For best find, start with ‘right’ searchers

DAVAO CITY Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s victory in the recent presidential election stirs up more than a glimmer of hope among Filipinos. The presumptive president-elect represents the collective dream of our people for a much-deserved and better future for our countrymen. Filipinos and foreigners whom I have talked to expressed confidence in and optimism about his presidency.

The victory reminds me of the euphoria that followed Edsa I, with our people filled with the feeling of a new beginning. Those who voted for Duterte believe we now have a no-nonsense president whose heart is in the right place and cares for the Filipino people, especially for our less fortunate, marginalized brothers and sisters.

It is comforting to know that the presumptive president-elect has reached out to other candidates to “heal” our broken, divided nation. In the past days, with his landslide victory imminent, there has prevailed a sense of goodwill for Duterte and his soon-to-be ruling administration. I thought of Duterte’s sterling qualities and they are as follows:

1. He will not be vindictive and he will not persecute his “enemies.”

2. He will not be arrogant with his words and actions.

3. He will not be hypocritical.

4. He will not fight with or threaten the Supreme Court or the judiciary.

5. He will not tolerate corruption and criminality.

Last May 14, I caught on ANC News a report on the search committee that the presumptive president-elect has formed to screen prospective appointees to the Cabinet and other key government posts. My humble suggestion is: Do not rush the selection.

The most important—in fact, the first and foremost consideration—should be the qualifications of the members of the search/selection committee. A common mistake in the past 30 years since Edsa I is that the persons doing the selection are not trained to do it. This is why mismatches between an appointee’s qualifications and the job or functions he/she has been tasked to perform have been common and numerous.

As I wrote in “Executive search for P-Noy” (Talk of the Town, 8/1/10), let the professionals do the vetting. The private sector has people who have been trained and who have decades of experience to do the “executive search” for top positions—e.g., chief executive officers, chief operating officers, and executive vice presidents.

I know personally some who have been appointed to the search committees of previous presidents. Sad to say, they didn’t have the training and experience in executive search.

Lastly, in the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation does a background check on the character and credentials of possible appointees to Cabinet and sub-Cabinet positions. In the private sector the process is called “due diligence.” In the Philippines, if it would be known that our National Bureau of Investigation follows a similar process of vetting prospective appointees, then there would be less applicants and more qualified candidates.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas at ang mga Pilipino!

—RICK B. RAMOS, managing director, Pilipinas Sandiwa Heritage Foundation Inc. and executive directive director, Citizens Infrastructure Integrity WatchDog (InfraWatch)