His two-year government career as Capitol chief security officer is going downhill for Loy Madrigal but it’s not just about “morality”.
It has to do with respect – or the shocking absence of it.
If Madrigal really understood the demands of his job, and more importantly, the standards of his boss, Gov. Hilario Davide III, he wouldn’t be waiting for a second chance.
Why should Madrigal prolong his stay with a leave of absence, while guaranteeing that someone else resign first – the woman, whose affections and company he must share full responsbility in keeping?
When Governor Davide asked Madrigal to resign last week before even starting a disciplinary hearing, the “superman” of the province’s anti-illegal fishing task force should have taken a hint.
The confidence, built up from one law enforcement success to another, had just lost its center of gravity.
Davide jumped the gun on a full-scale investigation by appealing for a quick resignation that would have put out the smoke in a scandal over a forbidden office romance.
But he’s still waiting for his Capitol security chief to get over his self-image as the hero of small fisherfolk victimized by illegal fishing operators.
An exit will be a big loss to the province, no doubt.
Not many have the dedication and bragadoccio of Madrigal to run after big-time fishing operators
But will the task force collapse without him? Not likely. Others will step up for the challenge.
Madrigal is one of a handful of co-terminous officials in the governor’s close circle.
That status alone requires a higher than usual standard of honor in performing one’s job because, let’s face it, Davide staked his 2013 campaign on a “Mr. Clean” platform and a return of “decency” in government.
“For me the issue here is one of morality,” Davide was quoted as saying.
“Looking at the photos, it was clear that there is a relationship,” he said, commenting on the candid photos of Madrigal and his secretary, the troubled wife of another man, seated close together in an airport terminal, relaxing in a pose familiar to intimiate couples.
Of course, Davide knows more than the photos tell. In a bureaucracy, where macho politics and pragmatism often colors decisions, it’s refreshing to see a leader call it as it is, and speak as “father of the province” who demands a higher standard of conduct.
Exposed in public, Madrigal has little choice but to gather what’s left of his ego and face the music.
“It’s my private life,” said Madrigal when the photos first surfaced on line.
Not anymore.