Bong D. Fave
CBCP News
October 8, 2010
CAGAYAN DE ORO City, Oct. 8, 2010—A President can only be effective if his chosen men and women in his Cabinet get their acts together and help him fulfill his campaign promises and the agenda he set for his administration to follow in effecting the much-needed change.
Although he got a “passing grade” from the nation in his first 100 days in Malacañang, President Simeon Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III still needs to show he is the leader and let his Cabinet toe the administration line.
This is very important in light of the high trust rating the Filipino people gave PNoy, which for Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is a “political capital” that is essential in carrying out policy and institutional changes he promised during his campaign.
“The high trust rating that PNoy got during the election is unprecedented, so it is no surprise that it carries over after the presidential polls. This political capital is very important in enforcing policies to alleviate poverty, generate jobs, lower prices, and curb corruption even if the measures are unpopular. This high trust of the people was never enjoyed by past administrations, not even President Cory. But PNoy’s men need to keep up and do their jobs well,” said Pangilinan in an emailed statement.
He said the factions within Malacañang “must be addressed immediately” and must stop “so that the President will not be weighed down by rumor mongers and overshadow the administration’s performance.”
Unity. That is what PNoy’s administration must do to push the Philippines forward. But he must do it beginning in his very own official residence and official family, stressed Pangilinan.
“Moving the country forward is a serious undertaking. It requires laser-like precision and focus. Our problems as a country are so serious that without unity we cannot succeed. Without unity we will fail to address corruption and poverty. Our country cries out for solutions, and for sacrifice to see these solutions through. We must all act towards achieving this regardless of the personal costs,” he said.
Pangilinan said that all factionalism within the Malacañang must stop at all cost, no matter who is hit, if PNoy really wants to effect genuine change in this country.
Political analysts and pundits have identified the so-called “Balay” and “Samar” groups as the more prominent factions in the Aquino administration.
The “Balay” group is composed of Liberal Party stalwarts, former Arroyo Cabinet members, particularly the “Hyatt 10,” and other supporters of the Noynoy-Mar (Aquino-Roxas) campaign team. In this group belongs Management Staff Chief Julia Abad-Parker, who was the PNoy’s chief-of-staff when he was a senator and daughter of Budget Secretary and LP stalwart Florencio “Butch” Abad.
The “Samar” group, on the other hand, is composed of then Aquino counsel and now Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., some relatives of PNoy on the Cojuangco side and supporters of Vice President Jejomar Binay. The group got its name from the other Aquino campaign headquarters based on Samar Avenue, Quezon City.
Ochoa and Abad are said to be at loggerheads over who call the shots in Malacañang.
But these are not just the factions within the administration. Malacañang watchers have also identified the other blocs within the administration and these include former Cabinet members of the late President Cory Aquino and their supporters.
There is also the group of Aquino’s personal friend, Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno.
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