PRESIDENT-ELECT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (BBM) yesterday named more members his economic team and other appointees to his Cabinet, including former Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Lagdameo Jr. as special assistant to the president.
Marcos, in his first sit-down interview with select media networks, said he has long known Lagdameo and even worked with him “for the past 10 years.”
“It’s very sensitive and very important in the sense that we have worked and known each other since he was a child… Between the two of us, we already found a ‘modus vivendi’ so that should be an easy position for me to pick up on,” he said.
The position of special assistant to the president was created in 2016 and was first occupied by now Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, and now held by Jesus Melchor Quitain.
Lagdameo, who served as congressman of Davao del Norte’s second district from 2007 to 2016, joins the other nominees of Marcos to the Cabinet — Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio who is incoming education secretary; Victor Rodriguez, executive secretary; Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr., interior secretary; Crispin Remulla, justice secretary; Bienvenido Laguesma, labor secretary; Susan Ople, secretary for migrant workers; and Rose Beatrix ‘Trixie’ Cruz-Angeles, press secretary.
Marcos said he also nominated the members of his economic team led by Benjamin Diokno, finance; Alfredo Pascual, trade; Emmanuel Bonoan, public works; and Felipe Medalla as governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
On the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Marcos said he is finalizing plans especially as he intends to pursue the streamlining and digitalization of government processes to make delivery of public services faster and more efficient.
Asked about deputy speaker Rodante Marcoleta and professor Clarita Carlos, Marcos said they are still talking.
Marcoleta was reportedly being considered for the Office of the Solicitor General while Marcos acknowledged Carlos for being an expert on foreign affairs and external relations.
Marcos said he is also still going over other potential appointees for other positions, adding there are many applicants, for instance for the positions of heads of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
He said the two positions are important because the government would need to make sure that the taxes and other dues are collected properly to ensure that the government will have funds to spend.
“I’m sure we will find the right people. I have a fairly good idea of who has been able to show performance,” he said.
He reiterated that politics or having opinions opposed to his is not an issue in his appointment decisions. He said his qualifications for a appointee are that he or she should be the best in the field, and is willing to work with him and for the country.
Marcos also told incoming appointees, especially to the BIR and BOC, that “there should not be any place for corruption” in government.
He said wants to reduce the corrosive influence of corruption in government as a general rule but it has already become endemic to some offices.
Marcos said instead of dwelling on the supposed tags of corruption that had been linked to some agencies, he would have them work harder instead, and he will put in place measures to minimize chances for red tape.
He said BIR for instance should make processes more efficient and tax structures more understandable to the people while BOC should upgrade equipment in ports to raise the collections.
“Corruption, kalimutan na lang natin ‘yong nakaraan… that was not under my watch… Ngayon, ako na ang namamahala, so wala nang ganyan. At kung meron pang ganyan, hahabol-habulin talaga namin kayo at hindi pupuwede iyan, (Corruption, let’s forget the past. that was not under my watch … I am the one leading now, so there would be no more of that. And if there is still such, we will go after you and we will not allow that),” he added.
Cruz-Angeles said this does not mean that cases of corruption will literally be forgotten.
She said cases that are pending would continue but instead of dwelling on allegations, measures will be taken to prevent corruption.
In a briefing yesterday afternoon, Cruz-Angeles said she has been designated only as press secretary and not as presidential spokesperson. Marcos previously said he will not appoint a spokesperson and just have a press secretary.
She said her tasks include holding press briefings at least twice a week and clarifying some statements of the President, if necessary.
Rodriguez, in the same briefing, clarified that the sit-down interview of Marcos with selected media networks had been scheduled even before the proclamation of winners.
He said they are not being selective.
The media requests were done during the campaign period, he said. He said the request was also for a one-on-one interview but they opted to hold the event with all the networks that made the request at the same time.
HEALTH SYSTEM
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon said the incoming Marcos administration should focus on at least four “pressing issues” so that the pandemic-battered economy can quickly recover.
Drilon said the four concerns are inadequate health system which was exposed during the pandemic, an economy adversely impacted by the lockdowns due to COVID-19, a poor education system, and “a weak rule of law.”
He said Marcos should “capitalize” on the so-called honeymoon period and exercise strong political will in the first 100 days of his presidency “to address these four urgent issues that remain unresolved and define his legislative priorities.”
Drilon said the pandemic exposed the weakness and inadequacy of the country’s health system, such as the lack of hospitals, inefficient health information system, and lack of sufficient protection and benefits to healthcare professionals both in the public and private sectors.
“There must be long-term solutions. We must have more hospitals. We must strengthen our Universal Health Care program. We must appoint the right people in PhilHealth as our main health insurance agency. We must not repeat the mistakes of the past,” he said, citing the corruption and overpricing controversies that hounded PhilHealth.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the incoming administration should reduce the value-added tax , while removing VAT exemptions in several sectors will raise the much-needed revenues for the government, which will also lessen the burden on ordinary Filipinos.
Lacson said this was the formula he proposed way back 2018, which he said could have raised at least P117 billion a year in additional tax revenues even with the VAT rate of 10 percent, which is lower that the current 12 percent.
“The Department of Finance should have adopted my proposal when Congress was deliberating on Train 1. We could have earned at least P117 billion in additional tax revenues in 2018 alone, even with a reduced VAT rate from 12 percent to 10 percent by removing 78 lines of exemption from some sectors such as the power sector, cooperatives, housing, and economic zones,” Lacson said, following reports that the DOF will ask the next administration to remove VAT exemptions to generate at least P142.5 billion every year, with the amount potentially used for debt payments.
Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said the next administration should learn to prioritize proper budget spending so as to put the country’s national budget to work best for its people, which will put the country’s debt at a manageable level.
“The debt level should definitely be kept at manageable levels otherwise mag spiral yan pababa- lalaki ang utang, sasama ang credit rating, tataas ang binanayarang interest sa utang, etc. Galing na tayo dyan dati so dapat talaga iwasan (The debt level should definitely be kept at manageable levels otherwise it will spiral down — debt will increase, we will have a poor credit rating, interests paid on debts will increase, etc. We have been there, so that should be avoided),” Angara said. — With Raymond Africa
