THE DISSENTING VOICE OF FORMER @NEDAhq chief Ernesto Pernia:

Over the past three years and nine months, there were numerous times Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia went against government narrative, to feel the pulse of people as a development policymaker.

In 2017, when the government was pushing hard for federalism, Pernia said a shift in government system would “wreak havoc” on the economy.

In 2018, he went on to clarify a misinterpreted statement of a P10,000 budget for a family, and said that a typical family of five needs at least P42,000 monthly for a “decent” living.

When Duterte rejected loans from EU aid in 2017 bec. the bloc was critical of his drug war, Pernia quickly said such is not gov’t policy. Of course, later in 2019, the opposite happened when Duterte told officials, in another instance, to reject aid from UNHCR reso signatories.

Of course, on the flip side, there was also his infamous defense of the drug war being a “necessary evil” early on his term, but unlike most other officials, Pernia has been speaking his mind a lot, even going at loggerheads with Palace spokespeople.

Just before the coronavirus outbreak disrupted everyone, Pernia also said that a non-renewal of ABS-CBN Corp.’s franchise would have an “adverse impact” on investor sentiment.

In 2018, while inflation was peaking to more than 9-year high, Pernia was clear on how TRAIN contributed to rising prices, a fact @DOF_PH tried to temper on its PR at the time. However, Pernia was also slammed for telling Filipinos to “tighten your belts” while inflation rose.

Pernia was also possibly the only Duterte administration official who, from the very beginning of his term, has given credit to the past government’s work that contributed to the economy’s strong footing today.

His comments in China also evolved while he was in office, reflecting reality that infrastructure projects lined up for funding by Beijing had been slow-moving. He had been open to finding other donors, which of course, contrasted with how Duterte befriended China to the bones.

On the gov’t response to COVID-19, Pernia was again alone in Cabinet in supporting a gradual easing of the Luzon lockdown after April 30 to support a weakening economy. He was the first official to call for mass testing of potential infections as part of outbreak response.

Mass testing, which means people under investigation will also be tested, already started last April 14.

With Pernia gone, it is justifiable to say that the economic team has lost a crucial dissenting voice at a crucial time it may be necessary in crafting overreaching policy.