Taking one for the team

PRESIDENT Aquino has come under fire as soon as reports were released of his intention to give defeated vice-presidential candidate Mar Roxas III a post in the Cabinet once the election ban expires by the end of June.
At the time, PNoy hinted that the post will even be more “demanding” than the work of Cabinet secretaries but that he was not sure yet of the exact title but it will be something to the effect of a chief of staff.
PNoy stressed that while he is satisfied with the work of his Cabinet secretaries, he said that he felt a need for the replacement of an acting secretary. Currently, both Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and Department and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje are serving in acting capacities.
PNoy’s decision has drawn criticism as many believe this will only worsen the already tense atmosphere in the administration since it is said that there are two warring groups among PNoy’s supporters and loyalists. There is the Balay Group identified with Roxas and the Liberals and the Samar Group known to be Aquino loyalists (dating to as far back as former President Cory Aquino’s time) with Vice President Jejomar Binay as their leader.
Binay does not see any problem with Roxas’s looming appointment, saying that he is a “team player” and that it was something that should be welcomed and should not be met with criticism.
Sen. Ralph Recto, ever the loyal servant of the Liberal Party, seems to be the lone cheerleader for Roxas’ appointment, saying that his presence “heralds the reunification of the tandem that has promised in May 2010 to bring meaningful changes to the Filipino people.”
There are many who do not share those sentiments though.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has said that the role of Roxas as chief of staff could clash with that of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. Sen. Joker Arroyo insists that this imminent move would cause confusion and chaos in Malacañang, citing that there is no such office created by law. He suggested that PNoy should just choose between Roxas and Ochoa. Arroyo emphasized that his criticism is not to diminish Roxas’ capabilities, in fact he believes him to be “of excellent credentials,” but maintains that there is just no room for a chief of staff.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, on the other hand, said Roxas’ appointment might also derail his bid for the presidency in the 2016 elections, citing that the appointment as “not a recipe for disaster” but very close to it.
Author Jeffrey Pfeffer cites in his book Politics and Influence in Organizations that “it is not enough for one to have power; one should also know the political lay of the land—how much and what kinds of power others have” as this will help one correctly understand how a political structure works and make it work effectively.
PNoy has said that Roxas, with his background as economist, legislator and Cabinet official, will be ideal to be in charge of coordinating with all the necessary agencies and have a dialogue with them. This will in turn lessen the need for multiple meetings and will guarantee a quicker and more effective decision-making process.
The criticisms that have been thrown in PNoy’s way are unjustified as they imply that PNoy does not possess a full knowledge of the current political structure under his administration when in reality he does. The fact that he intends to bring in someone he trusts and looks up to and have him help out in the areas which need improvement, stressing the need for the delineation of functions so that “there is no overlapping, where each one’s work complements one another’s”
proves he is a knowledgeable leader who greatly values his team as a whole and not as individual members.
With the various issues at hand that the administration faces, it is a pity that PNoy seems to be suffering the fate of being a ruler who is defined by his flaws rather than by his good intentions and his efforts. But what Filipinos should realize is that PNoy is fully aware that he has struck out resolving dilemmas that plague the nation but what he intends to bring to the table is “teamwork,” which is exactly what this country needs. And with someone like Roxas and his impressive track record in the years he served in the government joining the PNoy team, we might hit a homerun.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(NYNJ May 20-26, 2011 Sec A pg. 6)