Doctor and human rights advocate's response to SSS Commisioner Alimurung 's defense of VP Leni - News Spy


Doctor and human rights advocate's response to SSS Commisioner Alimurung 's defense of VP Leni



by Ms. Lorraine Marie T. Badoy

Former SSS Commisioner Michael Alimurung 's defense of VP Leni, posted on his wall and I asked him if I could just respond on my wall bec a number of you have shown this to me and it would be just more convenient for me to respond on my wall.

Anyway, I do understand Comm. Alimurung’s point. But it is hardly a defense of the VP. I’ve read it 3 times and what I am hearing is more a lengthy explanation for why he was put on holdover for so long. A letter of complaint basically.

More importantly, he appears to know nothing about how a housing agency works. And appears even to have conceded to my facts—that the VP did hold just one board meeting and it was 2 months after she sat in office. (not 3 months as I earlier said. My source had to double check.) Which is the crux of why I think this damns the VP who claims to be hardworking.

Doctor and human rights advocate's response to SSS Commisioner Alimurung 's defense of VP Leni

And too, he appears to concede that there indeed were heads of these key shelter agencies –contrary to the VP’s claims that there were NO heads which is why she couldn’t start working.

The KSAs were waiting for the VP to meet with them and they waited until September. VP Leni had no barrier to meeting them—there was nothing to stop her from meeting them. She had free access to them and could’ve talked to them anytime.

The onus was on the VP and she simply refused to meet with them. Until September when it became clear to her that her nominees would not be appointed any time soon.

The holdover heads of the SSS were in a difficult position because they needed policy direction from the administration.

KSAs are differently situated because VP Leni was at the helm. SHE was the one who could have set the direction and there was zero indication that PRRD prevented her from doing so. In fact, the President assigned her and then gave her free rein—as he did with all other appointees of his. She had clear mandate to go get the job done.
And she didn’t—until September.

If she had so wanted, she could have given them direction –and my source says they, indeed, were waiting for her to give them some marching orders. Or at the very least, meet them.

Comm. Alimurung was speaking of his experience here as a board member. The VP was appointed Chairperson of the HUDCC. Big diff.

The good commissioner says he knows that the VP ‘has been hard at work serving our country”. In fact, he has no idea about this at all because SSS is not a key shelter agency and is not under HUDCC.

What speaks volumes to me is the attitude of the VP towards the responsibility given her.

When you make claims that you are for the poor and are given that opportunity to make a huge difference in their lives and you don’t hit the ground running, eager to make that huge difference manifest in the lives of those who need it so badly, and if all you can give are excuses for why you didn’t get the job done, then all I can do is shake my head at the phoniness of it all.