How The President Of The Philippines Got Rid Of All Government Officials!

One of the exciting aspects of writing this  worldworthy online column is that the readers (so far!) are spread out in 50 different countries, stretching all over the world from Australia and New Zealand in the East to the USA and Canada in the West, and from Sweden and Finland in the North to South Africa and Chile in the South  --  and including even such unlikely lands as China, Croatia, Latvia, Mexico and Morocco!

And when I spot the Philippines on my readers-radar, I naturally can't help recalling a humorous article I had written long ago, in response to President Ferdinand Marcos' attitude towards bureaucrats (a tribe to which I myself belonged).  What happened actually was that in September 1972, when talking to a television audience in the context of the imposition of Martial Law, the President said that he would like to sack all bureaucrats if he could.  Obviously he didn't mean it word for word, and was perhaps only trying to strike a humorous pose in a grim situation where he would be shuffling a lot of civilian and military personnel to ensure compatibility with the new regime.  But his statement was reported widely in the whole world, and it provided excellent grist to my Shankar's Weekly mill!

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Glossary

(in same order as in text)

FMG  --  One of three vital imaginary characters I've mentioned earlier in this blog: please see: Filemaster-General And Ali Babu Go Away On Furlough! , Rulemaster-General Vs. Bulky Rules Commission , and The Taskmaster-General Tackles A Tricky Task.

PUC --  In the notes written in Govt. of India files (still being done substantially in English), an inward communication causing the context or issue being discussed is called Paper Under Consideration, or just PUC.   

 

DFMG, AFMG, HQF  --  Deputy FMG.  Assistant FMG,  Headquarters Filemaster.

Admn.  --  Administration.

Flag A  --  Thin slips of paper stencilled to the top of various papers referred to in the notes are called 'flags', marked A to Z. 

 

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Shankar's Weekly

8 October 1972

Exit filemasters!

I HAVE no idea how the bureaucracy has been functioning in the Philippines, but I guess the office procedures there must have been more or less the same as in any other country.  If this presumption is correct, I expect that the following correspondence and notes would have materialized in the Government files before President Marcos told the TV audience about his decision to sack all bureaucrats.

 

*****

 

1

 

 

THE PRESIDENT'S SECRETARIAT, MANILA

Top Priority

Sept. 21, 1972

To the Filemaster-General, Manila

Sir,

Subject :  Filemasters, resignation of.

The President is pleased to order that all Filemasters and their staff  (including the FMG and his staff) should submit their resignations immediately.  I am directed to request you to issue necessary instructions to all concerned in the matter, under intimation to this office.

This may kindly be treated as urgent.

Yours faithfully,

Signed  21-9-72

Private Secretary to the President.

 

*****

 

2

 

PENCIL ENDORSEMENTS ON MARGIN OF PUC

 

DFMG may please see for immediate action.

Initialled   23/9

FMG

 

 

*

 

 

AFMG  --  Let me see disposal by 25/9.

Itd.  24/9

DFMG

*

HQF  --  Notes, pl.

Itd.  25/9

AFMG

*


Admn.  --  Pl. put up at once.

Itd. 25/9

HQ Filemaster

*****

3

 

 

NOTES IN THE OFFICE OF THE FILEMASTER-GENERAL, MANILA

 

 

The PUC may kindly be perused at Flag A.  The President has been pleased to order that all Filemasters and their staff (including the FMG and his staff) should resign immediately.

In compliance with the above orders, I am hereby submitting my resignation, which may kindly be accepted.  HQF may kindly see the PUC for disposal.

Sd.  26/9/72

Dealing Assistant

*


I also beg to resign.  AFMG may kindly see PUC for necessary action.

Sd.  27/9

HQF

*


Same with me.  DFMG may like to see PUC for action, if any.

Sd.  27/9

AFMG

*


I am also resigning herewith.    FMG may kindly see PUC for such action as he deems fit. 

Sd.  28/9

DFMG

*


I am also resigning. The PUC may please be filed, if there is anybody in the office.

Sd.  28/9

FMG