Marcos eyes Laguesma, Toots Ople to head labor, migrant workers departments

Former Labor chief Bienvenido Laguesma (left) and migrant workers advocate Susan “Toots” Ople. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines — Presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is wooing former Labor chief Bienvenido Laguesma and migrant workers advocate Susan “Toots” Ople to join his Cabinet, his camp said Tuesday.

His spokesman Vic Rodriguez said Marcos is eyeing Laguesma as his Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment while he is courting Ople to lead the newly created Department of Migrant Workers.

Rodriguez said Marcos met and talked with the two before going on his “private” trip to Australia for a “much-needed rest and vacation.”

“Ito ‘yung mga taong respetado sa larangan ng labor and employment na kanyang kinausap at tinanong kung nais maglingkod sa gobyerno, sa ilalim ng pamahalaang Marcos,” he said in a press briefing.

(They are respected people in the labor and employment sector whom Marcos has talked to and asked whether they would want to serve under his administration.)

While Laguesma and Ople were “honored” and received the invitations “very warmly,” Rodriguez said the Marcos camp finds it challenging to convince them to serve the government.

“Humihingi lang sila ng kaunting panahon nang makonsulta at makausap ‘yung kanilang mga mahal sa buhay, siguro iilang kaibigan at ‘yung mga taong kanilang pinaniniwalaan at pinakikinggan at hihingi ng payo,” he said.

(They are asking for some time for them to consult and talk to their loved ones and friends to ask for their advice.)

Rodriguez further admitted that it has been challenging for them to fill Marcos’ Cabinet, especially his economic team, because it was hard to convince them to “leave the private sector.”

“Ang nagiging malaking challenge talaga at hamon ay magsasakripisyo eh, ‘yung pagpasok sa gobyerno. Ang gagaling nito, they’re doing so well in the private sector, hindi naman sila sanay na under microscope or everyday under scrutiny kahit hindi naman mali ‘yung ginagawa, binatatikos o pinupulaan,” he said.

(The big challenge here is convincing them to make the sacrifice in going into government. They are well-known in their fields and are doing well in the private sector. They are not used to being under a microscope and being scrutinized.)

“It’s not that they do not want to serve the country, it’s not that they are not willing to make this meaningful sacrifices. Kailangan lang nila ihanda, bukod sa kanilang sarili, higit sa lahat siguro ay ‘yung kanilang mga pamilya,” Rodriguez added.

(They just have to prepare themselves and their families.)

So far, Marcos has only two names expected in the Cabinet: presumptive vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio as education secretary and his campaign manager and former Metropolitan Development Authority head Benhur Abalos as interior secretary.

KGA