Private tourism players on Friday urged President Benigno Aquino III to pick a new tourism chief who can unify the industry, even as a Malaca帽ang official said she saw no sign of anyone packing to leave the Cabinet.
One of the Cabinet members rumored to be facing reassignment, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas, said聽 Mr. Aquino had given him no hint that he was about to be moved to another post.
Jaime Cura, external vice president of the private sector-led Tourism Congress, said he was not surprised Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim had been mentioned in news reports as among three Cabinet members supposedly giving Mr. Aquino problems, one of whom might be shifted to another position.
Based on the Tourism Congress鈥� experience with Lim, Cura said Lim鈥檚 first year in office had shown he was 鈥渘ot the kind of leader鈥� the Department of Tourism (DoT) needed at this time.
鈥�(We) have no direct knowledge that Secretary Lim is one of the so-called 鈥榖ad news鈥� trio in the Cabinet of the President but to be honest, we are not surprised,鈥� Cura said in a phone interview.
Tourism recommendations
Cura called Lim 鈥渟nobbish鈥� and unfit for the job.
Cura said that since Lim took over the department, he had yet to meet and consult with the Tourism Congress, which was created by the Tourism Act of 2009 as a vehicle for consultation with the DoT.
鈥淪ecretary Lim is officially mandated to consult with the Tourism Congress in developing and implementing tourism policies but in all this entire year, not once since he became secretary [did he confer with us],鈥� Cura said.
The group has submitted 鈥渨ell-meaning鈥� recommendations to the tourism secretary but he disregarded these, according to Cura.
Among the many urgent concerns it listed in its recommendations were the need for infrastructure development in tourist destinations in the country, the need to address the problem of the downgraded status of the country鈥檚 airports and to aggressively promote medical tourism.
Lim, who is currently out of the country, earlier acknowledged grumblings among the tourism group stemming from the unresolved question of its legitimacy and his decision to remove 13 of its nominees, in line with Mr. Aquino鈥檚 Executive Order No. 2.
But Cura said that while the issue had yet to be resolved in court, Lim already made his judgment by marginalizing and observing an 鈥渁rm鈥檚 length relationship鈥� with the group.
Cura called on Mr. Aquino to immediately replace Lim with somebody 鈥渢ruly competent and effective and able to rally and unify the tourism industry.鈥�
Bad news part of job
In an interview, Llamas said Mr. Aquino had given no hint he was being reassigned.
鈥淚t is the job of political affairs to be the messenger of bad tidings, to keep the ear of the President to the ground,鈥� Llamas said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good thing we鈥檙e no longer in the Middle Ages because those who bring bad news to the king during the Middle Ages were beheaded,鈥� he added in jest.
Llamas said the political intelligence that his office gives Mr. Aquino necessarily includes bad news.
鈥淲e鈥檙e together almost every other day and he hasn鈥檛 said anything (about a change in the post),鈥� Llamas said. 鈥淎ctually, our tasks have even increased.鈥�
No sign of reshuffle
Mr. Aquino last week said two or three Cabinet members were giving him problems instead of solutions. The other day, he said he would give one of them another assignment if he and the official could not reach an understanding after one more meeting.
A Malaca帽ang source on Thursday told the Inquirer that Mr. Aquino was referring to Lim, Llamas and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles as the officials who give him bad news about their departments without offering solutions.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., said he didn鈥檛 see any movement in the Cabinet even after Mr. Aquino had expressed his frustration over some officials.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see that happening,鈥� Ochoa said of a Cabinet reshuffle.
鈥楴o one is packing鈥�
Referring to Mr. Aquino鈥檚 supposed problems with some officials, Ochoa said: 鈥淪o as far as I am concerned, there鈥檚 nothing personal there on the part of the President. It鈥檚 all about work and there was no malice intended.鈥�
In a news briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said no one among the Cabinet members appeared to be troubled by the news that one of them might be removed from his or her current post.
鈥淚 saw Secretary Ronald (on Thursday) and I didn鈥檛 get the impression that he was packing,鈥� Valte said of Llamas.
She added: 鈥淚 know (Deles) is deeply involved in the workings of the peace process鈥� (The Cabinet secretaries) are okay. There was an economic managers鈥� meeting on Wednesday and I didn鈥檛 see any change in their moods.鈥�
鈥淚f you鈥檙e looking for the sign that somebody is depressed, I didn鈥檛 notice anything of that sort. But again that鈥檚 just me. That is based on my interactions with them,鈥� Valte said.