrous plutocracy during Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s inglorious presidency. Noynoy can then attack them with laser-like precision and surgically incise the cancerous cells of corrupt officials that have institutionalized their nefarious modus operandi in the way the government conducts business. Today, corruption is deeply-rooted that it would take a Herculean effort to uproot it.

Recently, a firestorm of controversy was ignited when Gloria made more than 250 midnight appointments to various positions in government including the Armed Forces Chief of Staff and theChief Justice of the Supreme Court. While Noynoy categorically said that Chief of Staff Delfin Bangit had to go, he gave himself some leeway to wiggle in the case of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

A few days ago, Noynoy said that he will fire 5,000 employees and hire their replacements to make sure that everyone would “pull in the same direction.” Included in the planned reorganization are Gloria’s “midnight appointees.” To make his point clearly, Noynoy said, “The basic principle I think all of us will agree [is that] the power to appoint carries with it the power to dismiss.

That has been decided in so many precedent-setting cases.” Interestingly, Malacañang is saying that there are only 1,000 employees who are co-terminus with Gloria. Makes one wonder if “ghost employees” made up the difference.

Replacing those who are co-terminus with Gloria would provide Noynoy with a grand opportunity to appoint people who would share his vision of a society free from corruption and poverty. When he became the apparent President-elect after the elections, he said that he would appoint to cabinet positions only those who do not have any record of corruption and that each prospective appointee would be extensively vetted to make sure that he or she was not in any way involved in corruption or questionable activities.

Now, that is a very tall order. However, it is doable. I’m pretty sure that there are idealistic people out there who are honest and incorruptible. Many of them have never been in government service but they have exemplary track records in the private sector.

The question is: are they willing to abandon their professional careers and bright future in the private industry, and accept a lowly-paid -- and thankless -- government job with all the bureaucratic baggage that comes with the territory?

On the other hand, there are also those who have been in government positions before and have proven themselves, without a shadow of doubt, to be honest and incorruptible. However, there aren’t many of them around. Some have gone into full retirement and some would never go back to government service. But there are a few of this rare breed who are willing to sacrifice their lofty and safe nests for a stint in the murky waters of a kleptocratic bureaucracy.

Noynoy’s election did not come as a surprise. While he had the good names of his parents -- Ninoy andCory Aquino -- behind him, he rode the crest of “Change” fueled by “people power,” not in the tradition of EDSA 1 or EDSA 2 but in the spirit of empowering the powerless mass. It’s the self-actualization of the people’s burning fervor to free themselves from the clutches of corruption and the gnawing pain of poverty.

When the first partial results coming from various regions were announced at 8:00 AM on May 11, it became apparent then that Noynoy was being swept to victory by a flashing current of mass action at the polls. The candidates of the defenders of status quo were being crushed as shown in the transmittals of election returns from the 86,000 Precinct Count Optical Scanner (PCOS) machines throughout the country.

At the end of the day, Noynoy’s 5-million lead in votes over his closest rival was insurmountable. His victory was sealed… a fait accompli.

Last June 9, a joint session of Congress proclaimed Noynoy as President-elect of the Fifth Republic of the Philippines, a government shaped in spirit by the “Cory” constitution of 1987, only to be prostituted in the years following the sham EDSA 2 “people power” revolution that catapulted Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to power.

Indeed, the EDSA 1 “people power” revolution of 1986 that dismantled the Marcos dictatorship and brought Noynoy’s mother, Cory Aquino to power has come to a full circle with the ascension of Cory‘s son. Finally, the people can once again rekindle their hopes of peace and prosperity. And this time around, they would not let their guard down.

With victory comes high expectations. Unlike the “people power” revolution of 1986, the peaceful “people power” revolution at the polls in 2010 was different. In 1986, the people were complacent while the Cory government was hounded by military rebels who tried to depose her. But this time the people are in a virtual state of insurrection. They are expecting action -- right now! -- to correct wrongs that were done during the past nine years. The result of this year’s elections was an expression of the people’s angst: enough is enough!

Noynoy must act right away to fulfill his promise to fight corruption and poverty. His slogan, “Walang corruption, walang mahirap,” resonated clearly with the voters. And now, it’s time for Noynoy to deliver, and deliver he must.

Noynoy needs to put in place the “instruments of change” to satisfy his covenant with the people. He should -- nay, must -- put honest and trustworthy men and women in his government, starting with his cabinet. He shouldn’t reward his political allies with exclusive fiefdoms to pursue their personal economic interests.

He shouldn’t allow people who have his ears to influence his policies or the awarding of government contracts. He shouldn’t use “power of patronage” to achieve political supremacy but instead should hone his personal power to influence others to achieve the changes he wants. And he shouldn’t allow government officials to turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to corruption under their watch. Those who err should be punished and those who excel should be rewarded.

At the end of the day, Noynoy is the people’s ultimate “instrument of change.” He must take full responsibility and accountability for all the actions of his subordinates -- from the cabinet secretariesdown to the lowest ranks in the government. If they fail Noynoy, then Noynoy fails the people. The people would not ask for more nor would they expect for less. That is the price of leadership.-- (PerryDiaz@gmail. com)