The State Aquino III left Duterte

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is coming in at the best and the worst of times. The administration of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III has left the Duterte a well-oiled and full-tanked government machine – but one besieged with sclerosis, incapable of solving the congestion problem, and has grown too big to feel its extremities - a "manhid" government as one would say. 

The contradictions of Aquinomics has produced a government that already surpassed the size of Marcos’ in terms of consumption per capita[i] but is still afflicted with underspending[ii], not to mention a declining growth in tax effort[iii]. Aquinomics ushered the return of big government[iv] – but one that is so dependent on the private sector for service delivery and capital outlay[v] that when big investors played hard ball[vi], infrastructure development and maintenance suffered[vii], leading to congestion[viii] and public misery[ix].

#TheCabinetIWant

Since Presidential candidates are beginning to reveal their preferences for some Cabinet members, citizens might as well reveal their own wish lists. Here is my list (in no particular order):

ES/PMS/OCS: Gov. Joey Salceda [why]

DILG: Former Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon [why]

DND: Clarita Carlos [why]

DBM: Former Rep. Edcel Lagman [why]

DoF: BSP Gov. Amado Tetangco [why]

DFA: Former DND Sec. Gilbert Teodoro [why]

DSWD: Rep. Leni Robredo [why]

DPWH: Sec. Rogelio Singson [why]

NEDA: Manuel F. Montes [why]

DTI: Manuel V. Pangilinan [why]

DOLE: Former Rep. Walden Bello [why]
DOT (Transportation): USec. Teodoro Encarnacion [why]
DICT: Diosdado Banatao [why]

DoE: Rowaldo Del Mundo [why]

DA: Former Sec. Cielito Habito [why]
DAR: Rep. Neri Colmenares [why]

DENR: Antonio Oposa, Jr. [why]
DOH: Former USec. Madeleine Valera [why]

PCOO: Glenda Gloria [why]

PCDSPO: USec. Manuel "Manolo" Quezon III [why]

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson: Karen Jimeno [why]

DoJ: Solicitor-General Florin Hilbay [why]

DOST: Alfredo Mahar Lagmay [why]

DepEd: Randy David [why]

CHED: Former UPSE Dean Emmanuel De Dios [why]

DoT (Tourism): Yolanda Ong [why]

I have also in mind other individuals for major government posts which are not necessarily Cabinet rank, but deeply impacts the delivery of government services.

HUDCC: Felino A. Palafox, Jr. [why]

BSP: BSP Dep. Gov. Diwa Guinigundo [why]

NAPC: Former NAPC VC Ana Maria Nemenzo [why]
PhilHealth: UPSE Dean Orville Solon [why]

MMDA: Benjamin Dela Peña [why]

SSS: HDMF President and CEO Darlene Berberabe [why]

Note that I have not consulted these people when I made this list, though I sure hope they would agree to accept the Cabinet post if they are offered. I also have many people in mind as Undersecretaries or Deputy Director Generals or Vice Presidents, etc. of these institutions. Unfortunately, one blog post won't be enough.

Profiles:

Joey Salceda
Executive Secretary
Presidential Management Staff
Office of the Cabinet Secretary



Duterte offered Joey Salceda the post of NEDA Chief should he win, but it would be a disservice to the Filipino people if the vast array of competencies the Governor has - from economic, technical, political, local, etc. - will only be deployed in one specific aspect of government. Gov. Salceda can deliver more for the people as concurrent Executive Secretary, Chief of the Presidential Management Staff (the clearing house for all policy decisions of the President), and the Cabinet Secretary. These three positions are better lodged under one office, the OES, with undersecretaries manning the two major functions (PMS, OCS) and assistant secretaries manning the sub-functions.

Prior to his stint as Government of Albay, he was a three-term Representative, serving as Chair of the Committee on Trade and Industry and Vice Chair of the Committees on Ways and Means and Economic Affairs. In 2007, he became President Arroyo' Presidential Chief of Staff, and was often name-dropped as a member of President Arroyo's unofficial braintrust. Before he became a politician, the management engineering graduate from Ateneo was Research Director of UBS Warburg - a division of Swiss Bank Corporation, and was voted as one of the top five analysts in a 1996 survey of Philippine fund managers. [go back to top]