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Greg B. Macabenta
President Rodrigo Duterte has demonstrated that when he wants to get something done, he can crack the whip on the bureaucrats, keep antagonistic media under the gun (figuratively and literally) and completely ignore the protests of activists and the political opposition.
The only sectors that Duterte appears unable — or unwilling — to read the riot act to are the business oligarchs and the political overlords.
Is Duterte, with the awesome powers of the presidency, capable of facing down these powerful sectors? According to pundits, he could if he wants to, notwithstanding the risks.
Where he has a mind to, Duterte has had his way, as shown by the thousands of who have been killed in his war on drugs (many on mere suspicion), the imprisonment of Senator Leila de Lima on obviously trumped up charges, and the brazen reinstatement of the PNP officers behind the liquidation of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa and Raul Yap inside their jail cell.
To go back to the question: Is Duterte capable of addressing problems of governance confronting his administration?
“Capable” in the context of the power to do so, yes. He has the powers and the support of a compliant Congress. “Capable” in the sense of the managerial competence to see his way through a complicated problem — that is questionable. And “capable” in the context of bucking the oligarchs and political overlords, doubtful.
His record of performance on his first year in office is impressive only in the eyes of his die-hard supporters, as reflected in public opinion polls. The latest Social Weather Station poll, which shows Duterte enjoying a fantastic 78% approval rating, is a classic example of a “blank wall” survey — the respondents have no way around, over, or under the question, so they take the easy option. They give the response that they think the researchers expect them to give.
The polling firm could at least have asked what the respondents felt about the horrendous traffic situation in Metro Manila and the efficiency (or lack of efficiency) of public services, such as the release of car plates and drivers’ licenses by the LTFRB.
At any rate, these surveys give Duterte no motivation to get his managerial act together. As long as the Filipino people are happy and satisfied with his macho image, okay na iyan.
Never mind the continuing incompetence of his government. The mainstream and social media trolls and allies can always keep his poll ratings up.
Of course, the Duterte government did not invent incompetence in running the Philippine government. The unlamented administration of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III had an unbelievable talent for it.
But one would have expected that Duterte — with the glorious promise of “Change” — would appoint officials with the requisite managerial skills and the vision to identify the endemic problems in government, as well as the political will, the courage and the willingness to step on powerful toes to get the right things done por la Patria.
The traffic logjam in Metro Manila is one glaring example — nay, one embarrassing example — of bureaucratic incompetence, coupled with helplessness before the oligarchs.
The ideas concocted by the Department of Transportation, foreign entities like the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Congress (which has a “Traffic Crisis” bill pending passage) have been classic examples of solutions that skirt a fundamental problem staring them in the face.
INCOMPETENCE AND POWERFUL BUSINESS AND POLITICAL INTERESTS
Gross incompetence is one obvious reason why the MRT and the LRT systems have not been operated efficiently, and why these have not been expanded over the years, well ahead of the overcrowding of Metro Manila’s streets and highways.
But the harsh fact is that powerful business and political interests would have blocked any well-meaning efforts of competent managers to do a good job.
The vicious tug-of-war between oligarchs over the location of the MRT-LRT common station in the vicinity of Ayala’s TriNoma mall and SM City North EDSA is but one glaring example of these powerful business and political interests are work.
If you were to go over all of the major infrastructure projects and business opportunities in our hapless Republic, the same names will emerge. They control the economy and the politicians who make the final decisions.
The memorandum of agreement between the business groups is a “win-win” solution to a problem that would have given either SM or the Ayala group, a major advantage in terms of cornering the light railway passenger traffic at the end of EDSA. A win for both of them. But what about the poor commuters?
An interesting question asked by mischievous pundits is, if Noynoy Aquino were not president and Mar Roxas were not in his various positions of power, would the Ayala group have succeeded in blocking SM Prime Holding’s preemption of the location of the common MRT-LRT station at North EDSA?
The next obvious question is, what other business opportunities and potential monopolies will be subjected to the same tug-of-war among these corporate giants?
The officials manning the various departments in government are impotent in the face of the money and political clout of these oligarchs. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade can come up with “solutions” to the Metro Manila traffic problem, like being given “vast emergency powers,” JICA can recommend such ambitious projects as a subway system, and Congress can legislate laws to address the “Traffic Crisis,” but the bottom line is, unless these business and political moguls are assured their respective pounds of flesh, we will always witness the kind of tug-of-war that characterized the plans for the North EDSA “Grand Central Station.”
In addition to that, of course, is the incompetence and graft that will accompany the operation of the proposed subway system. If these idiots can’t efficiently operate the MRT and LRT, are we to believe that they can properly run a subway system?
Now, who has the power to stop this vicious scramble for economic supremacy for the sake of the Filipino people? And who has the responsibility for appointing people who can perform with competence and efficiency?
The obvious answer is President Rodrigo Duterte. But will he?
Or will he be too busy solving the crisis in Mindanao and going after drug suspects to attend to problems that may be beyond his competence? And will he prefer to enjoy his fantastic approval ratings?
Greg B. Macabenta is an advertising and communications man shuttling between San Francisco and Manila and providing unique insights on issues from both perspectives.
gregmacabenta@hotmail.com
