Roxas hopes to be Aquino’s ‘paracetamol’

MANILA, Philippines—As he took his oath on Monday as secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC), former senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II said he hoped to serve as “paracetamol” to President Aquino’s “headache.”

“I hope to be the Tylenol, aspirin, paracetamol,” Roxas told reporters with a laugh before finally settling for his last metaphor.

He had been asked whether he would be a headache to the President, who recently complained about some Cabinet members who tended to give him bad news about their departments without offering ready solutions.

Roxas, defeated running mate of Aquino in the May 2010 elections, was in Malacañang Monday for his oath-taking administered by the President.

He was accompanied his wife, television anchor Korina Sanchez; his mother, Judy Araneta-Roxas; his son Paolo; and cousin Margarita Fores.

Among those who later came forward to congratulate Roxas was Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., who belongs to the so-called Samar faction in the Palace.

The Samar faction is supposedly led by Vice President Jejomar Binay while Roxas leads the Balay faction. The two factions had purportedly been at odds with each other since the presidential campaign last year.

Roxas had been initially eyed by the President to be his chief of staff, a task that some quarters believed would have divided the factions even more as the job would likely clash with that of Ochoa’s.

But the sudden resignation of DoTC Secretary Jose “Ping” de Jesus saw Aquino instead offering the vacancy to Roxas.

Speaking to reporters, Roxas thanked the President for trusting him to head the DoTC and promised to provide “proper and correct” service to the people.

He said the President had asked him to fix “problematic” contracts pending in the DoST, such as the NorthRail line.

And amid reviews being done on these contracts, he assured foreign investors they had nothing to fear now that he was at the helm of the DoTC.

“They have nothing to fear. They just have to follow the law and the proper process,” Roxas added.

Roxas also promised that under his watch he would see to it that the transport sector is safe and charging the right fees.

Asked how he would deal with controversial Land Transportation Office chairperson Virginia Torres, a shooting buddy of Aquino, Roxas said he would deal with her the way he intends to deal with everybody and hoped they will be able to “deliver on their performance.”