Pictured below is Gloria Macapagal-Arroya, the fourteenth president of the Philippines, as well as the woman responsible for unleashing a torrent of controversy among the Filipino people.
First she designated champion swimmer Eric Buhan as the executive director of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Then she assigned her gardener Armando Macapagal to be the deputy of the Luneta Park administration.
But during the week of April 18 through 24, the unthinkable happened—she appointed her manicurist to head the Home Development Mutual Fund, which is responsible for tens of millions of government pesos.
The Home Development Mutual Fund, better known as the Pag-IBIG Fund, is a national savings program geared toward allocating funds “for the housing needs of government employees.” And in accordance with last week’s ruling, former manicurist/beautician Anita Carpon will now be in charge of it.
In return for her managerial skills (or lack thereof), Carpon will command a whopping monthly stipend of approximately 130,000 pesos, or $2,900, which according to AFP is twice the amount the president earns.
Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza, when confronted by a reporter from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, defended President Arroya’s decision, saying, “The President knows best.” He also disputed Carpon’s salary, claiming it to be a mere exaggeration.
Presidential spokesman Gary Olivar also came to Arroyo’s defense. He told AFP news, “Having a relationship of trust with the president should not count against someone.”
Butch Abad, the campaign manager for presidential candidate Benigno Aquino, decried the ruling. During an interview with AFP, he said, “She further deepened the culture of political patronage in this country by putting people who are loyal to her in positions which are delicate without any regard to the qualifications of these people.” In laymen’s terms, he’s saying that Carpon has no business running the government because she has no relatable experience whatsoever.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Charito Planas strongly disagrees, however. He feels that the “lowliness of a person’s state in life” shouldn’t be held against them. He told reporters, “Appointing a manicurist to a senior post in the government is neither debasing the country’s career system nor insulting the intelligentsia.”
The comments in favor of the president’s decision beg the question, though, whether trust alone is enough to substantiate such a controversial ruling. Nobody looks down upon Carpon for being a manicurist—to each his or her own. What they do dislike, however, is the fact that Carpon is not adequately equipped to handle such a position. It’s like assigning a nurse to manage a thriving business. It just doesn’t make any sense!
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/08/28/philippine-manicurist-appointed-government-role/
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