The president is the head of our government. Among others, “the President shall have control of all the executive departments, bureaus, and offices.” (Sec 17, Article VII, Executive Department, Philippine Constitution). This plenary power of the president was amply demonstrated when incoming President BBM announced on Monday, June 20, that he would temporarily assume the post as secretary of Agriculture.
In a press conference, the incoming president said that “as to agriculture, I think that the problem is severe enough that I have decided to take on the portfolio of secretary of Agriculture, at least for now.” This move undoubtedly shows that the incoming administration is seriously concerned about the urgency of the looming food insufficiency. Very clearly, the new administration will give priority to agriculture and food production. Judging from what he has said during the press conference, it seems that President-elect BBM has already studied and identified the most pressing problems facing the agriculture sector. For instance, he pointed out the need to increase rice production and the reorganization of the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies such as the National Food Authority, the Food Terminal Incorporated, and the Kadiwa Program. He has expressed alarm over the report that Vietnam and Thailand, our two major suppliers of imported rice, have a plan to form a rice export cartel or ban their rice exportation. Moreover, during the campaign, he promised to lower the cost of rice to P20 per kilo. His designated secretary of Land Reform, Representative Conrado Estrella III, quickly rejected the idea and said that bringing down the price of rice to such a level would be unachievable at this time. It is interesting to see if President-elect BBM can deliver on his promise now that he will be running the Department of Agriculture. Can he also stop the importation of fish and have our fisherfolk catch more fish? When Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. (FM), President-elect BBM’s father, served as our president, his two major programs during the early part of his administration were self-sufficiency in rice, and infrastructure. It cannot be denied that the elder Marcos scored his greatest success in these two areas. How did he improve rice production? In 1973, a flagship agricultural program called “Masagana 99” was launched by FM to address the country’s acute rice shortage. In the early ’70s, people made long lines just to buy two kilos of rice from the government-authorized rice distribution centers. There was not enough rice for everyone, and people were starving. To improve the yield per hectare of riceland, the program introduced high-yielding varieties and low-cost fertilizers and pesticides. Over time, it succeeded in increasing the yield and averted hunger and the threat of civil unrest. Agriculture Secretary Arturo Tanco credited the success to agricultural technology and FM’s political will to overcome potential food crises. Massive credit facilities were made available to the farmers who participated in the program. The rural banks took the risk by lending to the farmers. Most banks suffered from low loan repayment, and there was a lack of farm technicians to teach the farmers new technology. At the end of the day, the program was not sustained until it was discontinued a couple of years before FM was ousted from Malacañang. Can President-elect BBM replicate FM’s early success in dealing with the rice shortage that confronted his father in his time? Has he learned from the lessons of Masagana 99 to avoid its pitfalls? The funds collected from rice tariffication can be deployed and augmented to support any new scheme, which President-elect BBM and his own technocrats can formulate to promote food sufficiency. His problem is compounded by the poor catch of our fishermen. This is partly caused by restrictions imposed by Chinese armed vessels that prevent Filipino fishermen from catching fish within our territorial jurisdiction. So the problem is not just poor logistics such as less powerful boats and inadequate navigational equipment, but also geopolitics. Maybe former First Lady Imelda Marcos should step in since, as described by President-elect BBM, China is the strongest partner of the Philippines and that Beijing cannot find a greater champion than his mother.
The president is not prevented under the law from holding a cabinet portfolio. Under our Constitution, he has control of all the executive departments. He is the chief executive and he has the responsibility to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed and implemented. It will be an abandonment of duty and a betrayal of public trust if he does not. The president appoints, removes, and disciplines all officials under him, including the members of his cabinet. However, he may not remove officials appointed by him or her who are subject to removal only by impeachment as provided under Article XI of the Constitution. The cabinet members are his alter ego. In Villena v. The Secretary of Interior, the Supreme Court held that “in the case of heads of various departments, their personality is in reality but the projection of that of the President.” Their acts “performed and promulgated in the regular course of business, are, unless disapproved or reprobated by the Chief Executive, presumptively the acts of the Chief Executive.” They perform the duties and responsibilities otherwise reposed upon the president. The president delegates to his cabinet members the official functions that pertain to his office. It follows that what he can delegate, he can directly perform. In the case of the president, the Constitution expressly provides that the vice president may be appointed as a member of the cabinet and such appointment requires no confirmation.
I cannot recall any other president who had taken up a specific cabinet position. He might have pursued a particular cause or advocacy, which pertained to a particular department or office and made it a centerpiece of his administration. For instance, the late President Ramon Magsaysay prioritized the suppression of the Huk insurgency during his term of office, but he did not hold the Defense portfolio. President Rodrigo R. Duterte declared war against illegal drugs without occupying the chairmanship of the Dangerous Drugs Board or as head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. President-elect BBM is clearly giving a strong message that the fight against food insecurity is his personal crusade. He has displayed rare political courage and decisiveness by taking up the agriculture portfolio. The task is most critical and challenging at this time and he definitely stands to lose big if he fails. It will be the first acid test of his presidency. If he succeeds, it will go a long way in repairing the tarnished image of his family.