ENDEAVOR
Sonny Coloma
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s decision to assume the position of Secretary of Agriculture has come into intense focus on account of the controversy surrounding the planned importation of 300 million kilos of sugar that is now being investigated by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
In focus is the President’s role as Chief Executive. In the Constitution, seven out of 23 sections of Article VII – Executive Department, deal with the power and roles performed by the President.
Section 1 states that “The executive power shall be vested in the President of the Philippines.” Section 17 provides that “The President shall have control of all the executive departments, bureaus, and offices. He shall ensure that the laws be faithfully executed.” Section 22 specifies his responsibility to prepare “a budget of expenditures and sources of financing, including receipts from existing and proposed revenue measures… as the basis of the general appropriations bill” that Congress will enact to support the government’s operations.
The Commander-in-Chief role is stipulated in Section 18. Section 16 deals with the President’s power to appoint Cabinet members, heads of agencies in the Executive department and officers of the armed forces from the rank of army colonel or naval captain. Section 20 specifies the President’s power to “contract or guarantee foreign loans on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines with the prior concurrence of the Monetary Board, and subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.”
It is evident from the foregoing that the President’s plate is already quite full, even just considering his Chief Executive role. His other major role is that of Commander-in-Chief. Any fair-minded observer could conclude that it might be more reasonable for the President to appoint a full-time Secretary of Agriculture so that this vital portfolio could be managed more optimally – and so that the President could perform his Chief Executive functions more effectively.
I had the opportunity to observe closely the day-to-day work of two Presidents: President Corazon C. Aquino, whom I served as head of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS); and President Benigno S. Aquino III whom I served as press secretary.
During President Corazon Aquino’s watch, there were weekly Cabinet meetings; one of those also served as the monthly meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board in which the President also served as chairperson.
During her son’s watch, there were no regular Cabinet meetings. Cabinet secretaries were called to Malacañang Palace “as needed,” or when the President’s action was required to address important concerns that go beyond an individual Cabinet Secretary’s scope of responsibilities. Consider, too, that when a full Cabinet meeting is called, each Secretary would bring along one or two aides, who may be an undersecretary, assistant secretary, or executive assistant.
When a Mindanao-based group reportedly “invaded” Sabah, a task group consisting of senior officials from the DFA, DND and DSWD was formed to monitor day-to-day developments. I coordinated with the spokespersons of these departments to ensure unity and coherence of the government’s messaging efforts. Clearly, this was a more effective approach than having to convene the entire Cabinet.
Focus is important. Prioritizing the attainment of macroeconomic growth and stability targets is critically important. Having a first-rate economic management team provides a good head start. Being able to fully harness their capabilities and expertise would enable the president to pay attention to other vital areas of concern.
The President as Chief Executive is a 24/7 job, especially with millions of Filipinos living and working in more than 100 countries. I recall several major political crises in the Middle East that compelled then Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to travel and personally supervise the safe passage of Filipinos out of harm’s way.
The President’s effectiveness is significantly affected by the executive ability of his chosen Cabinet secretaries and the level of trust and confidence he is able to entrust to them. This is developed in the crucible of day-to-day experience. In time, the President will gain a better appreciation of the scope and depth of the challenges facing his administration – and how these could be tackled and managed effectively by himself with the assistance of his Cabinet secretaries.