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Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Editorials: Power play in the BOC
One can neither be for District Collector Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang nor for her designated replacement, Grace Karingal, and still cringe at the power play within and outside the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for the Cebu post.
Despite the rumors being spread around, the scene — of Karingal easing out Mangaoang when just a few days ago she failed to get the Cebu district collector’s post and was instead assigned to Subic — proved the power play.
In normal situations, designating people to certain posts would not be as messy as this one.
Karingal’s play
Karingal’s name was actually floa-ted as Mangaong’s replacement at a time when forces ranged against the latter were intensifying their criticism of her performance.
That Mangaoang was able to momentarily hold on to the post apparently meant that whoever was pushing for Karingal’s appointment to Cebu wasn’t able to gather enough influence to weaken the resolve of top decision-makers at that time.
But the pendulum has swayed to the other side and Mangaoang is bound for Ilo-ilo, that is, if those lobbying for her retention fail to convince those concerned to recall her transfer.
Mangaoang, too
It would be wrong to consider Mangaoang, though, as helpless.
Mangaoang has her backers up there, too, even as she has gotten support from some business groups and political leaders in Cebu.
She has also come out flailing at her critics and defended her record at the customs bureau while her supporters dredged up some of Karingal’s dirt, like the cases she (Karingal) is reportedly facing and her lack of qualification.
Even now, Mangaoang has refused to vacate the post by questioning the validity of the order for her transfer.
Bad effect
In power plays, influence usually takes the primary role and qualification but a secondary consideration, except, of course, in rare cases when both influence and qualification are possessed by a single appointee.
In the tug-of-war between Mangaoang and Karingal (which is actually also a tug-of-war between their patrons and supporters), it still remains to be seen whether the one who eventually gets the post is the most qualified.
But that is not even the worst effect of this power play.
Because whoever will get the post will most likely end up being beholden to those who pushed for her appointment, or if she manages to be independent, would still be hounded by public perception she cannot go against the interest of her backers.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 4, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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