Leni needs to rethink her situation.
There was a recent news item that questioned her “jet setting” ways. Barely into her election the Vice-President has been to Japan, Bangkok and is scheduled to visit the U.S. All these trips are for official purposes, privately funded and worthwhile but to Filipinos sitting in traffic or otherwise angry with their condition, this feels like junketeering. In politics perception is reality.
This follows pronouncements from her that the spate of drug-related killings is ushering a “culture of violence” and should be investigated. This runs counter to statements of DOJ Secretary Aguirre that such is not needed and Duterte’s insistence that the rub-outs are fine “if they are within the law”.
It is uncertain whether Leni was speaking as Vice-President or as a member of Team Duterte. She clearly is uncomfortable with the Presidential directives on vigilante killings but has to decide whether to take it or leave it. Publicly taking a stance that is independent of Malacanang will not endear her to the President and will render her ineffective as the nation’s housing czar.
It is complicated. Leni is the only member of Duterte’s official family who is both elected (and cannot be fired) and appointed (and can be fired). She has also become the darling of the nation drawing media attention unique among her peers in the Cabinet. The President has singled her out as “attractive”. She has been seen to now sit at his right hand side when previously relegated to the outer reaches. He has offered to share his coco-water with her. This spotlight as the teacher’s pet is both good and bad: It attracts envy and is fodder for her political opponents who still have hopes of unseating her.
Leni can be VP and Cabinet Secretary some of the time but cannot be both all of the time. She must decide who she is. As the former she believes she is accountable to the nation and must act as its national conscience. As Cabinet Secretary she has a big job to do, must toe the party line however unpalatable this might sometimes be and relinquish some of her independent initiatives. This means rolling up her sleeves –or whatever is the equivalent for females in sleeveless attire- and getting down in the trenches with her colleagues in the Cabinet. She has done it before as public defender and advocate for the poor in Naga. She just needs to do it now on a national scale.
Leni’s position is especially tenuous because of the inevitable comparisons that will be made between her and her boss. Duterte has set a very high bar for public office with his simplicity and hard work. Against this standard of rolled-up sleeves at three in the morning, flying around the world at whoever’s expense hardly a month in office to give speeches to Fil-Americans and to receive international recognition albeit for a good cause; is arguably not the image she wants or needs. God forbid she gets pictured shopping in Market Street, San Francisco even for “pasalubongs”. No, Leni has to be very careful not to be viewed as lightweight.
The President initially had reservations of Leni, that she would be a mole for the Liberal Party, but after an initial meeting he is now somewhat taken by her. If there is anything Duterte likes in a person it is passion for the Filipino. This is why he is so supportive of Gina Lopez despite the opposition from the business sector and its PR lackeys. Leni has this same passion and this is why the President will allow her a degree of leeway. However, the Vice-President should not extend her welcome.
There is an option for Leni which is to give up her HUDCC post. In a sense she is under-utilized in this position. Leni has many aptitudes but overseeing the construction of 1.4 million homes and a half a trillion mortgage portfolio is I imagine not her core competence. Professional managers could do a better job and they are plentiful. Leni has rarer qualities -credibility, good selling skills and real community experience – which would make her ideal as an ambassador without portfolio marketing the country, raising international funds and supervising grass roots projects.
Duterte offered Leni a Cabinet post as a political gesture and not for executive reasons. Giving VPs operational responsibility is in fact a post-Marcos phenomenon. In the U.S. Vice-Presidents are Cabinet members but do not have administrative functions. So if by mutual consent Leni were to step down as housing head this should not be seen as a loss of confidence by Duterte nor as Leni distancing herself from him. In her new role she could cheerlead the Duterte initiatives she believes in.
Leni could be taken out of the loop of daily governance but that is the price to pay for her freedom. What seems increasingly evident is she cannot have it both ways but that is not necessarily a bad thing for the nation, for the President and for herself.
Heneral Lunacy 