TOUGHEST CABINET POST: ABAYA WHO? ANNAPOLIS GRAD, CORY AIDE,
LAWYER
[PHOTO -ABAYA. Surprise choice. LYN
RILLON]
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 (PHILSTAR) By Christian V. Esguerra -
Who is Joseph Emilio Abaya and why has President Benigno Aquino III entrusted
him with one of the toughest Cabinet jobs?
The 46-year-old representative from Cavite province was picked out of
relative obscurity to head the Department of Transportation and Communications
(DoTC), a highly influential and much coveted office. But his appointment
anything but surprised his colleagues in the House of Representatives.
Rep. Romero Quimbo considers Abaya a "perfect fit" for the DOTC job, one who
belongs to what he calls a "new breed of leaders" who get the job done without
calling attention to themselves.
Rep. Nathaniel Tupas Jr. sees Abaya as a "quiet and simple" man who will
bring his managerial skills, discipline and, more important, integrity, to the
DOTC.
"We're not the best of friends so don't think that I'm propping him up,"
Quimbo told the Inquirer by phone. "He is very atypical of a politician. When
there's a task, it's not about Jun Abaya, it's about the work."
Abaya is serving his third and last term as representative of the first
district of Cavite, whose seat in the House he took over from his father,
three-time Rep. Plaridel Abaya.
No special elections
Abaya's appointment to the DOTC leaves his seat vacant, but the Commission on
Elections (Comelec) is not calling special elections to fill it, as the vacancy
has occurred eight months before the next congressional elections.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Friday that the House leadership can
appoint a caretaker to take the place of Abaya in Cavite's first district.
The secretary general of the ruling Liberal Party, Abaya is a great-grandson
of the first President of the Philippines, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, and a relative
of the revolutionary hero Isabelo Abaya. His uncle, Gen. Narciso Abaya, served
as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Born on May 28, 1966, Abaya is married to Rowena Abesamis, a pediatrician.
They have three children.
Not new in Palace
Abaya is no stranger in Malacañang, having served as aide-de-camp to
President Cory Aquino, Mr. Aquino's mother.
"I've worked with the President some two decades ago though in a different
capacity," Abaya told reporters in the Palace on Friday. "I used to open doors
and pull chairs for him when I was then a young lieutenant in the Navy and as
former aide-de-camp to then President Cory," he said.
Now, as head of the DOTC, he said his priorities would be, among other
things, determining the cause of the plane crash that killed Interior Secretary
Jesse Robredo, upgrading airports and overseeing the development of a connector
road linking the North Luzon and the South Luzon expressways.
"The first thing I'd do is look for an executive assistant, because I was
used to serving people by myself, and we've managed to survive," he said. "It's
important to have an assistant so that we can promptly respond if the President
looks for us," he said.
Abaya is best remembered as the manager of the House impeachment team that
prosecuted former Chief Justice Renato Corona in the Senate. It could have been
a high-profile job that generated a lot of free publicity, but he stayed out of
the spotlight.
Unflappable
While the team was still being assembled, Tupas, the chief prosecutor, said
Abaya approached him and told him: "Partner, I won't go for any airtime. All I
want is to help. I'm just here to help the team. You can give me any task as
long as I could be of help to our cause."
Quimbo, who was a spokesperson for the team, credited Abaya for "holding us
together," especially during the prosecution's shaky moments in the four-month
trial.
"If not for him, we would have crumbled," he said, recalling how the
"unflappable" Abaya served as a "tempering presence" amid heated debate by
prosecutors in different phases of the trial.
Day 2 of the Corona trial was particularly tough for House prosecutors when
they were alternately criticized and ridiculed for being unprepared to present a
witness. Tupas recalled meeting with Abaya till late in the evening after the
trial to discuss how to pull things together.
That time, even some House members were quietly grumbling about the
prosecution's poor performance. Tupas said Abaya emphasized that the setback was
"temporary" and the team had to "refocus."
Strength of character
"The strength of character is always there so I think, he would make a very
good secretary of the DOTC," Tupas said.
Abaya studied engineering at the University of the Philippines, went to the
Philippine Military Academy and later trained at the United States Naval Academy
in Annapolis. He won his first term as Cavite congressman in 2004 and earned a
law degree from Ateneo de Manila University three years later.
Abaya won two more congressional terms, in 2007 and in 2010. He is now chair
of the House committee on appropriations.
He also served on the House committees on accounts, constitutional
amendments, energy, economic affairs, government reorganization, housing and
urban development, oversight, public order and security, national defense and
public works and highways.
Quimbo said Abaya's appointment to the committee initially raised some
eyebrows among their colleagues. Here was a quiet, young congressman heading
deliberations on the country's national budget.
No airs
"He has no airs, so people always underestimate him," Quimbo said.
"When he became appropriations chair, he was expected to suddenly become an
'alpha' congressman, but he's not like that," Quimbo said. "People thought he
was not going to do well, but he's done a fantastic job. He's now on his third
budget and nobody's complaining."
Quimbo said the simplicity of Abaya showed in the car he usually used, an
Isuzu Crosswind.
A PMA classmate of Abaya said he was the right man for the job at the DOTC.
"He is knowledgeable when it comes to technical matters and this fits with
his new job at the DOTC," said a classmate of Abaya in PMA Class 1988 who asked
not to be named.
"But while knowledgeable, he is very humble. Some of our classmates will be
working under him in the Coast Guard," he said. Abaya often took his kids to
school, even during the impeachment trial when he also went around with only his
driver most of the time, the classmate added. With reports
from TJ Burgonio, Jocelyn R. Uy and Inquirer Research
FROM ABS-CBN
'Mar good DILG Chief for 'Daang Matuwid' but Roxas needs to
improve people skills' By Jon Carlos Rodriguez, ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 08/31/2012 11:36 PM | Updated as of 09/01/2012 2:25 AM
[Photo -Gov. Alfonso "Boy" Umali -President
of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP)
(mindorousa.com photo)]
MANILA, Philippines – Newly-appointed Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas is the best person to replace the late
Jesse Robredo, according to the president of the League of Provinces of the
Philippines, Alfonso Umali.
Umali, who is also the governor of Mindoro Oriental, welcomed the appointment
of Roxas as DILG chief, saying he has the right qualities for the position.
"Pagdating sa qualification at sa kanyang galing at sa kanyang pagiging
matuwid, kami ay nagkakaisa na siya ang karapat-dapat sa pwestong iyan," Umali
told ANC's "Top Story" on Friday.
Umali said he sees in Roxas "unquestionable integrity," similar to what
Robredo exuded when he was DILG secretary.
However, Umali noted that Roxas will have to improve his people skills,
something Robredo had mastered.
"[Si Mar] mayroong abilidad sa pakikipag-usap, pagiging derecho at matuwid,
pwede na 'yon. Nasa sa kanya nalang kung paano niya mai-improve ang kanyang
pakikisalamuha sa ating kababayan," he said.
But Umali is confident that both Roxas and newly-appointed Transportation and
Communications chief Joseph Emilio Abaya will continue the late secretary's
legacy of good governance.
"Matitiyak natin na matutuluy-tuloy ang maayos na pamamahala sa ating bansa,"
he said.
Umali also said he believes that Roxas will not use his position in the DILG
for any political motive.
As DILG secretary, Roxas would have influence over the police and local
government units which, analysts say, would be a crucial advantage in the 2013
elections.
The 55-year-old Roxas, who was appointed by President Benigno Aquino on
Friday, will take over the position vacated by Robredo, who died in a plane
crash last August 18.
Replacing Roxas as DOTC secretary is Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, who is
on his last term as congressman.
Roxas is the president of the Liberal Party while Abaya is the party's
secretary-general.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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rights reserved
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