JUSTICE DE LIMA TOPS CABINET APPROVAL SURVEY / NOY'S APPTS, 'LITEWEIGHTS'
MANILA, NOVEMBER 19, 2010 (STAR) By Helen Flores - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (photo) received the highest approval rating among 12 Cabinet officials rated in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
The SWS survey, conducted from Sept. 24-27, found 54 percent satisfied and 16 percent dissatisfied with De Lima's performance, for a "good" net satisfaction score of 39.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman got a "moderate" net satisfaction rating of 26 (47 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied); followed by Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim with +16 (38 percent satisfied, 22 percent dissatisfied); and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, +14 (38 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied).
The other officials who also received moderate ratings were Education Secretary Armin Luistro at +12 (36 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied) and Health Secretary Enrique Ona, +10 (34 percent satisfied, 24 percent dissatisfied).
"Neutral" ratings, meanwhile, were received by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, +8 (31 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied); Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, +5 (32 percent satisfied, 27 percent dissatisfied); and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, +4 (28 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied).
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala got +2 (26 percent satisfied, 24 percent dissatisfied); Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, +1 (27 percent satisfied, 26 percent dissatisfied); and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, +1 (31 percent satisfied and 30 percent dissatisfied).
SWS said it did not include other Cabinet secretaries in its September poll due to lack of space. However, they would be rated in future SWS surveys, it said.
The survey, published in the newspaper BusinessWorld yesterday, used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide.
Sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages were applied in the survey.
Lawmakers defend Noy's 'lightweight' Cabinet appointees By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated November 19, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (5)
MANILA, Philippines - Administration lawmakers rushed yesterday to the defense of President Aquino's "lightweight" Cabinet officials, whose confirmation in the Commission on Appointments (CA) remains uncertain.
The House members were reacting to threats from Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a member of the CA, to "massacre" at least six Cabinet officials of the Aquino administration for their supposed arrogance and incompetence.
She had called the unnamed officials "smug, self-satisfied, non-elected appointees" and "lightweights."
The President dismissed Santiago's threat, saying "she's entitled to her own opinion."
However, some House leaders admitted that some of Aquino's appointees may really have to be replaced immediately.
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said the unnamed Cabinet members should be given a chance to prove their worth.
"I think their integrity can't be questioned. They are highly qualified for their respective posts. P-Noy (Aquino) has to have a solid working team which he can rely on. It's too early to pre-judge their capabilities," Evardone said.
"Anyway, I think P-Noy won't tolerate deadwood. I'm appealing to the CA members to consider positively the appointments of P-Noy's Cabinet," he said.
He said Cabinet members should not be discouraged by the threat of being bypassed by the CA.
"They have to stand their ground," he said.
"Let's respect the prerogative of the President. The will of the people is the will of God. He got an overwhelming mandate and that is providential," Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco said.
He said "low IQ is not a sure gauge" of competence or integrity as in the case of US president Abraham Lincoln and nationalist Claro M. Recto, who failed to pass the bar examinations on their first try.
"But most of all, and most importantly, the common denominator of the President's appointees is their sincerity, genuineness in intention to serve the public," Haresco said.
But Valenzuela Rep. Rex Gatchalian, also a member of the CA, said he himself had reviewed the qualifications of some of the nominees and had found them wanting.
He said he was sure Santiago "saw something" when she made the disparaging statement regarding Aquino's Cabinet officials.
"Nobody is perfect and I've studied the records of some of them, certain nominees, but their performance seems to be not to our liking," Gatchalian said.
"After observing them these past couple of months, I personally think some of them are not at par with the vision of this new administration," he said.
"Some of their qualifications are not too impressive," he added.
Gatchalian said it would be better if the concerned Cabinet appointees go through the CA wringer.
"So we respect the process and we all can be held accountable to the people," he said.
Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, a member of the House opposition bloc, said many in Aquino's Cabinet "have shown an exemplary amount of incompetence and ignorance in the last several months."
"Many of them have been sticking like Velcro to their posts and hiding behind the pants of P-Noy even if the entire Philippines has been seeing their incompetence on a daily basis," Magsaysay said, adding that they should immediately resign.
Two strike policy
With his officials likely to face tougher times at the CA, President Aquino should stick to the "two-strike policy" and look for replacements for officials twice bypassed, Sen. Francis Escudero said.
"For the Cabinet members, if you are twice bypassed, you're out," Escudero said.
Escudero recalled that Aquino, when he was still senator, had voiced his conviction that officials twice bypassed by the CA should not be reappointed.
"I hope he has not changed his stand especially now that he is in Malacañang and not in the Senate anymore," Escudero said during the Kapihan sa Senado. Escudero actively campaigned for Aquino in the last elections.
He also reminded Aquino that officials appointed in an acting capacity should not be allowed to keep their posts for over a year.
Although he did not name names, Escudero was apparently referring to Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.
Since Robredo and Paje are in acting capacity, the President has opted not to submit their names to the CA.
He also appealed to critics, particularly to Santiago, to give Aquino's Cabinet officials more time to prove their competence. –With Aurea Calica, Christina Mendez
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