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:
鈥淢on, Medialdea is not representing the President. He is representing business interests he has an affinity for and doesn鈥檛 give importance to things the President values.鈥�
In a second text message, Lopez said: 鈥淭his president (Digong) has a heart for the poor and underprivileged. That is my experience with him. Secretary Medialdea doesn鈥檛 exhibit or exude this consciousness. He is more aligned to business interests he is affiliated with than the values the President gives importance to.鈥�
She added in a third text message: 鈥淗e (Medialdea) stopped me from helping the farmers鈥� I think he lawyers for mining companies鈥� sigh鈥� but I have learned to let things go鈥� the world is what it is鈥� we just keep on doing good.鈥�
I called Medialdea an incompetent executive secretary because he doesn鈥檛 assert his authority over subordinates like Martin Di帽o, chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
Medialdea wanted Di帽o transferred to the Department of the Interior and Local Government as undersecretary for barangay affairs since he is a former barangay chair.
But Di帽o refused to budge apparently because of the perks and privileges accruing to his position which, many think, he doesn鈥檛 deserve.
Because of Di帽o鈥檚 disobedience, the 鈥淟ittle President,鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥� 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鈥檚 contemptuous attitude toward the blue ribbon committee also showed his disdain for the Senate as a whole.