Mar Roxas' political slogan these days is "Country above self". Ethically, as in the original Greek signification of a 'polis', it must be country (common good) over party (parochial interests). But in contemporary realpolitik, we have idiots or 'idiotes' (selfish, self-interested politicians) in the polity.
The deep sense of loss that Filipinos have felt with the untimely departure of Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Jesse Robredo is highly evocative of the sad reality of the corruption of the vocation and profession of politics as a supposedly noble art of public service. There has been a general expression of thanks and appreciation for the life of Mayor Pogi, Sec. Jesse, for reclaiming ethics in 'politics' and for bringing back the demos (we, the people) in democratic governance.
To continue with the reforms in local governance that Robredo had started off, the President has appointed his party-mate Mar Roxas as Secretary of the important and powerful Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Mar's presidential ambition might have been delayed for a while, but his appointment at DILG effectively makes him a 'little president' with executive powers, legislative clout from provincial governments down to barangay councils, judicial prerogative to discipline erring local government officials, and the security and coercive apparatuses of the police.
Mar is a seasoned politician. I would encourage a political biographer to consider him as a very interesting subject. Unfortunately, the Philippines does not have much political biographers these days, aside from politically-commissioned PR firms, academics, and writers.
I think Mar's career is a fascinating subject for students of Philippine politics. He comes from an elite political-business family. He has training in economics, finance, and business. He was a legislator in both the House and Senate. He's a technocrat who has survived and thrived the bureaucracies under the administrations of Erap, Arroyo, and PNoy — heading different departments from Energy (DOE) to Trade & Industry (DTI) to Transportation & Communications (DOTC), and now the DILG.
Arguably, Mar has worked in all these government agencies enthusiastically and professionally; however, his short stints in those offices also meant that the projects and reforms he had instituted had not been sustained, inhibiting them to take root and flourish. Mar is also a celebrity having been linked with some celebrities and now married to a media personality. With his education, Mar is ideologically a market-oriented 'neoliberal'; but he once succeeded in the 'populist' appeal of 'Mr. Palengke' (Mr. Market) in an attempt to mold ordinary people's consciousness into the legitimacy of market mechanisms and he had also fought for some 'protection' for the interests of the nation's local farmers and domestic industries against the rich countries and the WTO rules. And many more.... A curious case, indeed....
We cannot expect 'Mr. Palengke' (Mar) to be like 'Mr. Tsinelas' (Sec. Jesse). Mar is / has always been / will be Mar. There will never be a Jesse Robredo again, but there are important lessons that Mar or we can draw from Jesse's life experience and achievements. Congratulations and good luck to the newly-appointed DILG Secretary Mar Roxas! The people should watch over him and make sure that he lives up to his political motto: "Country above self."
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