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Thursday, June 08, 2006
Seares: Scramble for customs job
By Pachico A. Seares
News Sense
Getting politicians' backing for those who aspire to become Cebu customs collector has never been this intense, expensive, or noisy.
It used to be quiet requests for local leaders to send a note or whisper to the President, she who fulfills bureaucrats' dreams.
Not anymore. Competitors also ask board members and councilors to endorse, along with the hype of stormy issues and on top of the usual secret lobbying.
Why so?
The President has used the appointing power more extensively and adeptly than any predecessor.
Mainly to survive. She has been cliffhanging, thanks to the Garci tapes scandal and an opposition that refuses to die until she is hauled down.
She needs political chiefs outside Manila to make up for waning support in the capital. Appointments and assignments are perks she barters to get or keep loyalty.
Undeserving
Thus, local leaders now have bigger say on who bags what post. Thus, the furious scramble by aspirants.
Two things that no longer stun us:
l Competitors spend fortunes and use marketing savvy to get the job. There must be few other government slots more lucrative.
l Choice of the person for customs collector, highly sensitive and honesty-demanding work, is left to the dictates of personal politics.
Endorsers can use their clout to pick the most deserving but, shucks, the undeserving will do, as long as it's their undeserving.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 8, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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