The resignation no one asked for…

CTALK By Cito Beltran - PhilStar
Considering no one really asked for his resignation, Antonio Villar, head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group has made such a performance and a show of his planned resignation. His job and responsibility is certainly difficult, life-threatening and thankless. But the last thing Villar should be doing is acting like a spoiled sport or sore loser in the play ground of life.

This piece is quite hard for me to write since I have time and again openly supported the PASG and its efforts. But one does not go around threatening or announcing your resignation just because somebody stepped on your toes or pinned you too hard or decided to make the game personal.

Yes, Mr. Villar has real enemies and yes, all of them have not stopped at trying to make his work and his life miserable. But he knew this the day he took on his job. He knew what came with the territory when he chose to go to war against smugglers. If things have become very rough and almost like a persecution then it is only time to assess how the PASG started as the “Men with a Mission” to becoming “The Glory Boys” and ending up as “The Usual Suspects”.

According to news reports no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo advised PASG Chief Villar: “It’s a demolition job. Wag mong patulan. Just do your job”.

Sorry but I beg to disagree. The President is obviously so inoculated by her PR boys that ignoring or not dignifying issues has become their most effective strategy. Being in denial or ignorance will simply guarantee incompetence and disaster.

For starters the PASG should have built up its strength, alliances and resources while building up its reputation of integrity.

From the very start the PASG showed an understanding of how media partners were valuable but failed in building strong and real alliances with crucial groups in business, church, and sectors that could provide not just funds, but information and technology. Sectors whose clout would give a “force field” from the attacks they are now under.

Lone Rangers might seem like great role models but they only ride away with Silver and Tonto! I remember an important lesson I learned on “Oprah”; allowing others to help you can be your gift to others.

In hindsight, Villar ought to restudy his tracks or as they say backtrack and figure out how and where things got twisted or complicated. For starters what was the PASG’s mission/vision statement. Was it hunt down any and all smugglers? Were they equipped to do so or was it a suicide mission that came with a guaranteed seat in hell?

Were they suppose to be an honest to goodness group that had the backing of government “All the way” or were they just a cosmetic creation of the media savvy spin doctors of the Arroyo Administration?

Remember the saga of Joseph Estrada and Panfilo Lacson who found their units being dropped like hot potatoes when they started becoming effective and popular?

The President may have told Villar to just keep doing his job: but the question is with what army? With what firepower? And is she going to be in the arena or sitting somewhere in the coliseum? It is folly if not idiocy to think that the battle against smugglers can be won by a rag tag die hard band of idealists. To slay this giant will require no less than the President getting her hands bloodied!

Has Villar succeeded in controlling the PASG or has it over extended or fractured into too many battles and too many goals? One successful mission is very exhilarating and rewarding than several half-assed operations that have to be justified, qualified or defended as they now have to in Congress.

Demolition jobs are a reality in his line of work, but Villar in trying to state his case against organized smuggling has verbalized his criticisms versus the Bureau of Customs and the LTO. This unfortunately now haunts him in the form of suspicions that he is aspiring for the job of Customs Commissioner.

In the past few weeks, Villar has shown his skill at communicating his exasperation if not his being fed up and angry. If the PASG Chief simply exercised some wisdom he could effectively clear the air and tell the people what their mission is, what their vision is, and what they are not aspiring for!

If PASG Chief Antonio Villar simply chose to be humble about the situation, all it would take would be a few supporters, a few allies who could mend fences and a heart filled with humility to confess where the PASG may have made mistakes and unwittingly made enemies.

Yes the world is full of jerks and crooks Antonio but no need to be like them just to make a point. If you do they win, we lose!