It is a story that obviously could not have been kept a secret for long. As it happened, it was President Duterte himself who broke it during his inaugural speech when he said “President Ramos sir, thank you very much for your help in making me President.” He repeated this the following day during the turnover ceremonies in Cramp Crame.
In the two events, it was hard not to notice that FVR was visibly elated in the public display of appreciation by President Duterte. Although the general public was not aware of the role played by FVR in the May 9 elections, many in the political community knew about it. Many of those who worked in the Duterte campaign, after all, were FVR people. In a visit to his office before the elections, I sensed that this was the direction of his efforts.
One factor for his support to then-candidate Digong Duterte was his belief that if anybody can solve the long-festering law and order problem in Mindanao, it would be Digong Duterte. One consequence of FVR’s active involvement in the elections is that he will be busier than ever. Not that he is lacking in anything to do, but since the public has been informed that he was a big factor in Digong Duterte’s win, his office is now probably a veritable market place for job seekers.
For the last 18 years, FVR has been kept at a distance by three successive administrations. The three previous presidents did not seem to care to make use of his vast experience in government. Even in retirement, he is still in demand as a speaker, not only here but abroad. Every time he comes back from an overseas trip, he never fails to provide a report to the government. FVR’s standing among current and past government bureaucrats is very high. President Duterte knows this and unlike his three predecessors, he is comfortable in tapping FVR’s immense experience for the good of the country. This is something that the three previous presidents should have done, but did not.
President Duterte, on the other hand, has the confidence as a leader to steer the country to the direction he wants. He welcomes all the help that he can get from all sectors. Every administration builds on the accomplishments of the previous one and also learns from their mistakes. If we are now growing economically, part of the reason was what FVR started. FVR is now 88 years old but still going strong. In a game of golf we played last Sunday, he was still able to out drive some of us who are much younger than he is. He still got a lot of juice left in him—and this is a man who has lived all his adult life with one kidney.
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Last July 5 in Clark, President Duterte finally named the five active and retired senior PNP officers allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade. All five denied the accusations.
The President, being a lawyer, knows and realizes the implications of his pronouncement. This can only show how seriously he views the illegal drug problem of the country. Because we adhere to the doctrine of presumption of innocence, the actions of the President was therefore quite unprecedented. This is saying it mildly.
Was the action right? Going in favor for the president is that he is the final repository of all intelligence reports in the country and therefore, more than anybody else, he knows what is going on. The severity of the illegal drug problem probably also requires unprecedented actions, with the end hopefully justifying the means. There is also the need to fast-track the campaign. As it is however, these officers will have to prove themselves not guilty instead of the state proving them guilty.
One of those named, Marcelo Garbo, was a three-star police general who worked in the Roxas campaign. He was the officer seen by the media meeting with two senior PNP officers in one of the restaurants in Cubao. The other is Joel Pagdilao, a two star general who probably would have gone to become the PNP chief had Mar Roxas won.
As it is, these officers will spend a lot of time trying to prove that the accusation has no basis in fact. As already mentioned in the media, a couple of these officers have already been mentioned. The others are new revelations. The immediate effect of this bombshell is bad for the image of the PNP, but at least it shows to the public that the PNP as an organization is willing to reform and rid itself of bad apples.
PNP Chief “Bato” Dela Rosa, to his credit, has promised a fair and impartial investigation. Will there be other names to follow? We are very fond of the sample method to jump start a campaign. In the case of the previous administration, the sample personalities were former President Arroyo and former Chief Justice Corona but as it turned out, this was only to mask the corruption of those allied with former President Aquino.
The Duterte administration, however, appears to be different. It has none of the reckless moves of the previous administration when in it took over the reigns of government. President Duterte’s team, however, appears more discerning. We hope they make the right moves.
If the naming of these active and retired officers is not just a sampling process but the start of a deep rooted reform agenda to stamp out corruption, then the journey to the promise land is attainable.