MEDIUM RARE
Jullie Y. Daza
Like the thousands who are tagged vaccine-hesitant, many voters are still not sure whom to vote for or if their chosen one truly deserves their ballot and is sure to win (or be allowed to win, by fate and circumstance).
This late in the day, what are they waiting for? A note from Santa reminding them who’s naughty and who’s nice?
One way to help them decide would be to ask the presidential candidates, all nine or 10 of them, a question that you can be sure they are not prepared to answer, not now, not today and not on May 10. Getting them to show their hand is going to be as hard as climbing Mt. Pulag on a stormy day.
This is the question to ask, if not the candidates themselves, then the “insiders” within their innermost circle: “Who will form the winner’s cabinet?” Alone by their lonesome, the new president, the one the millions voted for, does not a government make, not without a cabinet of secretaries, usecs, asecs, plus a subcabinet and sub-subcabinet of extras, pretenders, freeloaders, excess baggage, runners, gofers, assistants here and there, assistants to the assistants, generals and diplomats, the whole shebang.
Whom to appoint then, for the good of the people? Whom can the commander-in-chief trust? Caution: From the point of view of innocent, unmalicious, nonpartisan citizens, the more a person pushes mountains, heaven and earth to be appointed, the more that pusher is NOT to be appointed!
The people expect the most important members of the incoming executive team to be competent, brilliant in their field of expertise (maybe more brilliant than the Boss of bosses), experienced in management and leadership, honest, God-fearing, smart, a people person. Unfortunately, among the best of the most highly suited for the thankless job of working in government are those who would unblinkingly turn down any presidential appointment, not for all the rocks and riches deep down in the West Philippine Sea.
Another source of talents that Malacañang’s incoming CEO could tap? Look no farther but at the candidates, local and national, who ran and lost in the 2022 elections. Alas, the law prohibits losers from holding a government position until one year later!
What’s one year, huh?