Malacañang Palace’s hiring policy is so full of holes that a cabinet secretary charged with information, communications, and messaging can be plucked from a shallow media bench without running the gauntlet of scrutiny.
Days after his assumption into office, Jaybee Ruiz was soon unmasked by Politiko.com as being the owner/part-owner of Digital8 Media, a company which struck a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with state-owned Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. Channel 13 to win the daily broadcast of lotto results by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
This government contract is worth P200 million for one year.
This disclosure by a reputable news online organization was first met with a blanket denial by the new PCO secretary, who was able to immediately assume office because Congress is in recess thus his appointment is considered “ad interim.”
The blanket denial was reinforced by a most convenient and popular charge of “fake news” on Politiko’s scoop.
Despite the PCO denial, Politiko.com did not back down from its reportage and even provided more proof that there was some wrongdoing involved here.
Critics pounce on Ruiz
The post of a communications chief, while not as juicy as the customs commissioner or the commissioner of internal revenue, is most visible and powerful because it is generally assumed that you have meetings with the President almost every day, and he/she gets to know the feel and sense of the public through you.
The PCO chief, just like the Executive Secretary, is expected to shield the President from criticism, sometimes to the point of taking the blame yourself, such as the Sugar Order scandal in the year weeks of the Bongbong Marcos administration.
In the case of Ruiz’s PCO, one error led to another, as when Undersecretary Claire Castro said her boss has divested from Digital8, right after Ruiz affirmed that he does not own the firm, and therefore has nothing to divest.
One netizen even asked: How can one divest anything that he does not own?
Columnist-announcer Ferdinand Topacio—a celebrated lawyer or a lawyer for celebrities—and a good friend since our regular Sunday lunch with President Erap in Greenhills, pointed out that the fact the Jay Ruiz signed as president of Digital8 or the firm’s representative in the JVA with IBC 13, reveals his pecuniary interest in that government contract.
We recognize that there is law on this. Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, has Section 7 that prohibits government officials and employee from having financial or material interests in transactions requiring their office’s approval or in private enterprises regulated by their office.
Public officials and employees shall not, directly or indirectly, have any financial or material interest in any transaction requiring the approval of their office.
Atty. Topacio asked whether the JVA contract still subsists today, since the Philippine Communications Office supervises IBC 13 which is headed by Jimmy “Jimpol” Policarpio.
Two other critics and political pundits joining the narrative are Harry Roque, former spokesman of President Duterte, and columnist Yen Makabenta—both highly experienced officials of the Palace press office.
Roque is expected to heckle Ruiz, calling him incompetent and predicting that he won’t last long in this office. Roque said how can Ruiz do his job of defending the President when he himself is saddled with serious credibility and communications problems, and will have to spend the whole day defending himself?
Makabenta correctly pointed out that the Palace communications organization is flawed, and that it has not satisfactorily explained to the public the current “rigidon” of cabinet secretaries, with three department heads leaving and the President seemingly unable to find suitable replacements.
Yen writes: “BBM’s administration needs to do some thinking about its requirements and expectations from a communications secretary. The answer must begin with the one doing the hiring.”
What happened before
According to Mel Robles, PCSO general manager, the state-owned PTV4 which was the PCSO’s former broadcast partner, quoted a high price of P600 million yearly for the continued telecast of the lotto draw.
The quote was 300 percent more than what they used to charge us, said Robles.
So IBC 13 and Digital 8 formed a joint venture and won the same contract for P200 million a year. Toby Nebrida, PTV4 general manager, was fired and replaced by Oscar Orbos, former ES and Pangasinan governor. Ruiz said his troubles started when he and ES Lucas Bersamin revamped the PCO. Nebrida was accused of orchestrating a demolition job against Ruiz, which he denied.
This is what happens when members of the First Lady’s cabal fight against each other for control of the war booty.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #CoverStory