RECENT appointments made by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. show that he prioritizes rewarding political allies over choosing experts in relevant fields, an opposition lawmaker said on Thursday.
“As they often say public office is a public trust and this should hold true for elected and appointed officials. They are all expected to hold their position for the benefit of the people and never for the benefit of themselves or their patrons,” ACT-Teachers Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said in a statement.
“Political accommodation should be stopped.”
Mr. Marcos on Wednesday defended the appointment of former Philippine National Police chief Camilo Pancratius P. Cascolan as undersecretary of the Department of Health. Mr. Marcos also said the public misunderstood the appointment of his godson Paul D. Soriano as creative communications adviser.
Ms. Castro, also deputy minority leader, said Mr. Cascolan would simply defer to the Palace on decisions regarding health, adding that policies like optional indoor mask wearing “should not be rushed especially since there is still no competent Health secretary at the helm and another outbreak may result from this.”
“Hopefully Malacañang is careful in choosing appointees, and hopefully those who follow the interests of the people, instead of individuals with a strong backer, are seated,” she said. — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo