At his first press conference held in Davao City on Monday, presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte gave a preview of what is to happen under his administration.
He named those he is considering to appoint to his Cabinet. Some of the names: Alan Peter Cayetano, Perfecto Yasay, Carlos Dominguez, Art Tugade, Peter Laurel, Jesus Dureza, Bebot Bello, Salvador Panelo and Salvador Medialdea.
Duterte also said he would offer the Communist Party of the Philippines several positions in the Cabinet.
The Davao City mayor said he would name the members of his Executive family on his own, and he would refuse to take “recommendations” from lawmakers and other influential people who might try to broker appointments. It’s a good way to deter the age-old “backer” system in government positions.
Certainly, naming the members of his official family is the sole prerogative of the president. And because a Cabinet member is also known as the chief executive’s alter ego, he or she must be one who enjoys the trust and confidence of the latter. It is, after all, physically impossible for anybody to attend to numerous concerns of equal importance, making big and small decisions, at the same time.
This does not mean, we hope, that Duterte should not take advice from a competent and fair inner circle of advisers as well from public opinion.
That the appointee should have had ample experience and expertise —not just familiarity—in the field he is being assigned to is a given. So should the absence of irregularities. Cabinet secretaries should have all the time to attend to demands of their department. Other battles should not have a place in their calendar.
We hope too that this president would show himself different from his immediate predecessor by acting as the leader of all Filipinos, not just of those who supported him, voted for him and are allied with him.
Duterte has been called many things, but we hope he would be humble enough to acknowledge that one’s allies do not have the monopoly of expertise, or righteousness.
