Lawyer Vic Rodriguez is out to prove that he was never the many names he was called or accused of being during his time as executive secretary, among them “kapit-tuko” (tight-gripped) for power.
He was no doubt the main character in the Marcos presidential campaign. Most people thought the Marcos win would catapult everyone who went along with him to tenure for as long as Marcos Jr. held power.
But it wasn’t the case for Rodriguez, the chief architect of the Bong Bong Marcos campaign. In fact, according to him, things turned sour almost immediately after his appointment as the executive secretary that he had to leave the Palace only 79 days into the Marcos presidency. He stepped down in September 2022 citing his family coming first as his reason.
The possibility of him working for the administration again is not entirely closed, he said, but the lawyer is set to do it with only one clear purpose.
“If I will be of use and service for the country, for the people, I might,” he said during the private launch of his tell-all book “Kingmaker, The Hardcopy.”
“But I’m not here to please or serve a man. I can work with anyone but I am not willing to work for somebody if it’s not for the benefit of the Filipino people,” he said.
In fact, the administration still tried to swing him back into the fence, Rodriguez shared.
“In addition, I was asked, during the latter part of last year, hindi ko papangalanan mabuting kaibigan ko ito. He was asked to relay the message to me. They can deny this, I don’t care but I trust the man, ito lalaki ito that they tasked to relay the message to me,” he said.
“How does chairmanship of SBMA sound to you?” He said.
He agreed on the condition that he will overhaul the board and put his board of choice.
“Papayag ako kako, basta papalitan niyo ‘yung board, board is board ko,” he said.
“I’ll bring in former secretary of National Defense and former chief of staff of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Boy Faustino.”
“I will bring in former (AFP) chief of staff and medal of valor awardee Bob Bacarro.”
“I’ll bring in former ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines) head and bemedalled military officer Kit Teofilo among my board and I will make SBMA a showcase na kayang gawin sa Pilipinas simulan natin sa maliit,” he said.
“Hindi na sila bumalik, ayaw nila ‘yon,” he said.
Rodriguez’ resignation came weeks after his name was dragged into the supposed illegal importation controversy in the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
Following his exit from the Marcos cabinet, the former “Little President” announced that he will still serve as chief of staff to the president.
Rodriguez made his tell-all in his book, “Kingmaker. The Hardcopy” where he revealed everything; from the reason he joined the Marcos campaign despite the ill-gotten wealth and human rights record of the family, the issues and the answers to every criticism thrown at him and the reason he left the cabinet shortly after.
