First of a series
HE is back! Speculations were rife on Duterte’s whereabouts. Social media was bombarded with rumors of his flight to Singapore aboard the presidential G280 Gulfstream for an alleged minor surgical repair on his colostomy bag or for stem cell treatment. Yes, indeed, Duterte flew out to Singapore for a medical checkup on April 6, 2021. Turned out, it was a different Duterte — Mayor Sara, who was on a legitimate medical leave and took Singapore Airlines SQ-917. All unfounded, Duterte nonetheless has had an irresponsibly grand time needling his detractors. “When I disappeared for several days, I did it on purpose.”

These concerns for his health were fueled by the abrupt cancellation of his public appearances on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases conferences at a time when Covid-19 infection was approaching a humanitarian catastrophe.

His health is always a national concern, as this impact on his capability to govern. But the day-to-day operations of government fall on the Cabinet members and other subalterns designated as the President’s alter egos. It is therefore the quality of these people too that need scrutiny and transparency.

The President’s men
At this time of the country’s greatest peril, vanquishing Covid-19 is government’s priority. All other concerns are relegated to the back-burner — and most Cabinet secretaries fade out from public view. Thus, a few close confidants have been taking the slack, assuming pre-eminent roles. A triumvirate of sycophants has emerged: spokesman Harry Roque Jr., Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd, and Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. The first two are Cabinet members; the third is not even part of the executive department. Which brings us to review the role of the Cabinet, which, of late may have been drastically altered due to the President’s perceived incapacities and doubts about his lucidity, quoting columnist Antonio Contreras: “…there is something wrong in the thinking process of the President…. It is therefore frightening that the only kind defense we can grant the President from accusations that he is ignorant of the law, or that he is deliberately dismissing it, is that he has lost his mind.” (Antonio Contreras, “Is he still lucid or he just doesn’t understand of respect the law,” The Manila Times, March 25, 2021). This pandemic precipitating an economic collapse may just be too much for a frail and aging Duterte to handle.

The spokesman
The person that regularly interprets for the public Duterte’s erratic behavior, thinking and competence is his spokesman. One of the high-profile jobs in any organization is that of the spokesman’s. In business, he is the public corporate face conveying appropriate messages extolling a particular brand to the consumer. Part of his job description is being conversant with the company he represents and the product being sold, translating this knowledge to the target audience in as clear a language as possible.

The same goes for the government spokesman, except that the policies and persona of the top honcho are the products. But government is more complicated in that political and economic issues affecting the lives of its citizenry are fluid. Central to good governance is government’s ability to fashion and communicate these properly to the people; and getting their collective consensus through a feedback mechanism. The president is the primary source of information and issues, which must be communicated to the clientele. It is impossible for the president to do this all by himself, thus, the need for a spokesman who must speak for and in his behalf. And integrity and credibility are premium qualities the spokesman must possess.

The communicator
Roque has held the position the longest. A human rights lawyer, erstwhile ally of former vice president Jejomar Binay, he later became a Kabayan party-list, representing the marginalized sector. His own party-list tried to oust him for “dishonorable behavior.” Rep. Edcel Lagman accused Roque of hypocrisy, transforming from being a critic of Duterte to an apologist on the war on drugs — after he was hired as Palace spokesman.

The ambitious Roque could not convert his earlier stint as PRRD’s spokesman in 2017-2018 into a Senate seat. Duterte himself said that there was no way he could win even with his endorsement. But he was rehired as spokesman a year ago this month. His duplicitous Janus-face posture serves Duterte and the government well making him one of the more contemptible Cabinet members. He is not likeable but exudes a certain kind of confidence that shouts out, “I don’t really care what you think!” And indeed, he could be right. As long as he delivers what the Deegong wants him to convey — and he conveys this well in vernacular or in English.

Past spokesmen
This used to be a fairly decent job, held by decent people. We once had the urbane and deeply religious Christian Ernie Abella, who could not quite equate a certain sense of decorum with presidential utterances. He burned out, lasting just 16 months. We also have the flamboyant and foppish but confrontational lawyer, Sal Panelo, whose sense of sartorial elegance he thought could pass off as acceptable sheen for lies sputtered casually.

The principal
Roque’s problems are complicated when the Deegong is unable to discipline his thoughts and disgorges what comes into his mind, either for shock effect or to reinforce a misconception that strong and dirty language verging on the vulgar and misogynistic repartee reflects strong alpha male traits and are manifestations or even substitutions for political will. This skewers Roque’s job, but he has become an expert at decoding this behavior to the public, morphing into Duterte’s own “mini-me.” He either validates presidential rants, seldom admits that he is clueless or just lies and covers up — coating the same with slivers of truth. Or does a Goebbels — repeat a lie often enough until a fake patina of truth covers the lie. The last is his preferred option. All the same, these are deadly to the spokesman’s integrity and credibility.

An enigma
When Roque was hired, Duterte’s approval ratings were already in the high 80 percents. Paradoxically, Roque’s approval rating is among the highest in the Cabinet, not impacting negatively on the President’s. Inexplicably, social scientists deplore this reality as a measure of how low the Filipino audience have descended.

What I wrote was valid then and now. “All Cabinet members by inference are the President’s alter-egos and must understand their roles perfectly well. Cabinet members are heat shields and political lightning rods of the presidency. As such, part of their job is to deflect serious criticism from their respective publics and clientele on the presidency as a result of their official functions. As an efficient conductor of political heat, these honorable secretaries must prevent damage or serious erosion to the political capital of the presidency.”

Lies and prevarications emanating from the President are absorbed, embellished and vomited out, coated in the spokesman’s glib but articulate language, becoming the currency of public discourse.

To prevent damage to the President and the presidency, Roque has embraced the political heat and in the process is consumed by it, appropriately blamed and condemned. The most despicable man in the Cabinet is one that does his job effectively well. But maybe not for long.

Next week, April 28, 2021: Part 2 on the President’s men