By Genalyn Kabiling
Members of the Duterte Cabinet will be given a "lecture" on the illegal drug menace and other national security problems as well as apparent militarization of the bureaucracy, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo
(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN)
Ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled in the Palace Tuesday afternoon, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said resource persons have been invited to present the lecture to the President's official family.
"We feel that national security matter is very important other than the usual concerns of the state and members of the Cabinet have to know," Panelo said during a Palace press briefing.
"Perhaps he (the President) would be making comment and annotations while the briefing is going on," he added.
The President's official schedule showed that "Lecture on militarization and drugs as a national security problem" was scheduled at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The Palace event, which was limited to the coverage of television cameramen and photographers, was later titled "Lecture on drugs and lawless violence as a national security problem."
Panelo admitted that the same lecture was given during the meeting of the Executive Committee- National Security Council in Cebu last week. "There were military men who gave us a briefing. I think that will be a repeat for other members of the Cabinet to listen to the same," he said.
Apart from the national security concerns, Panelo acknowledged that the President's appointment of former military and police officials would be tackled in the Cabinet meeting.
"Not all the members of the Cabinet know the rationale behind (it)," he said.
"It’s more of information to them so that they will know how to explain when they are asked and in their particular departments by reporters," he added.
He explained that the President has preferred former military officials to government posts because they get the job done fast.
"I think so, because of their military discipline. The culture of the military men are different from the civilians. They follow orders, they talk less and argue less. They just work and they’re always on the go," he said.
Among the Cabinet members with military background are Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority head Isidro Lapeña.