Controversies in Bongbong presidency’s early days

It’s saddening to note that in the first 100 days in office of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and the days thereafter, his administration is already saddled with controversies. It all started with the sugar importation issue, which could be the reason why former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez is now out of work. During the inventory, it was uncovered that there was so much stock of industrial sugar in the warehouses.

Then came the slaying of political commentator Percy Lapid at radio dwbl. Percy Lapid (real name: Percival Mabasa) was killed on Oct. 3, 2022 at

8:30 p.m. while driving his car on his way home. He was the second journalist to be killed in this administration.

For fear of his life, Joel Escorial, the selfconfessed gunman in the killing of Lapid, surrendered to the police and revealed his cohorts. And then the alleged broker Crisanto Villamor Jr. or Jun Villamor in the shooting to death of Lapid died inside his cell in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

The NBP officials claimed that Villamor died of “bangungot” inside his cell, which Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Rodolfo Azurin seriously doubted because it happened at noontime. As a consequence of Villamor’s death, Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) Chief Gerald Bantag is now indefinitely suspended. Retired Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. is now the acting Bucor chief.

Also there was a recent announcement that somehow shocked the health profession: the appointment of retired PNP chief Camilo Cascolan, who is not a health professional, as the undersecretary of the Department of Health (DOH). Does the health department, after the term of former health secretary Francisco T. Duque III, now need an undersecretary with a police background who can whip erring personnel?

This may be the first in this administration, since I can’t recall that those holding top positions in the health department are not health professionals. The DOH, being a government department that takes care of the health and well-being of the Filipinos, it’s just fit and proper that a secretary or undersecretary belongs to the health profession. I understand that one of the considerations in appointing a person to top government posts is that his/her qualifications are suited to the position. Of course, let’s not forget that it’s the appointing authority (or the padrino/ madrina?) who has the last say.

Most of the health professionals, who are working in government, already hold masters or doctorate degrees in management, which from the information I had gathered is one of the qualifications for career officials to reach the top post in government service.

So, was Sen. Ronald dela Rosa implying that health professionals were not capable of managing

the health department? He said in an interview where he gave his support for Cascolan’s appointment that “a physician is not necessarily needed when managing an organization, even if it is the Department of Health.”

Senator dela Rosa said the appointment of Cascolan is not to heal patients but to enhance the processes at the DOH. “Wala po akong nakitang problema diyan. Bakit ‘pag Department of Health pala ay manggagamot ka na ng may sakit? Hindi naman. Management naman siguro ang kinakailangan galing sa kanya diyan,” the senator said.

The issue is not that Cascolan doesn’t have the management skills. But it’s more of a question why a non-health professional who had retired from the government service has to be appointed health undersecretary when there are career professionals in the DOH who are more deserving of the position than a former national law enforcer?

I don’t think protests on Cascolan’s appointment would change the mind of the appointing authority.

But what’s happening is simply illogical, insensible and unsound management.*