MANILA — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s plan to resign as national chairman of Lakas-Kampi-CMD is simply party tradition, “passing the torch” to the party’s standard bearer, a Palace official said Saturday.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s candidate for president, will be quitting his Cabinet post effective November 15, 2009.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Saturday that Arroyo’s resignation as national chairman is due to reasons of practicality and tradition.

“Among others, she has to pass the torch of leadership to (Defense) Secretary (Gilbert) Teodoro. Second, it is the tradition at Lakas that whoever will be standard bearer also becomes head of the party,” he said.

The Palace clarification came after Representative Carmelo Lazatin told a national newspaper Friday that Arroyo is quitting as Lakas head during a closed-door meeting held at the Fontana Convention Center in Clark Freeport Zone. (more)

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the President is qualified to run in any elective position in 2010 elections other than the presidency.

Macalintal, who served as Arroyo’s election lawyer in the 2004 presidential elections, said that at present, there had been no discussions about the President’s plans after her term ends in June 30, 2010.

He said it is a personal decision and judgment that Arroyo would have to make amid calls from some allies and fear from her critics that she might run for Congress or even the vice presidency.

”She has not said anything about any plan to run for public office. Let us just wait until December 1. Let’s have more suspense on this issue,” Macalintal said. (more)

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the move stemmed from the President’s issuance of Executive Order 817-A last October 30 following recommendations from the National Firearms Control program Executive Committee to extend the initial one-month amnesty period implemented from October 1 to 30.

“Now, the President needs to extend gun amnesty… supposedly until October 31 only, so it was extended from November 1 to November 30. Why? A lot still wants to avail of gun amnesty,” he said.

The Palace official hoped that people would avail of the extension and not wait for the last minute in availing of the amnesty. (more)

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Tuesday that BIR’s Senior Deputy Commissioner Joel Tan-Torres will act as the bureau’s officer-in charge for the meantime.

“In the meantime, the President has designated Mr. Tan Torres, a veteran BIR official, as officer-in-charge of the BIR pending the appointment of a regular commissioner,” he said.

Remonde meanwhile wished Esquivias luck for his future endeavors, saying that his service to the government was well appreciated.

“We appreciate his delicadeza,” he added. (more)

Press Undersecretary Anthony Golez said while he is not aware of the exact reason of the President of amending Proclamation 1808, he could consider that the effect of the weather disturbances has changed the mind of Arroyo.

“For reasons that I can only speculate maybe because there are so many unproductive man hours brought about by the typhoons, brought about by the different calamities around the country which affected both the manpower or both the worker and the employer,” he said Monday.

Eid’l Adha is celebrated November 27 and 28. President Arroyo earlier declared these dates as national holiday since it is one of the greatest feasts of Islam.

For employers, said Golez, holidays “could increase their cost of production or at the same time their expense is much bigger.” (more)

The blaze, which claimed 16 lives, occurred early dawn Monday in a two-storey boarding house in a slum community in Central Bacolod.

“The President is extending her deepest sympathies and condolences to the families who died in Bacolod City,” deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said in his weekly briefing at Malacanang.

Golez, who hails from Bacolod, described the tragedy as the worst in the city.

About 46 houses were gutted by fire, which lasted for nearly two hours.

The Bacolod City Fire Department declared the blaze under control by 3 a.m. (more)

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde over government-run dzRB radio said that Arroyo also called up local disaster management officials to follow up on her order.

“She ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to undertake clearing operations immediately,” Remonde said.

The President already talked to disaster coordinating council chairmen at the regional and provincial levels Friday night on the matter. (more)

Arroyo went to Manggahan village in Pasig City, one of the areas hit hardest by the typhoon.

She inspected the area and met with village officials there before leaving for Napindan village in Taguig City.

Accompanying her on the visits were Press Secretary Cerge Remonde and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.

“The water in the Pasig River came within an inch of spilling),” Yap said.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Coordinating Council Chairman (NDCC) chairman Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. went to Laguna province to assess the damage caused by “Santi.”

Earlier reports indicated at least one child was killed while 645 families were affected in Sampaloc village in Pagsanjan town. (more)

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the President still have indefinite plans due to the threat of Typhoon Santi (international codename: Mirinae) to the country.

“Santi”, which is projected to intensify as super typhoon, is scheduled to make its landfall Friday night and expected to strike the areas of Central and Southern Luzon including Metro Manila.

Remonde said President Arroyo’s schedule would depend on the typhoon situation.

Arroyo, with her family, is expected to visit the graves of her parents the late President Diosdado Macapagal and First Lady Evangelina Macaraeg at the Libingan ng mg Bayani, and her in laws’ graves Ignacio Arroyo at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City and Lourdes Tuason-Arroyo at the Tuason Mausoleum at the Manila North Cemetery. (more)

Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello said Tuesday that a group has been formed to scout for a possible successor to Teodoro and other cabinet secretaries who have hinted of political plans in 2010.

Bello said they still do not have anyone in mind to succeed Teodoro, who also chairs the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

Teodoro on Monday announced he plans to resign so he could concentrate on his presidential plan for 2010.

He said he does not want to be left behind by other presidentiables while attending to his duty as defense secretary and NDCC chief.

Teodoro said he needs two weeks to wrap up pending tasks at the defense department. (more)