Honorable Secretary Boy Abunda?

We are not such snobs as to turn our noses up at the prospect of showbiz gossip talk show host Boy Abunda joining the second Aquino Administration. As one of our commenters has pointed out, writing off someone just because he’s from show business is just about as intelligent as believing someone is great just because he is.

Senator Ramon Bong-Revilla Jr, for example, wrote and passed many laws in between shooting his Panday films. Senator Vicente Sotto III was able to pass the Sotto Law protecting journalists and their sources. True, many actors in public service should not be. But for every former Quezon City councilor Ara Mina, there is a Manila vice mayor Isko Moreno (whom, we hope, is pretty good at his job, otherwise the entire argument falls on its face).

To be fair to Mr. Abunda, he knows how to sell. He can sell his talents and he can certainly sell the incredibly ridiculous outfits he wears on his shows.

Almost.

Probable President Benigno Aquino III had this to say, “He is an icon in the country and even more so for his ability to communicate, to understand the audience and to be able to advance a particular set of ideas.” And that is probably true.

What rankles is not that someone from show business might be appointed to a government post but the manner that that appointment probably came to be. Mr. Abunda shares the stage of his gossip show with Mr. Aquino’s sister Kris and we cannot be faulted for thinking that Kris had something to do with the possible appointment.

Mr. Aquino’s three other sisters already have a say on who he hires to run his government and he has already announced that his long-time counsel and childhood friend  Pacquito Ochoa Jr will serve as his executive secretary. Getting Mr. Abunda to join his government will suggest that instead of the government of the people that he promised, he prefers to keep things all in the family.

(If it helps, you can read this aloud in a fake British accent. I did.)

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