What is it exactly that the VP does every day?—Sarah Palin
A few days ago VP Jejomar Binay visited the office he inherited from his predecessor Noli de Castro, and found it not up to his standards. “I’ll get a rash staying here,” he told reporters who tagged along.
His chair was too big for his short stature—“This is only for six-footers”—and the office space was not big enough to contain his ego. “You’re the Vice President but you can’t even hold office on the entire floor,” he said.
The décor was not up to snuff; the walls were bare. “There must be dignity commensurate to the occupant of the office,” he said.
And so he’s thinking about relocating to the Coconut Palace. Don’t laugh, palace and not coconut is the operative word for Binay. He thinks dignity comes with the second word.
I don’t know why Binay is bitching when he has been given an office with a view of Manila Bay, a budget of P187 million, and a support staff of about a hundred. So, okay, his chair is too big for him, but other than a kiddie-size chair, what else does he think he deserves for having to do nothing other than wait for a job opening? “A provincial governor has a governor’s mansion. The Vice President comes home to his own house.” Oh.
But seriously, the matter of a house provided by the state is something Binay needs to take up with higher authorities. The Constitution does not mention a house for the Vice President. “The President shall have an official residence” is all it says about employee housing.
Binay believes the vice presidency is more than what the Constitution says it is.
“I’m the No. 2 man in the Executive department. Our only difference with the President is that he has regular departments. That’s the only thing we don’t have, but we are in an Executive position,” he declared.
No siree, Mr. VP, you are not in an Executive position. There is only one Executive in the Executive department, and that is the President. The Cabinet and all other appointees are only his alter egos. The Constitution does not give the Vice President any Executive powers.
There’s a good reason the Constitution left the Vice President powerless: given Executive powers, the Vice President might find the temptation to take over prematurely too hard to resist.
To repeat, you are not the second-highest executive. You are a spare tire. The No. 2 license plate on your car indicates you are first in the line of succession, nothing more.
The idea that the VP is a shadow president, as a columnist from another paper suggested, conjures up the image of someone lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce at the earliest opportunity. You don’t want to be that shadowy figure, do you Mr. VP?
Going back to the quote at the top of the page, Sarah Palin’s complete statement on the vice presidency was:
“As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the US, before I can even start addressing that question.”
Now you know why I said you are like Sarah Palin
Popularity: 1% [?]
Does this mean the coconut palace will now be closed to tourists???
Where are we supposed to bring our friends to showcase the beauty of the Philippine carpentry?
What next? Will Binay ask for a Summer Retreat, a Typhoon Season Retreat? Perhaps a Dacha outside Moscow? A condo in Roponggi? Timeshare in Castel Gandolfo?
Has Binay ever heard of laptops and starbucks?
Hey, we better make sure cocopalace has free wifi!!!
Every administration needs its humor, and we should not come down too hard on Mr. Binay for being willing to act the clown.
To me he represents Big Ego, that class of public servants who serve themselves first and the people if it is convenient. They gotta go . . . you know, just leave, mosey on down the road, so the Philippines can get on with serious business.
Score for the Philippines is the World Cup 1-1: One for, for having a legitimate President, One against, for a great deal of personality-based bungling so far.
Very astute observation, Joe. It reminds me of the bit in your latest blog where you categorize Filipinos into three basic character types. You know, the one about “The Vain”:
The Vain
This is an ego-bound person of little consideration for others. It is his way or the highway and money is his prime motivation. Civic duty means little, even if the Vain holds public office; self-gain is what is important, not the people’s well-being. We often think of this as a class of oligarchs, who, indeed often fit the picture. But they have already made big money, that’s all. The Vain belongs to a much broader class of Filipino and can even be found on common blog sites. You can identify them by their resistance to ideas from others, protecting their home turf as if they were some Ampatuan on a verbal binge. They collect into clans for comfort. In addition to being closed to opposing ideas, they are vengeful. Those on line use name-calling or other deceits to try to demolish anyone who would have the gall to oppose their thinking. Those on land occasionally reach for a gun. If these on-line people had money, they would be ego-bound oligarchs too, although they would mightily contest this observation. You see . . . their MOTIVATION is the same. Self protection, self build up, tearing down the perceived competition. Win, even if the cost is a poorer Philippines.
If you can’t understand “Wang Wang”, how can you understand us.
1987 CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE VII
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
Section 3 (Paragraph 2). The Vice-President may be appointed as a Member of the Cabinet. Such appointment requires no confirmation.
Section 13. The President, Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, and their deputies or assistants shall not, unless otherwise provided in this Constitution, hold any other office or employment during their tenure.
—–
Though there is an exception to Section 13 (specifically Section 3, Paragraph 2), V-Nay is following it by not assuming “any other office.”
How about P-Noy’s second role as DILG head?
(mb, no time to research further now. what I remember in the recent past is maria elena bautista’s case:
http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2010/feb2010/gr_184740_2010.html
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/february2010/184740_carpio-morales.htm
would appreciate your help. thanks.)
I hope there is a petition to rule as unconstitutional that an incumbent president can also hold one or more Cabinet Secretary positions.
Remember that there is a provision in 1987 Constitution where an incumbent president can be “suspended” if a certain number of Cabinet Secretaries were to certify that the incumbent president is not fit.
Mike H.
My reply to Baycas addresses your comment.
To repeat: All departments are under the prez and all cabinet secretaries are alter egos of the prez thus it would be unconstitutional to prevent him from running any department under him.
Baycas,
DILG head is not a second role for the President because he really heads all departments through his alter egos, his cabinet secretaries. He is forbidden from getting additional compensation.
Ok. Thanks again.
I might be too literal…yes, the Office of the President has wider scope and the Office of the DILG is directly under the former in the organizational chart. But probably let’s remind P-Noy that he cannot handle both at the same time without jeopardizing the work of each Office. I remember they plan to hold a monthly Cabinet Meeting thereby piling up the President’s job. For sure one job may cause interference to the detriment of the other. Division of labor means efficiency (and also effectiveness, tama ba?)…
Or more jobs may not be handled properly and on time. Case in point is the opdotgovdotph or the opdotph websites which are still down (due to lack of Communications Director?).
The DILG website too is still with its outdated June 28 edition. Certainly, a new Secretary could easily handle the nitty-gritty within his Office without having to bother the Office of the President with too much details.
sorry, i meant: govdotph.
Baycas,
correct ka dyan in the sense that the reason why there are cabinet secretaries is because the prez cannot do it all. But looking at it from an organizational the CEO can concentrate on a particular department he feels requires special attention. Not to the detriment of other departments, assuming that he has named qualified people to head those and that they are running smoothly.
I probably am being impatient for I would want Jesse M. Robredo to already fill the gap.
I understand Mr. Robredo still has to finish his fellowship at Stanford University.
I hope this is just the reason why his appointment was forestalled.
(another version of this comment with weblinks is being moderated.)
I probably am being impatient for I would want Jesse M. Robredo to already fill the gap.
I understand Mr. Robredo still has to finish his fellowship at Stanford:
http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xfell.html
I hope this is just the reason why his appointment is forestalled.
—–
The former Naga City mayor, btw, just hurdled his longstanding citizenship issue:
http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xbanc.html
These are “Ten Reasons Why It is Best for the Country to Have Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo as DILG Secretary,” traits which I find useful for our “Daang Matuwid:”
http://www.scribd.com/doc/33165414/Ten-Reasons-Why-It-is-Best-for-the-Country-to-Have-Naga-City-Mayor-Jesse-Robredo-as-DILG-Secretary
http://atmidfield.com/2010/07/07/wangwangs-high-office-and-the-sense-of-entitlement/
to Ding: Leading by example goes only so far. First, from oversleeping, he was late to the high mass where the Supreme court justice, the Vice President, Cabinet members were waiting for him. BAD EXAMPLE.
More important, there are many Pilipinas issues that he cannot solve by him waiving-his-rights-blah-blah-blah. Pilipinas will move forward if Noynoy Administration reduces by 30% or more the number of kidnappings and human-rights activists killings. This isn’t done by example (Noynoy Aquino hasn’t shot an activist dead) but by presidential leadership and governance.
but Binay…. he is a different story. Different folks, different strokes.
In the meanwhile, let us all wish that Dinky Soliman finds the P5Billion pesos so Noynoy admin can comply with RA9994 from 14th Congress about sending P500 monthly social pension to Pilipinas indigent senior citizens.
Baycas,
It’s a pity that Jesse Robredo might not get the job. He became a great mayor because he was a community leader rather than a patron which is what our traditional local politicos are. He is a breath of fresh air.
Ask him to start putting his political team together for 2016.
my deep-throat source in the palace told me that Jesse Robredo has some unresolved concern related to his dual citizenship that might hinder his approval by the CA so he’s taking care of the problem now.
Yes Bert,
This would definitely fall under the act of the Homeland Security Administration. One could not jeopardize its own action, but to act in manner of, or security first, before others. I am he is negotiating this issue as we speak
correction:
” I am he is “
should be: I am sure</b) he is…
takes a long, long while for a comment to be moderated. so here’s my supposed to be earlier post above…
Robredo admitted to Stanford fellowship:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:oubRqA40d8MJ:www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xfell.html+http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xfell.html&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
Comelec en banc: Robredo, Filipino:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:syyXeBKXCE0J:www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xbanc.html+http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xbanc.html&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
Ten Reasons Why It is Best for the Country to Have Naga City Mayor Jesse
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lHB_oFMj6KwJ:www.scribd.com/doc/33165414/Ten-Reasons-Why-It-is-Best-for-the-Country-to-Have-Naga-City-Mayor-Jesse-Robredo-as-DILG-Secretary+http://www.scribd.com/doc/33165414/Ten-Reasons-Why-It-is-Best-for-the-Country-to-Have-Naga-City-Mayor-Jesse-Robredo-as-DILG-Secretary&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
takes a long, long while for a comment to be moderated. so here’s my supposed to be earlier post above…
Robredo admitted to Stanford fellowship:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:oubRqA40d8MJ:www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xfell.html+http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xfell.html&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
Comelec en banc: Robredo, Filipino:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:syyXeBKXCE0J:www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xbanc.html+http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2010/jun10/xbanc.html&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
Ten Reasons Why It is Best for the Country to Have Naga City Mayor Jesse
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lHB_oFMj6KwJ:www.scribd.com/doc/33165414/Ten-Reasons-Why-It-is-Best-for-the-Country-to-Have-Naga-City-Mayor-Jesse-Robredo-as-DILG-Secretary+http://www.scribd.com/doc/33165414/Ten-Reasons-Why-It-is-Best-for-the-Country-to-Have-Naga-City-Mayor-Jesse-Robredo-as-DILG-Secretary&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ph
baycass,
What a prestigious accomplishment after completing the [Draper Hills Summer Fellows on Democracy and Development Program] DHSFDD, at Stanford University.
Jesse Robredo’s decision to apply, and being accepted as the, 25 of nominee’s out of 500 entries that was submitted, is a tremendous achievement.
His personal effort, and to complete this program is a must on his part. To be able to share the wealth of knowledge, so important, and vital for our nation.
Baycass, again thanks for providing us with these informative links.
congratulations mayor Jesse Robredo!!!
Do we really need to have a provision in the Philippine Constitution so Vice Presidents can have an official residence? The Coconut Palace is a white elepant remnant of the Marcos regime. Let the Vice President use it for his residence and maybe force him also to move his offices there permanently.
Or an ambassadorship to Sulu . . .
Maybe a hefty commission if he gets back Sabah from Malaysia.
The coconut has a hard shell making its meat and milk not easily accessible. In like manner, Binay is a tough nut to crack. Therefore, it’s only proper that he lives inside the Coconut Palace.
Bert,
What happens then, when if, the NUT is crack…?
Well, then, mario, it’s going to be a nut case, :).
Latest word now is V-Nay will get his wish with the CocoBanana…errrgh Coconut Palace being assigned to him as Official Office. Huh.
V-Nay is an interesting issue — good for news that people can talk about.
Another one is this — that apparently, current-Noynoy Administration towards CPP/NPA is the DDR policy (disarm, demobilize, rehabilitate) of GMA administration.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Thursday said communist rebels should lay down their arms and surrender these to the government before peace talks could resume.
Former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, also a former consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), said he wondered if Gazmin articulated the position of President Aquino. “If he does, he is deliberately closing the door to negotiating with the NDFP,” Ocampo said.
He said the NDFP has “consistently rejected” the precondition of surrendering arms.
——————–
But Noynoy admin policies may change depending on the composition of the government peace panel that is being formed.
So Satur is on the other side again.
The good news — Noynoy administration to continue with GMA’s 4Ps program — Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
“Poverty alleviation is one of the programs identified by President Aquino as one of his top priorities so our beneficiaries under the 4Ps can be assured that the program will continue under his administration,” said Yvonne Abonales, an official of the regional DSWD office.
Beneficiaries of 4Ps are given cash ranging from P500 to P1,400 per month, depending on the number of children below 14 years old who are in school.
The 4P program is not sustainable. They should try 1P or Population control for a change.
4P is to poor-man’s economic woes as AP(Avon Powder) is to Gloria’s facial woes. You could apply an inch thick of the powder on her and wonder how it might make any difference.
tranquil,
4-P won’t make the poor rich but it could mean the only meal of the day for many people. It’s an aspirin not a solution but it’s something you cannot do without at the moment.
tranquil,
4-P is there because people have to eat even as they wait for a solution that will give them jobs and decent salaries.
MB,
I agree.
Aspirin. Cosmetic. Pantawid-gutom. Same pareho.
MikeH should stop calling it good news though.
(it is not)
Or imply that it’s such a brilliant idea from the brilliant professor PhD in Economics Gloria.
(pweee…di ba?)
The program — cash-payments to parents conditional on them keeping their children in school – has many names. 4Ps for Pilipinas. Mexico has OPORTUNIDADES — about 22% to 25% of Mexico population participates in OPORTUNIDADES.
The government allowance is to replace the income that the children could have earned as a laborer, a scavenger or as prostitute. By keeping the children in school, they then have a chance for a better life than their parents and grandparents. Some of them may grow up to be a despatsadora, a teacher or nurse, and if they remain a housewife maybe they can have a sideline business raising chicken or pigs.
A similar program is in Brazil — BOLSA FAMILIA . Wikipedia says 12 million families are covered by Bolsa Familia, the largest conditional cash transfer program in the world.
CCT programs is from late 90′s or 2001/2002/2003 so it wasn’t even a thought among development economics students when “Tabako” Ramos was president.
Pilipinas is poor, the 4P’S budget would be welcome elsewhere. Steal from the poor to give the poor — always an option. Nonoy can steal from the 4P’s budget (for school-age children) to fund the P500-a-month social stipend for indigent Pilipinas elderly. OR, steal from 4P’s to build the Paranaque Spillway or to buy dozens of new armored personnel carriers. Now this would be popular — steal from 4Ps to lower the income tax rate or to lower the current VAT.
Now, if Pilipinas were to raise VAT, then more pesos can be allotted to 4Ps so more indigent school-age children can remain in school. But that is not exactly why Noynoy was elected per-sidente.
4-P is Obama’s socialism policy too, or so that’s what I’m reading in American blogs. Probably the reason for his plunging popularity rating from the the American public, at least in the blogging American public,I should say.
MikeH,
Everything about the program is small. It perpetuates smallness, it perpetuates dysfunction. Governments, essentially, are not instituted to subsidize the marginal existence of its poor.
Private philanthropy or non-government organizations are best to handle these kind of programs.
But if our government wants to be charitable, it can always expand the coverage of social security or legislate additional socialist color to our pledging GATT-riddled free-market capitalist experiment in behalf of this sloganeering gimmickry from a disreputable rodent.
Or is DSWD an Orwellian agency where welfare means keeping the marginalized comfortable but forever poor?
Mike H,
Everything about the program is small. It perpetuates smallness, it perpetuates dysfunction. Governments, essentially, are not instituted to subsidize the marginal existence of its poor; it is expected to assure dignity and freedom for all.
Private philanthropy or non-government organizations are best to handle these kind of programs.
But if our government wants to be charitable enough, it can always expand the coverage of social security or legislate additional socialist color to our pledging GATT-riddled free-market capitalist experiment in behalf of this sloganeering gimmickry from a disreputable rodent.
Or is DSWD just another Orwellian agency where welfare means keeping the marginalized un-agitated and forever poor?
Nick,
Why is my comment still awaiting moderation?
“4-P is Obama’s socialism policy too, or so that’s what I’m reading in American blogs. Probably the reason for his plunging popularity rating from the the American public, at least in the blogging American public,I should say.”
Comment above was mine posted yesterday but still under moderation, I wonder why, copy-pasted here for testing.
hehehe, moderated talaga. ang bagsik.
Labas muna ako, Nick. Your moderator is too trigger-happy, even with harmless comment. Your moderator is killing your blog Filipino Voices by that, and even as I write this I am feeling very sad already.