The Maniobra Series: Sa Likod ng Eksena: How decisions are made

We mentioned “yes-men”—Loyalistas placed in key positions not just to run government offices but to ensure the administration’s control. In between them are career bureaucrats—legitimate officials who climbed the ranks and handle government operations.

From bureau chiefs to assistant secretaries and undersecretaries (often “thank-you” positions for political appointees), these are the real people whose signatures and instructions affect millions.

This is where governance actually happens.

People assume decisions come from long-winded EXECOM or MANCOM meetings—dodgy, official-sounding government-centric discussions.

But governance doesn’t only happen in official meetings or through memos. These are just the aftermaths.

“Set ka nga ng meeting with–saan ba niya gusto mag-lunch?” usually sets the precedent. It’s nothing sinister. Most in power know that deals aren’t struck in conference rooms with stale coffee—it’s at the far-end tables of a fancy restaurant near government offices and in between actual meetings.

Policies, appointments, and budget allocations aren’t solely determined by formal processes. They are often prearranged through backchannel deals, where political elites and business leaders negotiate before anything becomes public.

By the time a bill is passed or a budget is approved, the real decisions have already been made.

Now, is this korapsyon rearing its ugly head? Yes and no. Yes, because big deals happen beyond public scrutiny. No, because some argue this is cultural—many productive agreements happen in informal settings. But the coin has two sides.

If institutions were strong, accountability mechanisms would kick in and iron out these deals. But in reality, powerful individuals push for policies that benefit them. Regulatory agencies that oversee industries are often headed by people from the same sectors they regulate, ensuring that rules serve business interests rather than the public good.

This system ensures that reforms threatening political or economic power don’t even reach Congress. Corruption investigations stall, budget priorities shift, and key positions go to those who maintain the status quo.

When the public sees a decision being made, the real power play has already happened.