There is logic to the argument in favor of broader representation in the government for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. While the House of Representatives already allow for this, partly also through the party-list system, the same cannot be said of the Senate, the Cabinet and other key government agencies.

That more senators be elected, and regionally, should already be considered. But pending constitutional amendment to this effect, the government must also exercise conscious effort to name more regional people to executive positions. In the case of constitutional bodies, most definitely, they should already have broader representation.

The main argument is this: If the government sees logic in granting the power of autonomy to certain areas like the Muslim Mindanao region and the Cordilleras, why can’t it move on the need to also represent these regions more effectively in government entities other than the House of Representatives?

In the Supreme Court, for instance, of the 15 justices composing the en banc today, only three are women. And it doesn’t seem like any of the sitting justices is either Muslim or is from Mindanao or the Cordilleras. At least, Justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura is from Samar, and Justice Lucas Bersamin traces his roots to Abra.

Supreme Court information indicates that Abdulwahid Bidin was the first Muslim named associate justice. He was appointed by President Corazon Aquino in 1987. The vast majority appointed to the court were Catholics. Two of the more prominent non-Catholics were Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos and Chief Justice Reynato Puno, both Methodists.

Regional, or even religious affiliation, becomes a significant factor particularly in the court, with legal cases nowadays dealing with issues ranging from religious tolerance to reproductive health. One cannot help but recall the case about 20 years ago involving a Manila trial-court judge who had refused to impose the death penalty—when it was still allowed by law—because it was against his religious conviction.

At the Commission on Elections (Comelec), of the seven sitting commissioners, all are men and only one is Muslim or from Mindanao. There is no Cordillera representation. Admittedly, at the Comelec, since 1986 the government has been somewhat consistent in making sure that Muslim Mindanao is ably represented.

But how come no female Comelec commissioner has been appointed this time around? The last woman to sit as Comelec commissioner was Luzviminda Tancangco, who retired in 2004. Other women who had served at the Comelec over the years include Harriet Demetriou and the late great Haydee Yorac.

At the Commission on Audit (COA), while two of the three sitting commissioners are women, not one commissioner is Muslim or hails from Mindanao, or from the Cordilleras. But perhaps there is strong motivation to naming more women to the audit body, given the possibility that womenfolk, in general, are incorruptible more than men.

At the Civil Service Commission (CSC), of the three sitting commissioners, only one is female, while another is a Muslim from Mindanao. This somewhat makes the CSC, with a medical doctor—and appointee of the previous administration—as its chairman, the most broadly, fairly and diversely represented constitutional body to date in terms of region, religion, gender, political affiliation and professional background.

To President Aquino’s credit, Muslim royalty Rasol Lamping Mitmug of Lanao del Sur was named Civil Service commissioner in April. The 61-year-old Mindanaoan is the fifth child of Datu Mitmug Lucso and Bai Hadja Sittie Raikan Lamping, heir and heiress of the Four Royal Houses of Lanao. Commissioner Mitmug was appointed in place of Commissioner Cesar S. Buenaflor, whose term ended in February.

A professional bureaucrat, Commissioner Mitmug started as a lowly college instructor at the Iligan Capitol College. He later moved to the Department of Public Works and Highways offices in Marawi City and then in Tawi-Tawi, and then the Office of the Regional Commissioner in Cotabato City.

In 1976, in part due to his accounting background, he started a 35-year career at the COA, serving in various capacities. Prior to being named to the Civil Service Commission, he was regional director of the Audit office at Region XI based in Davao City.

Of course, regional affiliation will always take a back  seat to performance and capability. One does get appointed to government simply for the sake of pandering to regional groups or influential sectors. However, competence, capability and integrity are obviously not limited to those from Metro Manila.

As such, a wider, broader and more comprehensive executive search, the type with regional representation also in mind, should be encouraged as the Palace continues to fill government vacancies with presidential appointees. The time has come for people outside Imperial Manila to be appreciated and recognized.

Comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it