On ‘motherhood statements’ of public officials

By Jose B. Maroma, Jr.

In corporate planning workshops, participants are advised to avoid ambiguous statements of objectives. These are called motherhood statements, designed to please but with no specific details for implementation.

In the face of current pressing problems, our government officials are fond of issuing vague generalizations to provide cosmetic cover for blunders, biases and incompetence. There are no reliable timelines, just moving targets. Here are a few of them:

-We are on top of the situation.

-The government is doing its best to address all health concerns.

– Reform measures are in place to weed out scalawags in uniform.

– Heads will roll, erring officials will be made to answer.

– The President is a lawyer, he knows what to do.

– The WPS issue will be resolved in a friendly manner.

The foremost exponents of ambiguity are Sec. Roque, Sec. Duque and Usec Vergeire. Of course, there are many others but they are not as cocky or outspoken.

Roque is the slickest of them all. In the US, he will be characterized as a used car salesman who sells you a Toyota and you drive off feeling you bought a Mercedes. He is so glib-tongued that he can easily sell refrigerators to the Eskimos.

Duque is a fumbling spokesperson who straddles both sides of a controversial issue because he does not have the guts to stand on one side. A master at squid tactics, he would normally preface his reply to an adverse comment with this template phrase, “I respect the opinion of the gentleman but…….” This is then followed by a long-winded and nebulous explanation after which one is tempted to ask, “Excuse me Sir, but will you please repeat what you just said?

Vergeire is the least controversial, a dutiful subordinate who observes extreme care that she toes the official line with her monotonous style of delivery which is neither provocative nor interesting.

It must be lonely up there in the higher enclaves of power where one has to juggle information and propaganda. The favorite topic is not herd immunity. It’s about a herded community.

The author is a retired civil engineer from Cabatuan, Iloilo. He likes to spend his time reading and writing on the burning issues of the day.