A former fellow Cabinet member thinks Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea is not doing a good job, contrary to the opinion of billionaire philanthropist James Dy.
Former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez sent this columnist the following text message on Saturday:
“Mon, Medialdea is not representing the President. He is representing business interests he has an affinity for and doesn’t give importance to things the President values.”
In a second text message, Lopez said: “This president (Digong) has a heart for the poor and underprivileged. That is my experience with him. Secretary Medialdea doesn’t exhibit or exude this consciousness. He is more aligned to business interests he is affiliated with than the values the President gives importance to.”
She added in a third text message: “He (Medialdea) stopped me from helping the farmers… I think he lawyers for mining companies… sigh… but I have learned to let things go… the world is what it is… we just keep on doing good.”
I called Medialdea an incompetent executive secretary because he doesn’t assert his authority over subordinates like Martin Diño, chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
Medialdea wanted Diño transferred to the Department of the Interior and Local Government as undersecretary for barangay affairs since he is a former barangay chair.
But Diño refused to budge apparently because of the perks and privileges accruing to his position which, many think, he doesn’t deserve.
Because of Diño’s disobedience, the “Little President,” as the executive secretary is called, has left everything as is.
Dr. Dy, who owns the Chinese General Hospital, took issue with my criticism of Medialdea, saying he’s a brilliant lawyer and a competent executive secretary.
I agree with Dy when he said that Medialdea would even make a good Supreme Court associate justice like his late father, Leo.
My acquiescence, however, comes with a caveat: He should give up siding with mining companies as Lopez has accused him of doing.
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Former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon will remain in the Senate jail indefinitely until he cooperates with the blue ribbon committee.
The committee which is investigating how the P6.4-billion shipment passed through the Bureau of Customs has declared Faeldon in contempt for not answering senators’ questions.
Sen. Frank Drilon proposes to have Faeldon detained inside the hot and bare cell until Congress adjourns in June 2019.
Drilon told this columnist that Faeldon’s contemptuous attitude toward the blue ribbon committee also showed his disdain for the Senate as a whole.