Senator Chiz Escudero (Senate PRIB)




Under the present political system, the Philippine President is not barred from selecting losers in the May 2022 elections to key government posts. Senator Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero stressed this during a DWIZ radio interview where he said it is not that easy for the President to choose talented people or those whom he could trust. ‘’Walang iligal na ginagawa si Pangulong Marcos kung itatalaga niya ang mga nakasama niyang kumandidato, ang iba ay magagaling din naman (President Marcos would not be making an illegal act if he chooses those who ran under his slate or those who have talents). May pinaghuhugutan silang talino at galing (He has option to select from a pool of talents),’’ he added. He said the has-beens chosen to the President’’s Cabinet or high positions should not use their influence should they run in the coming elections. ‘’Pero yung kasikatan niya yun ang magagamit niya wala ring ipinagbabawal dun (Others may run based on their popularity). Anong kaibahan ng mga incumbent officials na tatakbo rin (There is no difference between incumbent officials and the defeated candidates when they run). Wala namang sinasabi ang batas (The law is silent on this), he added, Earlier, Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez pleaded with President Marcos not to recycle election losers in his Cabinet after the one-year appointment ban on election candidates lapse. ”I hope that PBBM (Marcos) will not appoint and recycle losers in the May 2022 elections. High government positions should not become a refuge of political has-beens," Rodriguez, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, said. The lapse of the appointment ban means that the Palace can appoint non-winners from last year's polls to government positions, be it of Cabinet rank or lower. Cabinet officials are often referred to as alter egos of the President. In a related development, Escudero does not see anything wrong with Vice President Sara Duterte, concurrent Department of Education (DepEd) secretary, as one of the co-chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Anti-Insurgency Council (NTF-ELCAC). He said the taxpayers benefit from Duterte’s two jobs instead of doing nothing. ‘’Anumang dagdag na responsibilidad sa sinumang opisyal magandang bahagi yun pero tignan ng NTF ELCAC ang ilang panukala nila (Any added responsibility is good which the NTF ELCAC should look into),’’ he explained.