Presidential preference for academicians, women

The latest appointment by President Benigno S Aquino III of Dean Andy Bautista as Chair of the COMELEC illustrates once again his bias for men and women, (mostly women) from the academe. Dean Bautista has been a long-time Professor of Law in various Law Schools, author and Bar Reviewer in Political Law, until he was appointed Dean of the FEU School of Law. This institution is, of course, owned and administered by the Reyes family to whom his aunt, one of the sisters of the late President Cory C Aquino, is related by affinity. And Dean Bautista's appointment, of course, has nothing to do with that relationship. Coincidental.

The President really has a soft heart for academicians. The Chief Justice, Maria Lourdes Sereno has never been a judge, nor has handled many cases in court. She was a Professor of Law in UP, just like Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and the Benjamin of the bench in the highest court, Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza, also a Law Professor, although with corporate law practice in San Miguel Corporation. The President also appointed Professor Lourdes Ferrer as Chair of the government negotiating panel with the MILF, replacing then Professor Marvic Leonen. There is nothing wrong with academicians although they tend to decide cases based on theories and principles, rather than on facts and on realities.

The other strong preference of the President are for women. He appointed the following women in his Cabinet: Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima, also an academician, Secretary Dinky Soliman of DSWD, Secretary Rosalinda D Baldoz of DOLE, Secretary Ging Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, and Secretary of Health Janet Garin. She named Julia Abad, Secretary of the Presidential Management Staff and Usec Abigail Valte as Deputy Presidential Spokesman. She appointed Kim Henares as BIR Commissioner and, of course, Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as Ombudsman.

The other offices and agencies to whom the President appointed women chief are the Sandiganbayan as Presiding Justice, the Commission on Human Rights, the COA (former chief ), and many others. The President's first appointee to the Supreme Court was also a female, former Regional Trial Court Judge Estela Perlas-Bernabe. Most of the justices he named to the Court of Appeals and to the many Regional Trial Courts in the country are also female lawyers. It has been alleged by some sources that the President's four sisters, especially the eldest, Ballsy, and the youngest, Kris, have strong influence on the President on his choices.

The bottom-line question is: Is the President's preference for women and academicians good for the country ? My answer is, it depends on whether the appointees are qualified, whether they possess both competence and integrity, whether they have no alleged conflicts of interests, like the latest appointee to the Bureau of Customs. What matters most to the country is whether the appointees can help the nation at this point in our history. Many of the presidential appointees will still be in government beyond PNoy's term. It does not matter whether a public official is male, female, or whatever, an academician or a veteran practitioner. What is most important is that he or she can serve the people well. That, to me, is what matters most.