Poe: 2 officials would already be out of job if I were President

Senator Grace Poe said if she were the sitting president, two government officials would have  long been gone from their posts over the controversial balikbayan boxes and “tanim-bala”  issues.

The two she was referring to are Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General  Manager Jose Angel Honrado and Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina.

Poe made the remark when asked during a forum in Quezon City on Friday what she would do about calls to oust the two officials over the two controversies.

“Ang batayan natin ng pagpili ng isang maninilbihan sa atin ay isang tao na unang-una ay may integridad, pangalawa may kakayanan, at pangatlo, mayroong malasakit na gawin ang trabaho,” the senator said.

“Kung gagawin mong basehan ang tatlong  yun, makikita mo ang laki ng pagkukulang talaga nila. Kung ako po ang nakaupo, matagal na silang wala dyan,” she said, which drew applause  from the crowd.

(The basis for selecting who will serve us should be, first, integrity; second, capability; and third, concern to do the job. If you use this as basis, you will see a big gap. If I were president, they would have lost their job already.)

But Poe said the President has the prerogative to decide on the fate of the two officials.

“Ang para sa akin lang naman ay simple, kung hindi mo nagagawa ang trabaho mo…siguro naman merong tutugon dyan na pwede nating bigyan ng pagkakataon na gawin yun,” she said.

“Wala akong personal na away sa kanila. Nagiging  personal lang sa akin pag nakikita ko na nandyan ka na, meron kang pwedeng gawin at hindi mo nagawa o hindi mo ginagawa.”

(For me, it’s simple. If you can’t do the job, there are others who can be given the chance to do it. I don’t have a personal issue with them. But it becomes personal to me if I see them not being able to do the job or not doing it at all.)

“Basta masasabi ko lang, pag mabigyan kami ng pagkakataon e masusumbungan nyo kami at talagang gagawa kami ng hakbang para maalis lahat yan kasi alam nyo po pag nalaman ng tao na inalis mo ang isang nanunungkulan dahil hindi nila ginagawa ang kanilang trabaho, mas lalakas ang kanilang tiwala at mandato mo. Pero pagka pinabayaan mo kung ano mang  dahilan hindi natutugunan ang problema, mas lalo pang nade-demoralize ang ating mga kababayan,” Poe added.

(All I can say is, if given a chance, you can approach us and we will act on your problems. If people learn you removed government officials who are not doing their job, this will enhance your mandate and trust level with the people. But if you don’t do anything and was not able to solve the problem, the people will become more demoralized.)