Confirm the real public servants

WE learned from our tete-a-tete with Social Works and Development Assistant Secretary Dr. Lorraine Marie T. Badoy that once again, Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo has been bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) along with other hard-working Cabinet secretaries: Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano and Health Secretary Paulyn Jean R. Ubial.

This is the second time that Taguiwalo and the two others have been bypassed. If by October 13 the three do not get confirmed, then the three can no longer be re-appointed. Not unless President Duterte decides to slam his fists and tirades on the honorables instead.

That they have President Rodrigo R. Duterte's trust is apparent as the president re-appointed them when the power-hungry, power-wielding, and powerful CA bypassed them the second time a few months back.

This is saddening simply because these three Secretaries are among the most hardworking. What is it that makes them disagreeable to the "honorables" who insist to rule over them?

Very simple, from what we have been told. Taguiwalo sits on the billions of pesos funds for disasters and rehabilitation, the funds that former Secretary Dinky Soliman was said to have used extensively during the campaign period for the Liberal Party candidates. Ubial sits on the billions of pesos on health care that is the favorite feeding ground of congressmen, the funds of which they use to buy patronage of the desperate people who have nowhere else to run to for their sick relatives. And Mariano? Oh, the land of the rich and famous. From these alone, we know that this is the tug-ofwar between what this Government wants to achieve -- a drug and corruption free country -- and the traditional politicians who want to be able to recoup their campaign expenses and pass on to government their expenses in winning patronage of the poor people.

It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, actually. Moreso because the CA are firm on blocking these three Secretaries who have not been disheartened despite the insults and condescension they have been receiving from these traditional politicians.

Indeed, change has to come from within, and for as long as the power-hungry power-wielders do not want to change, hardworking executive officials will never get past the CA.

The most we can do is remember these people, mark them down in our black list and campaign long and hard for these people to never again be able to return to such position come 2019.

We've shown how we can boot out a corrupt government by the power of our votes, we can do that in the local level as well.

With the raid on the Parojinogs in Ozamiz City last week, we should, by now, be shaken to our very core against the impunity by which the power-hungry can wield their influences and rake in more money.

In the meantime, let us make sure that the CA knows we are watching their moves. Let not such incidents as the great Ozamiz drug raid take our attention away from how the power-wielders corrupt the appointment process.

Let the call be for honor and true public service. Let the honorable earn the title they have appropriated for themselves and call out their dishonorable acts because that is what they are doing, in fact.