President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and son congressman-elect Sandro Marcos greet Vice President Sara Duterte during her inauguration ceremony at the San Pedro Square in Davao City on June 19, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The country can expect a line of appointees from the incoming Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration that would be “technically proficient” in their new roles, a political analyst said Sunday.
“Pag tiningnan po natin sa dalawampu na nabanggit na pangalan, yung mga appointees… parang UAAP and NCAA ng mga gabinete. May mga Ivy League pa po nagmula. Napakagaling….talagang di po natin matatawaran ang galing ng mga appointees,” UST Asst. Professor Frederick Rey said during a Balitaan sa Maynila online press conference.
Among those selected by Marcos Jr. are political analyst Clarita Carlos as National Security Adviser, long-time OFW advocate Toots Ople, former labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte as Department of Education Secretary.
“Yung Marcos Jr. administration is a kind of administration that is looking forward na makakabigay talaga sa atin ng relief,” Rey said.
But Rey added that the selection of these incoming officials was made with 2 other additional considerations in mind: political favors and political survival.
“I am anticipating a balanced administration although alam natin yung history natin,” he added.
Marcos Jr. could also expect a favorable Congress and judiciary branches under his administration, a law lecturer said.
“Mayroon tayong stability sa judiciary, the next appointee will be on 2025 pa. I expect a period of judicial stability,” law lecturer Atty. Clark Edward Uytico said.
“In terms of Congress naman, I think medyo malawak ang majority, especially in the Senate. Super majority pa sila doon ngayon,” Uytico added.
MARCOS-DUTERTE TANDEM
Rey believes both the incoming President and Vice-President are making all the effort to keep their alliance strong.
“Any alliance based on politics, these are temporary friendship or relied na maaring magbago sa isang maliit na dahilan, isang iglap. Maaring ito ay magcollapse kasi ang foundation ng kanilang pagsasama ay marupok. walang permanente na alliance o kaibigan sa politika,” Rey said.
To do this, the political analyst believes that they are striving to have an administration that is not “engaged in power struggle.”
“Iyong mga appointments.. nakikita natin na nandoon ang mga kaalyado ni Vice President-elect Sara, andyan ang mga taga-Davao, Mindanao, mga Tulfo, Tourism Secretary…at the onset of the administration dapat malinaw kung saan ang mga functions ng bawat isa para mapreserve ang kanilang naipundar na dinestiya,” Rey added.
He also described Duterte's husband Manases Carpio as a source of “social capital" due to his Ilocano roots.
ENRILE APPOINTMENT 'A POLITICAL FAVOR'
Another lawyer, meanwhile, said that the appointment of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as incoming presidential legal adviser was done as a “political favor," due to his role in the Marcos rebranding and his support for the Marcos Jr. in the 2022 elections.
“JPE is instrumental sa reconstruction sa image ng mga Marcoses after ng kaniang pagbalik sa politika. Sa nakaraang election, todo suporta si JPE. Bongbong Marcos is repaying the political favor that was given to him during election time,” said Atty. Eugene Carmelo Pedro, criminal law and election law practitioner.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: