Nalzaro: Why is P-Noy not reaching out?

I ATTENDED the second general membership meeting and induction of officers and board of trustees of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) at the Marco Polo Hotel last Friday night, where Executive Secretary Paquito ‘Jojo” Ochoa was the guest speaker.

I also received the award given by the chamber to GMA 7 Cebu for its contribution to the business group. I was told by a chamber officer that they originally invited President Noynoy Aquino to be the guest speaker. But the President turned down their invitation, citing some pressing problems he has to attend to. Instead Noynoy sent Ochoa.

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I don’t know if P.Noy or his advisers have given importance to the invitation of some big organizations like the CCCI in the provinces? Correct me if I am wrong, but I can’t recall if PNoy has visited any province since he assumed office last June 30.

The CCCI affair could have been an opportunity for him to thank the Cebuanos for overwhelmingly voting for him in the May elections. But he is not giving any importance to it.

Is it his policy or he doesn’t like to bring himself closer to the people? Noynoy should touch base or reach out to the people in the provinces because that is the only way he can comprehensively see the basic roots of the country’s numerous problems.

I was seated at the table reserved for the media. Eric Mendoza, president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, joined our table and shared his views on the business climate in Cebu. He told us that the business community in Mandaue is all-out for Mayor Jonas Cortes’s economic and business policies. Business leaders in Mandaue with Mayor Cortes and some Mandaue City officials left for Shanghai, China last Saturday for a goodwill visit and to promote Mandaue City to Chinese investors.

After the program and being the most senior mediaman in the group, I whispered to one of the chamber officers to invite Ochoa to our table for a short interaction with the local media regarding some issues that were not part of his short speech.

But you know what happened? Ochoa snubbed the local media.

His assistant who identified himself as Jed Eva approached us and told the group that Ochoa is not available for interview. No reason was given. But he stayed until the program winded up.

We were all disappointed. Well, it’s Ochoa’s prerogative. But that occasion could have been the big opportunity for him to explain to the public through the media this adminis-tration’s policies. He could have explained well Noynoy’s position and action taken on the recent hostage-taking incident, which shamed his administration before the international community.

If I recall, all the executive secretaries in the past administrations were always available for media interviews. But Ochoa, who is a lawyer, is so different. He is media-shy.

Malacañang, though, has communication officers and spokesmen, but Cabinet members should also talk on matters within their turf. The Executive Secretary is the alter ego of the President. He is called the little President. But this Ochoa is so aloof to the media, even to members of the Malacañang press corps. Maybe he just ignored us because we are community journalists. He was wrong.

Maybe he is trying to avoid the controversy hounding him.

He has been the subject of media commentaries in Manila because of his allged drinking. But for me, drinking is not an issue.

There is nothing wrong with drinking as long as he uses his own money and he can still perform his job well the next day. Admittedly, I drink occasionally and it does not hamper my work the next day. Ochoa should still learn a lot about public relations.

(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com/bobby@sunstar.com.ph)