May 31, 2006 · Posted in: Governance, Investigative Reports
DAP official resigns on eve of Kalaw’s takeover
ON the eve of the formal turnover and oathtaking of Antonio Kalaw Jr. as the new president of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), a top-ranking academy official has tendered her resignation in protest of the selection process even as outgoing president Eduardo Gonzalez expressed hurt over a “deeply divided DAP” he is leaving.
Dr. Grace Gorospe-Jamon, acting dean of the DAP’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (GSPDM), submitted her letter of resignation effective June 1, 2006 to Gonzalez yesterday. In one of his last official acts as DAP president, Gonzalez accepted Jamon’s resignation on the same day.
In her letter, Jamon called the manner of Kalaw’s assumption into office “unprofessional and unethical” and “a travesty of the very same values we teach and advocate to uphold not only in the school but also in DAP as a whole.”
“I can no longer continue to represent the school with the same moral ascendancy after this dark episode in DAP’s life as an independent and respected institution,” said Jamon, an awarded and esteemed associate professor of political science for 28 years with the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of the Philippines where she teaches and does research in the area of religion and politics.
Jamon, who assumed as acting GSPDM dean in July 2005, has also done research assessing the legislative performance of members of both Houses of Congress. She also serves as consultant to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Revenue Enhancement.
Kalaw was elected by the DAP board of trustees on May 20 amid accusations that the voting was a farce. His election followed a series of events that DAP insiders charged was according to a script fashioned by Malacañang, beginning with a March 31 desire letter from Arroyo declaring Kalaw as her choice for DAP president.
Bidding farewell to DAP officials and staff yesterday, Gonzalez said he was leaving, hurt by the sad memories evoked by the last days of his presidency. “We have been left with the debris of unresolved hurt. The recent events have produced a deeply divided DAP where hostility, mistrust and instability prevail.”
“A serious harm has resulted,” he said, “as the moral order was put in jeopardy by the abdication of established norms and gross violation of ethical standards. Sa mga matatagal na sa DAP — ngayon lamang nangyari ito — sabi nga nila never in the history of DAP has this ever happened. At ang mga pangyayaring ito ang nagdala sa kasalukuyang kinasasadlakan ng DAP.”
Gonzalez also said he now even fears for his and his family’s safety as the car they were riding on the way home the other night was suddenly hit by a sharp metallic object akin to an axe.
“It crashed through the right rear windshield, which broke into a thousand pieces. Observers said it was deliberately thrown by a professional hand. The intention was really to harm,” he said.
Interestingly, Gonzalez was not invited to tomorrow’s turnover and oathtaking ceremony at the Assembly Hall of the DAP Building at the Ortigas Center in Pasig City.
In the invitation letter sent out to announce Kalaw’s election and appointment, Jimmy Yaokasin Jr., chairman of the DAP board of trustees, continued to defend Kalaw’s selection, citing the value in having a homegrown candidate fill up a vacancy as head of agency, especially if the position is a career position.
“A qualified insider has the institutional memory about the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the threats and opportunities of the organization, which can be used to craft a strategic vision andplans with the help of the internal staff and external experts,” Yaokasin said.
Yaokasin added that Kalaw’s selection also best promotes the career system since he is “from the inside who rose from the ranks, been in the agency for 30 years and is highly concerned with the welfare of employees and (the) future of the institution.”
A career executive service officer (CESO), Kalaw however ranked only seventh among eight candidates shortlisted by a search committee formed by the DAP board.
9 Responses to DAP official resigns on eve of Kalaw’s takeover
Juan Makabayan
May 31st, 2006 at 7:34 pm
Antonio Kalaw Jr. as the new president of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP)
is GMA’s agent of destruction, to wreak on DAP the havoc GMA is wreaking all over the nation.
“We have been left with the debris of unresolved hurt. The recent events have produced a deeply divided DAP where hostility, mistrust and instability prevail”
Jon Mariano
June 1st, 2006 at 6:10 am
This is the right way to protest:Resign!
Not all of course can do this as most of the officers rely on their salaries for their livelihood…
Huseng Bulag
June 1st, 2006 at 10:20 am
Welcome home, Dr. Grace Gorospe-Jamon. Though we may never meet in our lifetime, your name shall forever be etched in our memories – the few, the brave, the principled. Worthy of emulation, a little candlelight that will keep us stumbling in the dark.
dappers_at_large
June 1st, 2006 at 9:22 pm
Mali ang ginawa ni GMA na pag endorse kay Kalaw. Dahil wala siyang authority to appoint the DAP president, sumulat si GMA sa mga BOT members thru BOT Chairman Jimmy Yaokasin upang piliin si Kalaw. Influence peddling ito kaya arbitrary and tantamount to abuse of power.
Mali ang pagsunod ni Yaokasin sa sulat ni GMA. He conspired with GMA in the arbitrary and abusive use of power sa pamamagitan ng pagsulat sa BOT members na piliin si Kalaw.
Mali ang ginawa ng DAP BOT. Hindi ginawa ng mga miyembro ang kanilang tungkuling pumili sa pinakamagaling na pangulo ng DAP. As a body, the BOT conspired with GMA and Yaokasin in the arbitrary and abusive use of power.
Mali ang pagtanggap ni Kalaw sa GMA endorsement at DAP presidency. He conspired with GMA, Yaokasin and the BOT in the arbitrary and abusive use of power.
Bakit hindi dapat pangulo ng DAP si Kalaw? Maliban sa nabanggit na ng PCIJ, ito ang iilan pang kadahilanan.
Una, wala siyang abilidad as manager. Hindi n’ya napasaayos ang pagpatakbo sa DAP Tagaytay. At bilang overall superior sa DAP security, responsable siya sa milyones na halaga ng laptop computers at LCDs sa DAP Pasig at DAP Tagaytay na ninakaw for the past four years.
Pangalawa, hindi nga qualified si Kalaw maging SVP for Programs or SVP for Regional Operations, DAP pa kaya?
Pangatlo, hindi ibig sabihin na dahil DAPper ka at matagal ka na sa DAP, pwede ka na maging pangulo. Competence ang kailangan dito. May iba ngang qualified na DAPpers hindi kumandidato dahil alam nila gaano kabigat ang responsibilidad ng isang pangulo.
Pang-apat, merong Graduate School of Public and Development Management and DAP. Nakakahiya na ang DAP president hindi man lang nakapagtapos na MA.
Kaya, Pangulong GMA, nakakahiya po ang pinili mong DAP president. Maawa ka sa kanya. Ilipat mo na siya sa ahensiya ng gobyerno na kaya n’ya.
Agila
June 2nd, 2006 at 11:22 am
I feel so sorry to say the least for the plight of our comrades at DAP. They are victims of bad governance of the Arroyo administration. As they say, birds of the same feather flock together. That’s why the new DAP president is there.
Gone are the days when delicadeza was a virtue among our politicians. Appointments now are made on the basis of who the appointee knows, not what he knows.
I feel sad about the demoralization among the technical staff of DAP. How can they work effectively if their leadership is in doubt. I hope Mr. Kalaw will realize the folly that Malacanang and he have introduced to the DAP corporate governance system.
I also feel sad that the supposedly intelligent and decent members of the DAP BOT did not do their homework. Together, they epitomize the corruption in our country’s political system. (Do you still wonder why government cannot perform its mandate with flying colors)? And what about DAP’s role in anti-corruption initiatives?
Ah, those who cannot walk their talk, preach!
Quo vadis DAP?
maharnilad
June 4th, 2006 at 9:59 am
maharnilad said,
While I don’t agree with the reasons she cited, I applaud Ms. Gorospe-Jamon’s decision to resign, as this would somehow bring closure to this controversy and everybody can move on. Obviously, she can’t get attuned with the incoming leadership so it is best for her and the Academy to part ways. At least, by her action, she has shown the way for the naysayers-if you don’t like the system
get out of it – otherwise, put up and shut up.
So much hullabaloo was generated by this incident. I can’t help but notice the strong feelings aired by some readers. While I respect their opinions, I find some of them fallacious and highly presumptuos. As I see it, this case was nothing but a simple powerplay among the wannabes. It seems that those “losing candidates” and their supporters can’t get over the outcome of the selection process and now resorting to different tactics just to cast doubts on the integrity and capability of the annointed one, in order to derail his appointment.
It is deplorable considering that the recipient of this unfounded accusations is a homegrown CESO executive and has been in the Academy for almost 30 years, as mentioned in the report. In addition, he holds a baccalaureate degree in Mass Communications and a masteral degree in Public Administration both from the University of the Philippines. True, he did not publish a book but does this preclude him from being a good president? Does he not deserve to be given a chance to prove his worth? It’s a shame if we believe the arguments raised by those quibbling critics, especially those coming from DAP. For me their actions is a painful reminder of “crab mentality” among Filipinos.
It is also disconcerting to hear from an outgoing president dignify this absurd claim of “division ” which undoubtly, he attributes to this incident describing it as lingering and historical. Instead of mediating he chose to inflame the situation by his statements sounding as if the Academy is doomed. Worse, his insinuations of threat of physical harm is farcical if not outrageous. I wouldn’t be surprised if next time he would claim of finding a horse’s head on his bed. I wonder what is he up to? No wonder he was not invited in the inauguration ceremony.
Hopefully, everything will come to an end with the assumption of the new president. As for Mr. Kalaw I wish him the best of luck. I pray for him to be magnanimous and just concentrate on doing a good job. He should keep steering the Academy towards the higher purpose of moving the country forward and serving the people.
cod
June 4th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
“We have been left with the debris of unresolved hurt. The recent events have produced a deeply divided DAP where hostility, mistrust and instability prevail.”
“Sa mga matatagal na sa DAP — ngayon lamang nangyari ito — sabi nga nila never in the history of DAP has this ever happened. At ang mga pangyayaring ito ang nagdala sa kasalukuyang kinasasadlakan ng DAP.”
These things happened during your watch. Who is to blame?
Agila
June 7th, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Kalaw’s record shows that he is not a good manager. Millions lost through computer theft? Well, some people get axed for such performance. Some become president.
The end does not justify the means. Granting that Kalaw’s becoming a DAP president is good, the means of getting it is unprofessional, unethical, and unfair – simply bad. That is the issue at DAP. The others are peripheral.
mannyj_md
June 8th, 2006 at 8:32 am
What is happening in DAP is a reflection and a very sad commentary on what is happening to our country today. The supposedly mature and capable leaders are once again acting like spoiled brats. If they can’t get what they want, they’d rather destroy the institution. What a shame! Instead they should join hands and humbly work together, heal the wounds and the hurts, and move on, all for the betterment of the institution that they profess to love.