While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. still has enough time to make the needed adjustments to deliver good governance in the last three years of his term, he will need a trusted “bastonero” to make government officials under him toe the line.
Senator-elect Ping Lacson stressed this as he noted the President’s good intentions in setting aside politics and being open to reconciling with the Duterte family may be interpreted by some as “weakness”.
“The openness to reconcile with the Duterte family is very typical of PBBM as a person. Yet his kindness and the goodness of his heart in dealing with people are being interpreted by both his allies and adversaries as a weakness of his leadership. That said, he may need a strong but well-intentioned ‘bastonero’ in his Cabinet who is capable of making government officials, including members of Congress, toe the line towards good governance,” he said.
“The bastonero himself/herself cannot be abusive. The bastonero must be strong but well-intentioned.”
“However, the bastonero himself/herself cannot be abusive. The bastonero must be strong but well-intentioned,” Lacson added.
Citing his experience as Philippine National Police chief from 1999 to 2001, he said – quoting diplomat, author and philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli – that he would rather be feared than loved if he cannot be both, so he can exercise his leadership properly.
“When I was PNP Chief, I had said, quoting Machiavelli, that I’d rather be feared than loved if I cannot be both,” Lacson said.
Lacson said he fully supports the President’s call to set aside politics now that the elections are over, and to focus on nation building.
“We should set aside politics, which should be only for the campaign.”
“We should set aside politics, which should be only for the campaign,” he said.
“Now that the campaigning is over, we must help each other,” Lacson concluded.
