BY JESS DUREZA
THE recognized “brains” behind the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), Secretary Butch Abad, tendered his resignation but the President quickly rejected it.
I can understand why. A Cabinet resignation at a time of crisis, however well-intentioned and honorable, can greatly undermine a government. On the other hand, quiet and well-timed resignations protect the presidency. I know whereof I speak as I had intentionally timed and calibrated my own several resignations from Malacañang, too.
For example, when I resigned as chair of the government peace panel with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2003 after a two-year stint and getting some landmark agreements sealed, I purposely timed and delayed it when things got quieter following the strong protest by the MILF and Malaysia that I “annotated” (“corrected” was more apt) the minutes of a meeting in Malaysia which contained some sensitive Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) commitments that I was not privy about as chair.
Later on, I got word that fellow Cabinet member Bobi Tiglao described my leaving as has having been “fired” by Malacañang to possibly assuage the ruffled feelings of the MILF and the Malaysian facilitator.
A well-publicized resignation to protect my name by exposing the real reasons would, however, inflict damage on the whole peace process. So I kept my peace and just disappeared in the shadows.
Later in 2006, I re-emerged, this time overseeing the whole peace process as presidential peace adviser to replace Secretary Ging Deles because of the Hyatt 10 incident. Again, when I was Malacañang press secretary, another resignation had to be properly managed. This came due to my faux pas of having unduly put the presidency on the spot that shook palace confidence in me for my playful and controversial Cabinet prayer that reinforced public speculations that President Arroyo was preparing to prolong her stay in Malacañang, beyond 2010.
On hindsight, perhaps other shortcomings for such sensitive and important job of speaking for the president piled up for me to do the honorable thing: to resign. But I waited several months later to cool things down to hand in my resignation. Otherwise, it would unnecessarily be at the expense of the president. (It was also propitious as it coincided with health issues of my wife Beth).
Again, in 2010 when I expressed to newly assumed President Aquino of my intentions of voluntarily relinquishing as chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority to give the new president the opportunity to choose his Mindanao point person, although I was entitled to a fixed five-year tenure, I did it as quietly as possible.
Going back to the Abad resignation, there must be other considerations why President Aquino immediately thumbed down Secretary Butch’s resignation that many of us outsiders are not privy about. So let that be.
NO EXCUSES
President Aquino recently faced the nation and gave his side on his constitutionally-infirm DAP as ruled by the Supreme Court.
There is no doubt, by the way, that he is totally entitled to claim good intentions and purity of purpose.
There should be no question at all that some of those DAP funds helped tremendously some beneficiaries.
We can even concede that the President himself is “clean” and perhaps has not personally benefited or pocketed money from those funds as Malacañang continues to drumbeat.
We need not even dwell on the claim that this fund strategy even pre-dated the Aquino administration and that previous officials even dirtied their own hands with similar schemes.
But the question still remains: will President Aquino say “I’m sorry” for violating his sworn oath to protect, defend and uphold the Constitution to the extent that the Supreme Court, unanimously, declared some portions of the DAP as unconstitutional?
By twist of fate, many of those in the Hyatt 10 who abandoned the Arroyo government for reasons of propriety are now in the Aquino Cabinet. I now wonder whether the same group is also giving President Aquino the same advice they assiduously gave PGMA during her own time of crisis. Or have the standards suddenly changed?
PRESIDENT’S JUDGMENT CALL
Whether President Aquino apologizes in the end is his own judgment call to make and no one else’s. He must weigh his options well not only on a personal level but having the strategic interest of the presidency and of the nation as a whole first and foremost. He could not do less. And when he makes the call, we must give it to him.
NO ROOM FOR EXCUSES
But the bottom line is: when the constitutionality issue is settled with finality by the Supreme Court, there should be no more room for maneuverability or excuse.
Whether we like it or not, irrespective of the good intentions and benefits it brought, whether or not the funds were properly used or not, and whichever side of the political spectrum we belong to or political color we identify ourselves with, at the end of the day, we must all reckon with the basic issues of constitutional responsibility and accountability – hopefully with the same intensity and rigor that the Aquino administration is admirably making others accountable for their alleged wrongful acts and misdeeds.
“What is good for the goose should also be good for the gander.” No ifs and buts. And no escaping./PN
