I ALWAYS do a final accounting of how characters especially decision makers and institutions influence our lives for the last 365 days in 2018. This is sort of a simple math and will try my best not to overdo or under-rate for after all this is not about figures so trust me I will not do a booboo like what a Vice President in a country in the Pacific did.
- Bam Aquino, would have done well by himself but his alliance with the yellow sinkers spells the doom of his political careers. His death knell in the Senate race is his penchant to grab credits from other people’s achievements. Mindanao will likely dump him for his impertinence of saying that martial law should only be imposed in the region if already it is in the state of war.
- Jun Evasco, the campaign strategist of Duterte, left the Cabinet to run for Governor in his home base Bohol. He is a big loss to the Duterte administration but a big gain for the Boholanos.
- Jesus Dureza, took command responsibility over his underlings who were dipping their fingers in the cookie jar while the President Adviser on Peace Process is out doing odd jobs for the President. The last time I heard he and his wife Beth were playing with their grandchildren and in between go out fishing in the Davao Gulf. He is a big loss to the administration but I think Jess deserves the break. He had served in the administration of Fidel Ramos, Gloria M. Arroyo and the Duterte. If I were Digong, I will get back Jess and appoint him as his liaison between the Legislative and the Executive Department. The widening cleavage between the House of Gloria and Malacañang does not augur well for the country. Press Secretary Salvador Panelo merely remarked that Budget Sec. Benjamin Diokno is entitled to some courtesy. In the Lower House meanwhile Majority Floor Leader Rolando Andaya is heard saying he cannot level up or down with Sal because he, Panelo, is not a parliamentarian. What a balderdash added on the ego of Andaya. GMA should crack the whip and work for the harmonization of budget and development projects of the Duterte government instead of arguing as to who has the power of the purse and who should bask longer under the television klieg lights.
- Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez III is the team captain of the Duterte for President Movement and went on to be the point person that could make or unmake the Duterte government. As Secretary of Finance he has succeeded in turning the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs into a veritable revenue generating agencies. For the first time in many decades, BIR and BOC which were icons of corruption and inefficiency, have become among the best performing assets of the government, of course with extra help from President Duterte himself whom Sonny describes as his top tax collector. The DOF Secretary is also the government’s top negotiator in generating cheap money from China and Japan for the administration’s Build Build Build program. If Sonny fails this government will fail. Meaning, those new railway projects and vital roads and bridges infrastructures we hope will ease traffic, disperse industries outside of Metro Manila will never come to a fruition if the Finance boss will miss his objectives. But Secretary Dominguez is up to his job. He is an achiever and he will not let criticisms and other barriers come in the way of realizing his goals. Let me put it this way - President Duterte takes care of peace and order, Secretary Dominguez takes care of the financial matrix that would enhance investments and development. (To be continued)