By Atty. Victor C. Avecilla — October 15, 2025
AS IT is, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is beleaguered with endless problems.
There is the massive flood control infrastructure mess involving past officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), shady contractors, and not a few members of Congress. The extent of the corruption, involving billions of pesos of taxpayers’ money, is so pervasive that the Filipino people are demanding the imprisonment of the criminal elements involved in the scam, and the return of the public money stolen in the process.
This mess was followed by a series of collapsing bridges all over the country. These incidents threaten vital commerce in the affected regions, and have triggered a public demand for the refitting of many aging bridges in the countryside. It is comforting to learn that the brand new DPWH Secretary, Vince Dizon, is taking swift action to address the mess.
Complicating the situation for President Marcos is the series of devastating earthquakes in Cebu and in Davao Oriental, followed by strong tremors felt in Leyte, Baguio and Zambales. A state of calamity has been declared in many affected areas. The frequent mention in the news of “the big one,” the magnitude 7.2 or stronger earthquake expected to hit Metropolitan Manila in the near future, is not helping in easing public anxiety.
It is no wonder then that President Marcos announced that the national government is working round the clock to address these problems.
A matter of current urgent concern is the appointment of the next Justice Secretary. It was pointed out earlier in this online site that at least two of the contenders are absolutely unfit for the post.
One of them is former Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman and incumbent Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) Chairman Michael Aguinaldo.
As pointed out before, Aguinaldo has conveniently remained quiet as to why, during his tenure as COA Chairman from 2015 to 2022, public funds for many ghost or substandard flood control projects of the DPWH were allowed in audit. Analysts say that had the COA done its job from the start, the massive scandal confronting the administration of President Marcos could have been aborted.
As a former partner in one of the biggest of the big time law firms of the country, Aguinaldo may end up facing endless conflict of interest situations if he becomes Justice Secretary.
Moreover, Aguinaldo’s tenure in the PCC is marked by inaction.
Many big businesses in the Philippines swallow up or buy out smaller enterprises which have the potential to become a viable competitor. Other big businesses sell their products at a loss to outsell smaller competitors in the anticipation of forcing the competition to close shop. Some shopping malls do not allow the competitors of their sister companies to open outlets in their premises. Many big restaurant chains strictly sell only such refreshments manufactured by their sister establishments. There are many commercial establishments that appear to be competitors but are actually owned by the same business interests.
Despite all that, the PCC under Aguinaldo has not filed any case of significant importance arising from all that unfair competition.
Thus, there are calls to shutter the PCC because of its inaction, and because its inert existence is a waste of public funds.
The other unsuited contender for Justice Secretary is Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro, the traditional politician who enjoys being covered by the news media, and whose wide smile seems to be permanently painted on her face.
Luistro has not expressed any disinterest in getting appointed Justice Secretary, and this means she has her eyes on the post. That may be so, but Luistro does not have the experience needed for the job. Her past brief stints as an agent of the Bureau of Immigration and as a consultant of the Department of Justice (DOJ) are not enough to make her qualified for the position she seeks.
The fact that Luistro is a sitting member of Congress is enough ground to disqualify her for the top DOJ post. Right now, the credibility of most members of the House of Representatives is at an all-time low, and the last thing the Filipino people will want to see at the helm of the DOJ is a conspicuous member of that same House of Representatives. In short, Luistro as Justice Secretary will have no credibility, and this will plague her tenure in the DOJ. Appointing her the next Justice Secretary is an outright insult to the Filipino people.
Further, Luistro’s timing is completely botched up. Her interest in the top DOJ post is akin to an admission on her part that she wants out of the current hornets’ nest that is the House of Representatives. So far, Luistro has not explained why she desires an exodus from Congress during these times of unearthed floor control infrastructure scandals, and with their glaring ties to certain prominent members of the both the Senate and the House of Representatives. ■
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KWEBA ni BAROK 
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