Rodrigo Duterte must be the only Philippine president since 1986 who has gotten rid of so many people he has directly hired.
In this piece for South China Morning Post (HK), Alan takes a look at the very quick turnover of senior staff that Duterte has been doing in his two years in office. And how this affects his programs and promises.
We tried getting the side of Malacanang Palace for this piece. But there was no response.
IF DUTERTE’S SO PROUD OF FIRING CORRUPT OFFICIALS, WHY HIRE THEM?
Supporters of the Philippine president make a virtue of how many people he has fired from his administration, claiming it reflects a no-nonsense approach. Critics say the nonsense is that he hired them in the first place
BY ALAN ROBLES
19 NOV 2018
A foreign secretary who turned out to be a foreigner; a justice secretary who cleared a drug criminal who had already confessed; a tourism secretary who kicked millions in fat contracts back to her brothers; a labour undersecretary who stole a congressman’s mobile phone.
When Rodrigo Duterte became the president of the Philippines two years ago, his subordinates bragged about how he would pack his administration with “the best and the brightest”. The problem is, he can’t seem to find them.
A third of the way into his six-year term, Duterte has already dismissed more than 30 high-ranking appointees, at least six of them cabinet rank, largely because of corruption, partly due to incompetence, sometimes because of both. As Bobby Brillante, spokesperson of the political support group Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Council, puts it: “The turnover is indeed unusual”. Brillante traces it to the president’s “frustration with people he appointed and expected to perform with competence, honesty and integrity”.
arc says
duterte is so proud of firing officials and since he cannot fire himself, better them than him!
arc says
may brain infirmity and big on emotion yan. mayor sees so many likeminded fillers, people that reflects his own idiot-logies, he, he, he. can spot them a mile away and religiously goes after them, appointing them to jobs in high places. vetted by whom? by him mostly, kakilala kasi. known them for ages kuno. it’s what he doesnt know, the devil in the detail, that derail him. the devil in the detail magnified many times over is utterly catastrophic.
for sure, mayor must have some inkling of what is to come, but emotion ruled him over, sold on by their promises, their smiling faces and their ability to fist pump with him. kakilala kasi, umasa at pinaasa. appointing mostly military men and see what they did to mindanaw? extended martial law 2x na, and what have they achieved? ruins in marawi city. bombing here and bombing there, threats to safety still exists only bigger this time. killing of farmers that went to harvest crops, also killlings of civilians like mayor halili, konsehales shot and killed, already 34 lawyers killed na thhe 2yrs mayor has been in office.
before and after martial law, and mindanaw is no better. before martial law, marawi city was standing pretty, now post martial law ruined na with no rebuilding in sight. habitable houses left standing to be demolished kuno, why po? who knows? aha, the military has written obscenities on the walls and if maranowans see the writings on the walls, nah, better for the military to demolished all houses standing or not. save them the shame. he, he, he. in the meantime, maranowans are not allowed entry to marawi city, not allowed to rebuild their own city.