Saturday, August 02, 2008 Tulabut: Congratulations By Noel G. Tulabut My Palm Notes
THESE people mentioned in my column deserve not just our greetings but also some inspiration in getting their respective jobs done. They are entering new levels of government service, which could make or break them as persons, as government executives and as leaders.
Let us just help them achieve what they were tasked to do.
Long time CDC/BCDA Director Benigno Ricafort finally got his appointment as the president and CEO of the Clark body.
There were moments of suspension as to when could he finally assume the top post, putting even bossman Levy Laus "in a dilemma" since his resignation was to take effect August 1.
What is significant about Ricafort's appointment is that he no longer needs to spend time trying to learn the day-to-day operations of CDC. And this saves the CDC top honcho so much time, given the fact that the appointment might just be good until 2010 or few months after PGMA finally steps down from office.
Ricafort brings with him impressive credentials, who, just like his predecessor, include managerial excellence, professionalism, integrity, credibility and most of all the willingness to serve in a government post that could be thankless, vulnerable, and stressful.
A trusted man of PGMA that he always is, Ricafort would need more than the support of everyone in CDC to keep his mestizo looks and patented smiles that he had always sported. He would need to toe the line with politicos, play it well with the executive staff, balance it between the locators and decision makers. While forward looking towards achieving his mission, he should also watch his back.
With Ricafort's decades-old experience in business and in dealing with people, I am pretty sure that he could easily discern people who could truly help him accomplish his tasks.
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Former congresswoman Zeny Ducut. Congratulations too. Not because she was appointed as chairperson of the Energy Regulatory Commission but because of the support and endorsement she has been getting since Malacañang announced her appointment few weeks ago.
No less than House Speaker Prospero Nograles said "trust and confidence are very important factors in making appointments and that Ducut, a lawyer by profession, is competent and fully qualified to her new post."
Nograles went on to say: "Zeny is competent. She is totally qualified for the post. All the faint uproars by critics are just speculations with political undertones."
The Speaker also pointed out that anybody, including the persistent critics of the President, would do what Mrs. Arroyo did - choosing somebody she knows can do the job and has her trust and confidence.
"If you were the President, would you appoint someone whom you don't know from Adam?" Nograles asked.
Surprisingly (read: good news), even critics of the Arroyo administration also echo with favor the move of Representative Mikey Arroyo to have Ducut lead the ERC.
The Manila Times quoted Representatives Joel Villanueva of Citizens Battle Againts Corruption party-list and Benny Abante of Manila as saying that "the proper forum to question Ducuts credentials is the powerful Commission on Appointments."
"If Ducut does well it will be to the President's (Gloria Arroyo) advantage. If not, then the President will be blamed. (Let's) hope President Arroyo made a good choice for the good of her administration," Abante said.
(Not) Surprisingly, even staunchest anti-Arroyo Senator Noynoy Aquino had given thumbs up for Ducut's appointment. And this is not just because Noynoy and Chairman Ducut were former colleagues in the House nor because they are fellow Cabalens (of the President) but because the former Pampanga lawmaker is really qualified for the job.
"Reasonable" said Noynoy of Ducut as a person as the senator from Tarlac noted her "good track record" as a former representative of the second district of Pampanga.
"I haven't seen any wrongdoing on her (Ducut) part and I know she can handle this job. Zeny is a reasonable person and I think the public can expect good management from her," said Aquino.
The unlikely backer also said that with Ducut's profession as a lawmaker, she is "well-equipped" for the ERC job.
With unwavering support coming from no less from Congressman Mikey, ERC is for Zeny. Zeny can make things happen for ERC. Positively, for the country.
