Here's the allege sample of the text messages of the collector, “ Request for P100M para inclusive ang mga cabinets, tables and chairs” at “Sa Friday may check release na si (taga-SUBI) .. pls make sure nalagyan ng P100M ni Boss yung account nya Ty.” This message is allegedly one of the exchanges of messages last June 7, a few weeks before former President Rodrigo Duterte steps down as President.

So, the so-called collector and depositor of this Government official a.k.a. Mr. Silidonyo is no ordinary person. They are a tandem, of a lawmaker and a businessman.

Allegedly, the said collector is tainted with a bad image because of its involvement in different scandals in the government which is why this personality is a sycophant in the present administration to get away from the cases and accusations.

According to the source whisperer, the amount collected by the so-called collector is Php100 million, which is only for the Government Official aka Mr. Silidonyo. It seems that Php100 million is the "trend" in this present administration.

The so-called depositor of the collection made by the collector is allegedly involved in a quarrel between a political family in one of the known cities in the National Capital Region.

The so-called collector is a lady solon from one of the provinces in the country and the so-called depositor is known for the side jobs or "raket" just like his initial.

But the main item in our guessing game is the alleged Government official.

Here's one of the clues. It was reported that this Government official is being investigated for a number of bank accounts under his name, not only in the Philippines but also abroad, by the Anti Money Laundering Council.

So, who do you think is this Mr. Silidonyo that comes with a collector and a depositor of the million pesos?

Manuel Roxas, the fifth President of the Philippines, also served as Quezon’s Executive Secretary from December 1941 until March 1942, just a month before he was captured by Japanese forces.

As what most expert says, eExperience is a major consideration in appointing the “Little President.” The Executive Secretary needs to hit the ground running, with barely any time to learn how to navigate the labyrinthine maze of the bureaucracy. Owing to the demands of the job, past Presidents picked Executive Secretaries who had proved their mettle through the posts they’ve held over the years.

ErnestO Maceda, a cum laude graduate of the Ateneo Law School, served as councilor of Manila—and was named Outstanding Councilor— before becoming the youngest Cabinet member of then-President E. Marcos as Secretary of Community Development at 29 years old. He served as Marcos’ Executive Secretary in a concurrent capacity as Chairman of the Commission on Reorganization from July 1969 to February 1970.

Joker Arroyo held the record as the human rights lawyer who handled the most number of cases between 1972 and 1986 before becoming then-President Corazon Aquino’s first Executive Secretary in 1986. Franklin Drilon served as Labor Secretary for three years and Justice Secretary for one year before his appointment as Aquino’s Executive Secretary in 1991.

Teofisto Guingona, who went on to become Vice President under the Arroyo administration, served as senator for six years before his appointment as Executive Secretary. He also chaired the Commission on Audit from 1986 to 1987. Ronaldo Zamora worked under the Marcos and Aquino administrations prior to becoming President Joseph Estrada’s first Executive Secretary from 1998 to 2000.

The longest serving Executive Secretaries were appointed in the past three administrations: Eduardo Ermita, Paquito Ochoa and Salvador Medialdea held the post for six years under Presidents Gloria Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte, respectively. Both Ochoa and Medialdea were lawyers while Ermita was a three-term congressman from Batangas who also handled the national defense portfolio under Arroyo.

Compared to many of his predecessors, Vic Rodriguez’s resume comes up a little bit short.

Accordingly, he was barangay captain of Sacred Heart in Quezon City for 10 years before becoming special assistant to the chief of the Business Permits and Licensing Office in 2002 under then-Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. He later became the officer-in-charge of the city’s Community Relations Office.

Rodriguez’s profile rose when he became spokesperson and chief of staff of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the run up to the 2022 elections. He was named Executive Secretary shortly after Marcos won as President.

The administration’s recent blunders have shown Rodriguez’s ineptness for the job. The appointment of Archipelago Philippines Ferries-FastCat owner Christopher Pastrana as Philippine Ports Authority General Manager has been met with criticism owing to perceived conflict of interest and his company’s supposed P132-million debt to the Department of Transportation.

So far, Pastrana’s appointment remains in limbo. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista has instead designated a long-serving ports manager to become PPA’s officer-in-charge GM until further notice.

Former Energy chief Raphael Lotilla’s appointment also hit a snag as Malacañang appeared to have been remiss in vetting his credentials. Republic Act 7638 or the Department of Energy Act of 1992 prohibited the appointment of an Energy Secretary who used to be an officer of a private company engaged in the energy industry within two years from his resignation or retirement.

Lotilla, however, was an independent director of Aboitiz Power Corp., and the oil and gas exploration firm ACE Enexor. The Department of Justice later affirmed his nomination as “valid and lawful,” but not after the Palace’s head-scratching clarification that Lotilla’s appointment was a “nomination” for now.

Rodriguez’s hand was also seen in Marcos’ veto of the bill creating the Bulacan Airport City ecozone, which disappointed lawmakers and investors. He claimed there were “defects” that should be remedied by passing an entirely new legislation.

Philippine Star columnist Jarius Bondoc said there’s no one but Rodriguez to blame for the administration’s recent snafus. “From murmurs in Malacañang, Rodriguez had it coming. Supposedly he re-centralized to his office functions formerly dispersed to other units. That made him powerful, if overloaded,” Bondoc said.

Rodriguez has apparently taken upon himself to vet candidates for thousands of presidential appointees. No wonder the announcement of appointments is moving at a snail’s pace, with a number of key vacancies still unfilled.

For all his talk about being close to Marcos, one would think Rodriguez wants nothing more than the administration to succeed. But he seems bent on bringing his principal down, one wrong decision at a time.

This time it's about the Executive Secretary or what many often call it as "Little President." The reason it is called "Little President" is because of the power the position holds.

Here are some points why the position is described as Little President. Or in a best possible term to understand is the duties and responsibilities of the Executive Secretary:

1. Implementing presidential directives, orders and decisions;
2. Supervise various agencies under the Office of the President, and appoint officials whose appointments do not need the President’s approval.
3. The Executive Secretary also has the power to sign papers such as executive orders “by authority of the President.”
4. And decide on matters for and on behalf of the President if they don’t require the Chief Executive’s personal attention.

In the entirety of our Philippine Government History, the post of Executive Secretary has been held by distinguished men since it was created in 1936. Lawyer Jorge Vargas, the first Executive Secretary, was appointed by President Manuel Quezon after serving as chief clerk of the Department of Interior and legislative secretary to then-Speaker Sergio Osmeña.

Manuel Roxas, the fifth President of the Philippines, also served as Quezon’s Executive Secretary from December 1941 until March 1942, just a month before he was captured by Japanese forces.

As what most expert says, eExperience is a major consideration in appointing the “Little President.” The Executive Secretary needs to hit the ground running, with barely any time to learn how to navigate the labyrinthine maze of the bureaucracy. Owing to the demands of the job, past Presidents picked Executive Secretaries who had proved their mettle through the posts they’ve held over the years.

Ernesto Maceda, a cum laude graduate of the Ateneo Law School, served as councilor of Manila—and was named Outstanding Councilor— before becoming the youngest Cabinet member of then-President E. Marcos as Secretary of Community Development at 29 years old. He served as Marcos’ Executive Secretary in a concurrent capacity as Chairman of the Commission on Reorganization from July 1969 to February 1970.

Joker Arroyo held the record as the human rights lawyer who handled the most number of cases between 1972 and 1986 before becoming then-President Corazon Aquino’s first Executive Secretary in 1986. Franklin Drilon served as Labor Secretary for three years and Justice Secretary for one year before his appointment as Aquino’s Executive Secretary in 1991.

Teofisto Guingona, who went on to become Vice President under the Arroyo administration, served as senator for six years before his appointment as Executive Secretary. He also chaired the Commission on Audit from 1986 to 1987. Ronaldo Zamora worked under the Marcos and Aquino administrations prior to becoming President Joseph Estrada’s first Executive Secretary from 1998 to 2000.

The longest serving Executive Secretaries were appointed in the past three administrations: Eduardo Ermita, Paquito Ochoa and Salvador Medialdea held the post for six years under Presidents Gloria Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte, respectively. Both Ochoa and Medialdea were lawyers while Ermita was a three-term congressman from Batangas who also handled the national defense portfolio under Arroyo.

Compared to many of his predecessors, Vic Rodriguez’s resume comes up a little bit short.

Accordingly, he was barangay captain of Sacred Heart in Quezon City for 10 years before becoming special assistant to the chief of the Business Permits and Licensing Office in 2002 under then-Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. He later became the officer-in-charge of the city’s Community Relations Office.

Rodriguez’s profile rose when he became spokesperson and chief of staff of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the run up to the 2022 elections. He was named Executive Secretary shortly after Marcos won as President.

The administration’s recent blunders have shown Rodriguez’s ineptness for the job. The appointment of Archipelago Philippines Ferries-FastCat owner Christopher Pastrana as Philippine Ports Authority General Manager has been met with criticism owing to perceived conflict of interest and his company’s supposed P132-million debt to the Department of Transportation.

So far, Pastrana’s appointment remains in limbo. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista has instead designated a long-serving ports manager to become PPA’s officer-in-charge GM until further notice.

Former Energy chief Raphael Lotilla’s appointment also hit a snag as Malacañang appeared to have been remiss in vetting his credentials. Republic Act 7638 or the Department of Energy Act of 1992 prohibited the appointment of an Energy Secretary who used to be an officer of a private company engaged in the energy industry within two years from his resignation or retirement.

Lotilla, however, was an independent director of Aboitiz Power Corp., and the oil and gas exploration firm ACE Enexor. The Department of Justice later affirmed his nomination as “valid and lawful,” but not after the Palace’s head-scratching clarification that Lotilla’s appointment was a “nomination” for now.

Rodriguez’s hand was also seen in Marcos’ veto of the bill creating the Bulacan Airport City ecozone, which disappointed lawmakers and investors. He claimed there were “defects” that should be remedied by passing an entirely new legislation.

Philippine Star columnist Jarius Bondoc said there’s no one but Rodriguez to blame for the administration’s recent snafus. “From murmurs in Malacañang, Rodriguez had it coming. Supposedly he re-centralized to his office functions formerly dispersed to other units. That made him powerful, if overloaded,” Bondoc said.

Rodriguez has apparently taken upon himself to vet candidates for thousands of presidential appointees. No wonder the announcement of appointments is moving at a snail’s pace, with a number of key vacancies still unfilled.

For all his talk about being close to Marcos, one would think Rodriguez wants nothing more than the administration to succeed. But he seems bent on bringing his principal down, one wrong decision at a time.

 

 

Lacson said he would lead by example if he were elected president. He recalled that he was able to minimize graft and corruption in the Philippine National Police when he was its chief by consistently showing he could not be bribed. It was his leadership by example, he said, that drastically reduced, if not totally eliminated, corruption in the police establishment.

As a senator, he did not collect the pork barrel, or extra funds allocated to legislators ostensibly to finance pet projects. He was able to save the country millions of pesos by carefully and thoroughly reviewing every proposed annual budget of the government, he said.

Lacson would push for digitization and automation in government as president so there would be no human intervention. He said, “Human intervention always resulted in corruption.”

Lacson supported the resumption of mining in the country, “a major industry” of the Philippines, but it should be sustainable and responsible. “It must be data-driven and science-based.”

However, he also expressed concern that corruption would create the same problems as before. “Corruption lets violators get away (with their crimes). Palakasan (pull or influence) allowed people with the right connections to do as they please.”

Lacson’s vice presidential candidate is Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III.

For more info on Ping Lacson, follow https://www.facebook.com/PingLacsonOfficial.