Never outshine the master

By Alex P. Vidal

“Always mistrust a subordinate who never finds fault with his superior.” — William Collins

WE won’t be surprised if one of these days or weeks – or even months – the wings of Junvic Remulla will be unceremoniously clipped.

The flamboyant secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been blatantly and openly “violating” The 48 Laws of Power’s Law 1 that says, “Never Outshine the Master.”

Remulla has been “outshining” every major dude in the country’s political Cinerama – including the master himself, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Even in smallest items or unfussy subject matter, Remulla wanted to be always in the front seat; he has been excited to always run the show, so to speak, even if his presence and oration weren’t sought and needed.

He goes solo and is ahead of almost everything from announcing the number of people to be jailed in the Payatas jail made exclusively for flood control project criminals, to the whereabouts of suspected billionaire scammer Zaldy Co, the timetable for Harry Roque’s arrest, the possible hideouts of missing sabungero suspected mastermind Atong Ang and his protectors in the NBI, to the announcement of the motive in the twin murders of a lady cop and her son, etcetera.

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In all these publicity stunts, Remulla’s presence in the press conferences and media interview monologues weren’t really necessary. But he loved them. He enjoyed doing them. The guy’s so loquacious and already hackneyed.

When it comes to the game of “epal,” Remulla, 58, is neck and neck with Cristina Frasco, 44, the 18^th secretary of the Department of Tourism, under the Marcos Jr. administration, who is also a publicity freak.

“Epal” is a Pinoy slang term derived from “mapapel” (one who wants a role), referring to a person or politician who is an attention-grabber, a scene-stealer, or someone who butts into situations where their presence is not needed or welcomed.

It is often used to describe someone meddling or craving attention, often in a negative or annoying way like what Remulla and Frasco have been doing.

Remulla should be told to read Robert Greene’s very popular book, which we serialized in our newspaper column in 1998, the year it was published, if he doesn’t want his presidential ambitions to vanish in thin air.

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He must learn from Alcibiades’ horrific experience.

The brilliant but incredibly vain Athenian statesman and general (c. 450-404), who thrived on publicity and popularity, was known for his extreme extravagance, immense vanity, and talent for self-promotion.

His ambitious, often erratic, and self-serving actions—including switching allegiances between Athens and Sparta—led to him being ostracized and eventually murdered in exile.

And who can forget Narcissus, known for his excessive self-love and for rejecting the advances of others?

The famous figure from Greek mythology renowned for his extreme beauty and intense arrogance, son of the river god Cephissus and nymph Liriope, was cursed by the gods to fall in love with his own reflection and eventually perished from his vanity?

And Bellerophon, a hero who, after slaying the Chimera, became arrogant and tried to fly Pegasus to Mount Olympus to join the gods? Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, causing Bellerophon to fall to the earth, where he lived out his days as a blind, broken wanderer.

In Law 1 of Greene’s book, he – or anybody in Remulla’s position for that matter – must see to it to make his superiors feel superior, not threatened.

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By making them seem more brilliant and taking a backseat to their talents, you gain favor, while showing off your own skills can trigger their insecurities, leading to resentment and potential downfall, according to Nathan Glass and Shortform Books.

“You should attribute ideas to them, ask for their help, and generally deflect attention from your own brilliance to secure your position,” says Readingraphics and the official Robert Greene TikTok.

People in power need to feel smart and deserving; your brilliance can threaten that, notes Shortform Books.

Let them take credit for your good ideas; ask for their advice and act as if their guidance led to your success, say Nathan Glass and the official Robert Greene TikTok.

Don’t show off or point out others’ mistakes, as this makes them look bad and breeds resentment, writes Medium.

Make your boss seem more brilliant than they are; this secures their favor and helps you climb, according to Reddit users.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)