To the victor belong the spoils, said New York Sen. William L. Marcy in 1831, when he pointed out that there was nothing wrong with a new United States administration discharging thousands of public servants and appointing their supporters to take their place.
This recently happened in the aftermath of Pres. Donald Trump’s second coming to the White House, with the ‘massacre’ of government workers made much bloodier by Elon Musk’s DOGE cost-cutting frenzy.
Lately on this side of the Pacific Ocean, a similar scene unfolded at the provincial government and 11 towns when the assumption of incoming officials saw the termination of several thousand Job Order (JO) workers.
Expectedly, there were adverse comments on social media against the new officials for their alleged callousness in depriving supposedly hardworking JOs of their only source of income.
In the case of the provincial government and the municipal LGUs, the replacement of casual employees by another set consisting of supporters of the incoming administration has been a normal occurrence.
As they enjoy no security of tenure there being no employer-employee relationship between the LGU and the JO worker, the latter are naturally the sacrificial lambs at the altar of political convenience when their appointing officer is kicked out of office.
In the past two decades, this has happened six times now: first with the 2007 defeat of then Gov. Leandro Verceles Jr. by businessman Joseph Cua; in 2013 when the latter was upended by businesswomen Araceli Bernardino-Wong, whose casual employees exited when Cua regained the post in 2016; three years later when Vice Gov. Shirley Abundo replaced Cua who was suspended despite winning the 2019 polls; a year later when Cua regained his post after serving the punishment; and then this year following the stunning victory of Dr. Patrick Alain Azanza.
So, the termination of JO workers of the past administration is normal, just “fair play” as described by the new governor, who reminded those who lost their jobs that they should have expected it as soon as a new chief executive was proclaimed.
The jobs massacre would have been total, as the workers in the ax list included JO nurses at the Eastern Bicol Medical Center and the district hospitals.
However, the governor saw the necessity of keeping the essential health workers employed at least until July 15, cognizant of their role in caring for sick constituents, until their replacements are chosen and properly oriented.
Another normal consequence of a new leadership is the drive to control the legislature by hook or by crook, in a bid to ensure swift passage of key measures proposed by the governor especially with regards to funding key projects and programs or securing huge loans.
Last Monday, despite Gov. Azanza’s alliance having only two elected members in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, it managed to snag two key committees – appropriations and infrastructure – with another one firmly in the hand of another willing partner.
Again, this was a foregone conclusion, said a political observer, as the legislators need funding for their proposed projects that only the chief executive can provide.
The same scenario is being repeated in other provinces where voters swept out the old and welcomed the new, in moves that reflect the modern application of Machiavellian politics of the 1500s Italy.
The times may have changed but the core principles popularized by the Renaissance diplomat remain relevant: political realism grounded on human behavior; the primacy of state security and stability; the strategic use of virtue and vice through the judicious use of deception, force, and manipulation; the management of appearances and reputation especially in the Internet age that highlight the importance of political theater and symbolism; and the need to adapt to changing circumstances with flexibility.
This early, the new administration appears to be on its way to fulfilling most of its campaign promises. And majority of islanders wish him well.
What it needs to steer clear of in the next two years and 11 months are violations of law or abuse of power that could give rise to unfortunate consequences in the next elections.
All may be fair in love and political conflicts, but voters always know when a ‘visitor’ in the people’s house has overstayed a warm welcome.