‘Is the President getting low-quality advice on the best person for the PCO?’
THE search for the next “PCO Idol” seems to be on its fifth season, and frankly, it’s less entertaining and more unsettling.
In a span of just three years, the Marcos Jr. administration has seen five individuals take the helm of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), with the most recent appointment of former journalist Dave Gomez.
This rapid turnover in a Cabinet position not even considered a major portfolio raises questions on the stability and decisiveness of the current leadership.
The PCO is the government’s primary communications arm, tasked with crafting and coordinating the messaging system for the Executive Branch. It’s a crucial role that requires consistency and a clear vision. But under the current dispensation, it has become a revolving door.
Gomez replaced Jay Ruiz, who served for a mere six months. Before him, there was Cheloy Garafil who, despite serving the longest from mid- 2022 to late 2024, was eventually “shipped out” to head the Manila Economic Cooperation Office (MECO).
MECO emerges as the favored dumping ground for exiting PCO chiefs with Ruiz joining Garafil at the Taiwan outpost as board member.
The first PCO chief, lawyer-vlogger Trixie Angeles, lasted only four months. Another short-tenured secretary is Cesar Chavez who served for a mere five months.
This constant shuffling at the communications agency suggests a fundamental flaw in the vetting and decision-making process within Malacañang. Is the President getting low-quality advice on the best person for the PCO? We are almost sure that the President has nothing to do with the PCO appointments, and relies mainly on the “wisdom” of his closest advisers. And from the way it looks, his presidential advisers are failing him.
The President’s record has already surpassed that of his late father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who had only three press chiefs throughout his long presidency – Jose Aspiras, Francisco Tatad and Gregorio Cendaña.
Like democracy and free enterprise, we acquired the tradition of appointing press secretaries from the US, which started the practice in March 1929 when President Herbert Hoover appointed George Akerson as the first press chief of the White House. America has also its share of short-tenured press secretaries, namely: Jonathan Daniels under President Franklin Roosevelt and Jerry TerHorst under President Gerald Ford, who both served a month or less.
While some administrations have seen their ample share of press secretaries —Corazon Aquino had six and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had 11 over her nine-year term — the frequent changes under the current administration are particularly alarming. It signals a lack of strategic direction on how the government communicates with its people.
How can an office effectively fulfill its mission when its leadership changes every few months?
From the perspective of an ordinary Filipino, this constant changing of the guard is akin to incessantly switching radio stations because you dislike the commentary.
If the public sees a new face selling the same narrative every couple of months, why should they invest their trust or attention?
The perceived instability in the PCO, while not directly impacting economic metrics, sends a disconcerting signal.
Ultimately, it shows an administration struggling to articulate its agenda and connect with the populace effectively.
A strong, stable communications office is vital for building public trust, disseminating important information, and garnering support for government initiatives.
We hope Secretary Gomez breaks this troubling pattern, but with three more years left in the presidency, there’s a real chance he may not be the last “PCO Idol” to grace the Malacañan stage.
