Another blunder

By Manila Standard Today

A president is given the privilege to name anybody he or she wants to certain government positions.

The idea is that he or she would know who can best do the job.

There is of course an oversight in the form of a confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.  But this comes after the fact; there is only yes or no from the lawmakers. The naming is done by the president.

In this crucial time before the May elections, President Benigno Aquino III has named two individuals as election commissioners.

One of the two was more prominent—or notorious, depending on who is talking—than the other.  Macabangkit Lanto was well-remembered among political watchers. After all, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 but was removed by the House electoral tribunal in 1994 for fraud.  He insists he was the victim and not the perpetrator.

Lanto also has a pending Comelec case for allegedly harassing election inspectors in 2007.
Confronted with these discoveries, made after the appointment was announced, all the President’s spokesman could say was that he would ask the search committee why it did not know about Lanto’s checkered past.

The bigger question is why the President announced the appointments when he had not had a thorough review of the person’s background.

This is not the first time this has happened. Mr. Aquino has been known to name individuals with cases pending in courts. Sometimes he knows about the cases and just dismisses them, if not outright pronouncing the appointee innocent as what happened with the other poll commissioner, Grace Padaca. In other times, perhaps he is that clueless. Either tack is bad for his straight-path mantra.

Lanto himself stopped short of admitting that it was Liberal Party stalwart Senator Franklin Drilon who pushed for his appointment. Between speculation that the administration tried to install Lanto to help Team PNoy win on one hand, and the presumption of ignorance on the part of the President and his screening committee, we don’t know what is worse.

Fortunately for Mr. Aquino, Lanto has declined his appointment, citing “delicadeza.”

There are reports that the Palace hailed Lanto’s refusal of the post. This leaves us baffled: Why on earth would you appoint somebody and then praise him for not accepting that appointment?  Perhaps the President is just relieved that Lanto solved his problem for him.

Sure, Mr. Aquino has a lot on his mind with the Sabah issue getting out of hand, in great part because of his ineptitude in handling the crisis. But presidents are still expected to make sound decisions despite the existence of other fires.  Unfortunately for us, all the President has been showing is one blunder after another.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/03/12/another-blunder/