THE “Solid Seven” in the Senate has become the “Six Bomb” following the appointment of Senator Sonny Angara as the new DepEd Secretary. As in, minus one.
It would have been a formidable opposition group of senators that would “fiscalize” whatever is deliberated upon in the halls of the senate. Seven out of 24 is simply the minority but when it comes to mustering 2/3 votes to pass on legislative measures, the 7 would stand up as a very concrete barrier against its passage.
But with Senator Sonny Angara out of the picture, the opposition group is now down to 6.
Needless to say, the removal and the appointment/designation of Angara to the DepEd portfolio was a masterstroke.
A very timely, critical and practical masterstroke at that.
A big clap to the mastermind.
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The seat vacated by VP Sara Duterte-Carpio at the DepEd was huge, the position itself was equally significant and politically-explosive too, and that means the official to replace her must have the credentials as impressive as Senator Sonny Angara, who, like his father, has also very strong educational roots.
That important factor was adequately answered.
Another factor was his acceptability before the Commission on Appointments (CA). There is no question that he mustered a sterling accomplishment as a senator and as committee chair and co-chair of several important senate committees. He was not involved in some senate controversies and his relationship with fellow senators was tops. Given this background, I see no reason why he could not hurdle the grilling in the CA and would easily pass muster the CA scrutiny too.
But the most important, and critical, aspect of his appointment/designation as new DepEd Secretary was his possible contribution to the education sector. Needless to say, public schools and public school teachers are still among those sectors that badly need immediate attention, and help, from the government, notably from Congress.
More budget should be allotted to public schools and more benefits should be endowed to public school teachers.
As a long-time legislator, I suppose the DepEd Secretary-designate knows, and is aware, of the various issues and concerns in the public education sector. And he can very well do something about it because by his background, it is very clear that his feet are firmly planted in education.
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Of course, those who expect so much from him should remember that the problems have been there for decades and it would not be practical to expect a midnight solution.
So far, his initiatives are sound but it would take a whole lot of the caboodle to really address the problems in the public education sector.
And of course, there is the issue of politics.
For idealists, the quarterly giveaways (like the 4Ps) that the DSWD is giving to “deserving” beneficiaries kunohay from all over the country are an anathema to real progress because they have no concrete ROIs, it encourages laziness and complacency and does not really improve the quality of life of the Pinoys. Instead of the billions dispensed as alms to mendicants, the money can go a long way to building more classrooms (nga kanang naay class pod), more classroom needs, more instructional materials and better salary and perks to teachers.
But the politicians do not want that.
They want the 4Ps to continue because they can politicize the program for reelection purposes.
So that is always the challenge.
And a real challenge indeed for DepEd Secretary-designate Senator Sonny Angara.
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The filing of COCs for the 2025 elections is still in October. But right now, there is frenzy among would-be candidates to float their faces around.
Those with limited budget are just posting their faces and names on tarpaulins, plus some silly warning signs or friendly reminders kunohay.
But those with plenty of cash to spend are not only using tarps but are also using popular TV shows like this cabinet secretary who is planning to run for the senate.
He does not have a friendly face because by nature he has a strong, and fierce-looking or strikto, face. And he hardly smiles, he is always serious-looking.
So it would be a monumental job for him to convert his face from serious-looking to one that is friendly and amiable, and also approachable. So in the TV shows that he is now an “actor,” he is featured as a friendly face, he now smiles a lot.
No doubt, this is the script of his PR people.
After watching him on TV, I recalled a similar top official who wanted to run for the senate after several stints as a cabinet secretary of several departments and previous job as top AFP official.
Despite the feverish efforts of his PR people to make him lovable to the madlang people, when survey results came out, he was a tail-ender. Luoy intawon.
And worse, he got confirmation that even employees under him in several departments would not support him in the elections.
Tiaw ba bisan og naa nay pagkaon sa lamesa unya late kaayo siya moabot, nobody is allowed to eat ahead of him. Kinahanglan maghulat gyod og moabot siya ug makakaon lang ang tanan kon mokaon na pod siya.
Unya kon nangaon na ang tanan, kinahanglan nga moundang pod og kaon kon moundang na og kaon ang opisyal.
Kon magsulti siya sa microphone, nobody should talk, nobody should use his or her cellphone, or answer calls, walay maglakaw-lakaw kay kinahanglan maminaw gyod ang tanan sa iyang gisulti.
Dihay usa ka regional director nga mitubag sa tawag sa iyang cellphone one time he was in Bohol, looy intawon. Gi-transfer sa laing region for one and only one reason – kay wa maminaw sa iyang diskurso.
And that was the reason the employees of that department, all over the country, vowed to reject and not support him.
Because of his poor showing in poll survey, he opted not to run.
He committed suicide later, for some unknown reasons.
Now, the same type of guy is gunning for an elective position.
Ang pangutana, ang mga empleyado kaha niya mo-suporta ba sa iyang kandidatora nga matod pa, hilabihan ra ba ni siya ka-istrikto?
