I ought to have died at Waterloo.
— French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, after his defeat to British Field Marshall and First Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley
WHEN GOOD PEOPLE no longer want to serve under you, what does it tell you?
It has been happening under the vaunted administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Credible men and women whom he thought would do good for the country and the Filipino people are apparently seeing through the facade and the mask our prideful Ilocano leader has worn off to show his true face and character—that of someone failing in his job.
As some would say, the son of the late strongman and namesake, has ignobly showed no sign of success in fighting corruption. Three years have passed since he took oath and now more than a trillion pesos of public funds have been lost as the corrupt under his government pocketed more money than they could carry in their luxurious vehicles.
So, why are the good men and women under Marcos Jr.’s administration resigning from their posts?
I am not talking about those villainous officials in the Department of Public Works and Highways who have relinquished their position because they are now being scrutinized for their involvement in irregularities in the agency’s flood control projects.
Nor is it about our beleaguered House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez who allegedly received 35 suitcases of ill-gotten money from kickbacks in government infrastructure development programs of his relative at the helm of the Palace.
The latest to resign is our dear friend Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. Before him, it was another good friend, former Judge Jaime Santiago, who tendered his irrevocable resignation as director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Mayor Magalong resigned as special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)—the ad hoc fact-finding commission created by Pres. Marcos Jr., tasked with investigating flood control and other government projects implemented from 2015 onwards.
In a letter addressed to the chief executive, he said, “The Palace’s pronouncements concerning my designation, which run contrary to the terms of my appointment, have undermined the role and mandate entrusted to me.”
He added that “combined with circumstances that already cast doubt on the independence of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, it has become clear that (his) continued service is no longer tenable.”
Magalong likewise maintained that he has not neglected, nor will he ever neglect, his main responsibility to the people of Baguio, “whose welfare and interests remain at the core of my public service.”
Accordingly, Magalong’s resignation is said to stem from Marcos’ order for a review of Magalong’s role in the ICI to determine whether the latter has any conflict of interest in the super body.
Presidential Communications Office undersecretary Claire Castro clarified at a briefing: “The President said that his (Magalong’s) case will be referred to the legal team to determine where he may be included, or where he should be properly inserted, so that the independence of the ICI will not be compromised and there will be no violation of any law.”
Questions about Magalong’s role at the ICI arose from a tennis court project built by the Discaya-owned St. Gerrard Construction Company in Baguio City. This ₱110-million project was awarded in 2022 to Saint Gerrard Construction Company, one of nine firms owned by contractor couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya, who are both under investigation for alleged involvement in anomalous flood-control projects.
Furthermore, labor groups also recently called out Magalong’s role in the ICI, stressing that he cannot wear two hats—as Baguio City Mayor and as special adviser to the Commission.
Whatever may be the reason, what we see here is something deeper. It appears no good general would follow a commander who wants a Pyrrhic victory in battle or a Napoleonic defeat like Waterloo.
FOR your comments or suggestions, complaints or requests, just send a message through my email at cipcab2006@yahoo.com or text me at cell phone numbers 09171656792 or 09171592256 during office hours from Monday to Friday. Thank you and Mabuhay!