spot_img
28.1 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Being press secretary

- Advertisement -

PRESIDENT-elect Rodrigo Roa Duterte may have to rethink his schedule once he assumes office in Malacañang. Du30 said that he’d be commuting between Malacañang and Davao City, where he claims to be comfortable. His official schedule would begin at one o’clock in the afternoon until about midnight, when he would probably take the last flight to Davao or travel by jet, thanks to his good friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

I find this arrangement impractical. As president, he would have state visits. Santa Banana, will Du30 make them wait until one in afternoon when he arrives from Davao City?

Aside from these inconveniences, Du30 would be testing the law of averages and putting himself at great risk. Even if I didn’t vote for him, I would not want Duterte to face risks.

Somebody should tell Du30 to stop thinking like a Davao City mayor and begin acting like the president of the republic.

* * *

- Advertisement -

Duterte has thus far named just half of the 30 members of his Cabinet. I can understand why he is having difficulty. Like he admitted, he doesn’t have many friends whom he could trust. He’s not a social person.

That’s the reason he has to rely much on the people he knew as mayor of Davao City, on his classmates and on the people who had been around him for long.

The only exceptions, I surmise, with Du30 looking beyond his own sphere of influence, are former National Treasurer Leonor Briones, who was named secretary of education, and former Budget secretary Benjamin Diokno who was appointed to head the same department.

All these remind me so much of BS Aquino and his KKK—kapartido, kaklase at kabarilan.

Is this the change Duterte has been talking about?

* * *

In yesterday’s column, I advised Du30 to rethink the appointment of lawyer Salvador Panelo as press secretary and spokesman. A spokesman is critical to media, because they interact with him on a daily basis. This is why it has been the practice of past presidents to have press secretaries from the ranks of media.

Recall that this was where the Aquino administration failed—by having a three-member communication team.

I have known in my over 66 years as a journalist, many press secretaries and spokesmen: Luciano Millian, Tony Arrizabal, Ignacio Santos, Tony Sison, JV Cruz, Leo Parungao, Jose Aspiras and later on Kit Tatad, Teddy Boy Locsin, Rod Reyes, Jess Dureza, Mike Toledo and Chito Sison. They were all from media and they all did well for their presidents.

Thus, to have Panelo who is known only as the lawyer of the Ampatuans would be Du30’s first mistake. The President-elect must realize that media’s reservations about Panelo is a warning he must take seriously.

Media people, especially opinion writers, are a peculiar breed. They think they are always right. I should know, since I am one of them. I’m talking here of columnists who earned the privilege of writing on the opinion pages of newspapers, not those who write entertainment, business or gossip columns. There are many non-journalist columnists now who write about anything under the sun.

Believe it or not, in my years as a journalist, I have been offered to be press secretary thrice, but I demurred.

First, way back during Martial Law days, then Press Secretary “Sunshine Joe” Aspiras and the late press icon Ka Doroy Valencia came to my house at Philamlife Homes, Quezon City. They wanted me to succeed Joe, who was running for Congress. They said that Marcos wanted an Ilocano (that’s me) to succeed Aspiras, also an Ilocano.

When I asked Joe and Ka Doroy how much salary I would get, they told me P19,000 a month, and when I hesitated, they told me they could fix it so that I would get more. I looked at my wife, and she looked like she didn’t want me to accept it. Thus, I told Joe and Ka Doroy that I would make up my mind in a week. Later, I told them my wife was against the idea so I was turning them down.

I distinctly recall Ka Doroy telling my wife, “you are a foolish woman.”

The second time was during the time of President Fidel Ramos. He had just spoken at the Manila Hotel when he told me I would be his press secretary. I hesitated and told him Rod Reyes, then senior vice president of ABS-CBN, would make a better press secretary.

“Do you think Rod accept?” FVR asked. I said that if he talked to the Lopezes, Rod will.

The post was offered to me a third time when my former Ateneo High School student Joseph Estrada became president. I was present at a round table at Erap’s San Juan home when he, along with Edong Angara, Ronnie Zamora and others, were choosing Cabinet members.

Erap looked at me when it was time to choose the press secretary. He said: “Sir prof, you are it.” Without any hesitation, I pointed to the late Rod Reyes again. Rod said he had a bad heart, but I told him I’d help him. Thus, Rod accepted the challenge.

I never regretted passing up these opportunities to be in government. I knew deep in my heart that I would not be good material for any Cabinet position. I am contrarian and I could not be dictated upon. I would never compromise on my convictions. I know that a press secretary should be a “yes man”—always trying to defend the indefensible, even telling lies to make the president look good before the nation.

I think Jess Dureza, who is now Du30’s adviser on the peace process, would be a perfect press secretary and spokesman. He has held this post before and was good at it.

* * *

The three witnesses, who said they were part of the manipulation of votes in Quezon province for Vice President-elect Leni Robredo, presidential candidate Mar Roxas and Senator Frank Drilon, is already an indication that BS Aquino and the Liberal Party were the ones that made Leni win as VP.

The very fact that these three witnesses accepted the fact that they participated in the poll scam, pointing to a high official of the LP as the culprit, should compel Congress, especially the Senate, to investigate the matter.

Any hesitation can only point to the conclusion that, indeed, Robredo’s victory was product of a massive election fraud.

Can she honestly live with that?

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles