Maza hits militarization in gov't; Palace says allegation 'distorted'

Former National Anti-Poverty Commission lead convener Liza Maza slammed the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to transfer some agencies under Malacañang’s supervision to departments whose heads are former military officials.

Maza on Thursday took to Facebook her criticism of Executive Order 67, which reorganized the Office of Cabinet Secretary by transferring eight agencies under its wing to three departments and abolishing two offices.

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, the Philippine Commission on Women and the National Youth Commission are now under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), while the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor, and NAPC have become attached agencies of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The DILG is headed by retired Armed Forces chief of staff Eduardo Año while the DSWD is under former Army chief Rolando Bautista.

“The horror story this Halloween is EO 67 that was released yesterday [Wednesday] placing six policy oversight and advisory national commissions, including NAPC, under the direct supervision of two former military officials Año and Bautista,” Maza said.

In another post on Friday, Maza said the EO violated the law that created the NAPC in 1997.

She did not cite the specific provision but Section 5 of Republic Act 8425 states the commission is an attached agency of the Office of the President.

'Misplaced, distorted'

Maza’s view of government reorganization was “misplaced” and “distorted,” according to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

Panelo also found Maza’s statements “unfortunate” given that she is a former member of the Duterte administration.

“Ms. Maza’s appointment to the government, including those identified or allied with the Left, did not make the Cabinet communist or convert the respective offices they headed leftist,” Panelo said.

“Her conclusion, therefore, that placing former military men in executive offices automatically translates to a military junta-led government is completely erroneous.”

Maza resigned in August as she protested the cancellation of peace talks with the communist rebels and the possible return to power of the Marcoses.

Panelo said the appointment of left-leaning personalities in the Cabinet is part of Duterte’s “sincere effort” to end the communist insurgency.

“In the same vein, the President’s appointment of former uniformed personnel to key Cabinet or sub-Cabinet posts reflects his trust to the military hierarchy known for its high degree of professionalism, discipline, and can-do attitude,” he said.

“These men have sacrificed many hours of their lives, even at the expense of their personal time with their families, for the love of and loyalty to our country; and this patriotic fervor, not to mention their academic credentials and experience in leading and managing large organizations, qualifies them for the posts that they hold.”

Panelo also defended the legality of Año and Bautista’s appointments, saying the constitutional prohibition on appointment of active military officers to civilian posts does not apply to retired soldiers. 

Duterte on Wednesday said claims of supposed militarization of government are “correct” in the wake of his decision to tap military men to oversee the Bureau of Customs which is being hounded by allegations of corruption and ineptitude related to large shipments of illicit drugs slipping through the bureau’s extensive inspection system.

"I will not allow that. I will not sit as President and let you render me inutile as you continue with your corruption there in Customs right in front of me. P___ ina niyo,” he said.

Panelo, meanwhile, said EO 67 was meant to “promote greater efficiency, agency convergence and participatory governance in the delivery of essential public services to all the sectors of society, given that they are now transferred to line agencies.”

“This is also in line with the campaign promise of President Duterte to make the bureaucracy more efficient and responsive to the needs of our people through rightsizing,” he said.

The same EO transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry the supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Cooperative Development Authority.

It also abolished the Office of Participatory Governance (OPG) and the Performance and Projects Management Office (PPMO).

The EO said the functions of the OPG shall be absorbed by the DILG, while those of the PPMO shall be carried out by the Presidential Management Staff (PMS). —LBG, GMA News