Duterte united

The unshakable unity of the Cabinet in the face of assault from the House of Representatives, which has a leadership that refuses to yield to reforms, is a major departure from the cliquish character of the previous regime.

The gang now ruling the House is rocking the foundation of reforms in the use of government money by attacking the source of the radical shift who is Budget Secretary Ben Diokno.

Diokno’s proposed budget reforms will largely deprive members of Congress with discretionary funds which are the main source of corrupt acts in government.

The efforts of the scheming congressmen are being thwarted specifically by the unity displayed by the officials of Rody who know the underlying reasons for the ruthless assault on Diokno.

In contrast, the administration of the yellow President Noynoy Aquino was distributed between two factions called Balay of former Interior Secretary and now Liberal Party (LP) senatorial candidate Mar Roxas and Samar of former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.

Members of both cabals almost always figure in clashes for juicy positions within Noynoy’s circle and, more often than not, the Roxas clique prevails.

The factions resulted in a polarized government that was halted when Rody took over power.

Intrigues and innuendoes were common as the two factions try to put one over the other. This is the classic divide-and-rule tactic of a weak leader who banks on conflict within his constituency to secure his hold on power.

Roxas, who calls himself as Noy’s troubleshooter and eager successor, had himself installed as Interior Secretary after a power struggle over the pivotal top post at the Department and Interior and Local Government (DILG) left vacant by the sudden death of former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

The mad dash for the empty post after Robredo’s demise was typical of the power-hungry factions surrounding Noynoy whose life purpose is dedicated to divisive politics.

The internal clash among members of the Samar and Balay factions was palpable even within the few days after the death of Robredo that prompted some individuals within the circle of Noynoy to call for a stop to the shameless bickering.

Two key Cabinet posts were maintained by the LP leadership or conversely Balay, which was the DILG, and the then Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) where Joseph Abaya, LP secretary general, held sway.

The politicization of both agencies, thus led to the two biggest headaches of the administration of Mr. Duterte which are the crime wave and the dilapidated condition of the mass rail transit system.

The past two years of the Duterte administration were thus spent in resolving the extreme problems.

The key to the united effort under the Duterte administration is casting away politics in favor of the greater good.

The other day, Mr. Duterte intimated that he was no longer a politician after winning the presidency in 2016, saying he did not even know what fate awaits him when he finishes his term.

The example he sets to government officials is that the public servants’ mandate came from the people and that they have a mission to serve.

“We are governing for all Filipinos. I am no longer a politician, I cannot run anymore,” Rody said, as he indicated his commitment to end the crime and drugs scourge.

Such principle is completely in contrast to the yellow belief that government positions are entitlements to justify the imposition of their values and agenda on the people.

The latest survey showing that yellow bets are faring poorly in public preference surveys and Rody’s continued high ratings only confirm the rejection of yellow hypocrisy that seeks to retake the political landscape.