WHY are senators poking into the communication apparatus of President Duterte? Senate President Tito Sotto and Sen. Ping Lacson met recently with Duterte about their proposal to revive the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) that will merge at least three offices that handle the president’s messages to the public.
The purported reason is the senators would like to see the huge budget for the president’s publicity “rationalized.” Since the budget from the House also goes through the Senate, the senators have the right to propose changes in the setup that will make department’s performance worth the money being spent for public relations.
Vexed by errors, scandals
The more immediate reason though is that they were vexed by the performance of the Presidential Communication Operations Office (PCOO), its fumbles and errors as well as its scandals that have made the office the subject of ribbing across the nation.
Specific object of criticism has been the blogger/dancer-turned-bureaucrat, assistant secretary Mocha Uson, who eventually resigned (or was fired, depending upon which version one will accept). Linked to a number of fiascos, relating to fake news and “gross” gimmickry in promoting federalism, Uson left the government, defusing the crisis over the PCOO budget but not removing the plan to overhaul the p.r. agencies.
Legislators not spared
Not to be ignored is also the beef of legislators, mostly from the opposition, who have been sniped at by Malacanang propagandists allegedly employed by PCOO as trolls, blog writers, and paid hacks embedded in mainstream media.
Some senators and House members are furious that government money is being used to defend the administration and pillory its critics, especially their honorable selves.
Bureaucratic layers
The revamp would merge the offices of the presidential spokesman, the PCOO, and the various agencies under it, including PCDSPO, which is (here goes) Presidential Communication Development and Strategic Planning Office.
Why the multi-department setup for only one purpose, which is to make the people understand what the president says and does. His critics say Duterte must be so complex and deep that he needs all those offices and people for that. Ah, but it has been there for so long, with each new president adding layer upon layer on bureaucracy’s mishmash.
The splitting was done during president Noynoy Aquino’s term (2010-2016), apparently not to streamline operations but to accommodate three feuding camps of publicists.
Why Duterte’s enthusiasm
The president appears to welcome the senators’ proposal to “streamline” the publicity department. He could correct the error of his predecessor. Plus he has not been exactly gushing over the PCOO’s record. Duterte is already a major problem to any publicist. The p.r. people are themselves making missteps that are held up for the nation to bash and ridicule.
Harry Roque’s threat to resign, later scaled down to a leave of absence, provided Duterte the chance to push the overhaul plan. Later, Roque was replaced by presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo (again, announced before Roque could be told he was sacked).
Public interest
Why should the public be interested in how the president manages his communication machinery? PCOO or the planned OPS helps Filipinos understand the president and his messages, most of which are of public concern as they relate to the lives of the nation’s citizens.
Private media also have a stake in how government publicists operate. Print, broadcast and digital media outside the state’s ambit deal with material from PCOO/OPS and check if the p.r. information jibes with the facts.
Government cannot leave the work to private media. It uses private media but believes it has to do its own messaging; thus its own vast apparatus of information, maintained at huge expense. Private media also carries the government information but it has the duty to call out any falsehood or distortion.