‘The President should start with countless contractual employees in the government, including a large number of undersecretaries and assistant secretaries. Two departments have over 15 undersecretaries each.’
FORMER Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination has come as a big shock to many Filipinos. Unlike here in the Philippines, gun violence is almost unheard of in Japan, where strict gun restrictions continue to prevail.
The very civil conduct of Japanese politicians is a far cry from the rampant political killings and violence before and during elections here. Honor and respect have defined the culture and behavior of the Japanese.
Abe will best be remembered for his campaign to revise or amend the US-imposed peace constitution of Japan to allow for the creation of an armed military force. He is not popular with many Filipinos as he continued to ignore the issue of comfort women.
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Former President Duterte once thought of abolishing the House of Representatives and to realign its massive budget for the needs of fishermen, farmers, soldiers, and public school teachers. He made the threat early on in the presidential campaign.
It was no surprise that majority of congressmen did not support his presidential bid. Many were confident he was going to lose without their political backing. It did not turn out that way and the gloating Duterte, in his first SONA at the Batasan, decided to be both taunting and genial with them. Of course, it was an empty threat because he knew it was foolhardy to get his legislative agenda going without the support of the House members.
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With his remarkably abundant votes, President Bongbong Marcos should seriously study what Duterte had threatened to do — to abolish the extremely-expensive and highly-wasteful House of Representatives. But he must be prepared for the huge political and social repercussions.
He may also want to ask Congress for authority to abolish some agencies. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno has explained that rightsizing the bureaucracy is one of the priorities of the Marcos administration.
The President should start with countless contractual employees in the government, including a large number of undersecretaries and assistant secretaries. Two departments have over 15 undersecretaries each.
A recent study from a local think tank showed the government work force is about 500,000 while the United States, which has a population of 260,000,000, has just over 200,000 government employees.
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A neighbor in Marikina who drove a bus in one of the campaign caravans of candidate Bongbong Marcos in Luzon is expecting to be hired in government. He was more than sufficiently compensated as a driver but had been promised a regular job after the elections.
I reminded him that the real reward from supporting a political candidate, such as Marcos Jr., is the good the nation will derive from his poll victory, and not any personal benefit expected by his supporters. It is very lamentably rare to hear a political supporter or voter declare that he does not want anything in return but that his gratitude and satisfaction would come from the competent, dedicated and upright leadership of his victorious candidate.
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From Ron Jaworski, head of the Metanoia Christian Ministry: “The ‘enemy,’ Satan, is hard at work and is trying to destroy the church at the cellular level – the family. Guard your household and invest in your relationships at home. No amount of ‘ministry’ or good works can heal the wounds inflicted at home. Only God’s grace and love have the power to heal, restore and build up. Protect your marriage. Invest in your children. A strong family stands on the immovable foundation that is found in Christ. Ephesians 5:28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
