Drilon frowns on appointing a retiring military official as DSWD chief

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asked President Rodrigo Duterte to “take a second look” at his decision to appoint a retiring military official as head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Siguro dapat pag-isipan muna ng Pangulo iyan dahilan sa kahit nag-retire na. The DSWD is a social welfare agency. Inaamin natin ang sa gabinete kung sino man ang ilalagay ng Pangulo yan po ay nasa kanyang kapangyarihan,” Drilon said in an interview with DZBB on Sunday.

(The President should think about this even if the official is retiring. The DSWD is a social welfare agency. We accept that the President has the power to appoint whoever he wants in his Cabinet.)

Earlier, Duterte said he wants Philippine Army Chief Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista to be the next DSWD chief. Previously, the President said Bautista will head the National Food Authority, after former administrator Jason Aquino resigned.

READ: Duterte wants retiring Army chief to head DSWD

However, Drilon said there are principles and policies that the government needs to uphold so that the bureaucracy would not be militarized.

“Ngunit may mga prinsipyo po at may mga patakaran na dapat we must not militarize the bureaucracy. Kaya pinagbawal yung dating gawain sa panahon ng martial law na mag-detail ng military officer in the active service to civilian post dahilan sa the danger of militarizing the bureaucracy,” he said.

(There are principles and policies we must follow. We must not militarize the bureaucracy, so we discourage the practice during the martial law years of appointing military officers in the active service to civilian posts to avoid the danger of militarizing the bureaucracy.)

“Technically, hindi sakop diyan yung retired na pero for sensitive agencies like DSWD na may 4Ps program na tumutulong sa mahihirap, maybe the President can take a second look,” he added.

(Technically, retired officers are not covered, but for sensitive agencies like the DWD which is implementing the 4Ps program and other projects for the poor, maybe the President can take a second look.)

The senator also said the President can offer other positions to qualified retirees and give the DSWD secretary position instead to “career people.”

“Marami namang pwesto diyan na pwedeng paglagyan yung qualified retirees. Siguro yung sa DSWD pwedeng maibigay sa career people (Many government positions can be offered to military retirees. The DSWD may be given to career people),” Drilon said. /ee