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Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Palace denies 6 Cabinet men to quit 'out of disgust'
MALACAÑANG Monday denied that six members of the Arroyo Cabinet are planning to resign from government "out of disgust" over the administration's alleged fraud and electioneering activities.
Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the claim of opposition senatorial candidate Francisco Tatad of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) is totally baseless and a mere part of the "art of disinformation" that the former senator supposedly perfected.
Bunye also denied reports that Arroyo jumped the gun by asking for the courtesy resignations of the Cabinet secretaries after she supposedly learn of the plan of her six appointees.
"We made the announcement last week that during the Cabinet meeting, the members of the Cabinet were requested to turn in their courtesy resignation. This is to give the President a free hand and this is consonance with the practice of the President being able to reorganize the Cabinet at any given time. All members of the Cabinet serve at the pleasure of the President and we realized that we can all be replaced at any given time," Bunye said.
As of Monday afternoon, only Bunye and Press Sec. Milton Alingod have filed their courtesy resignations. Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo reminded the Cabinet to submit their courtesy resignation last Friday, during the first Cabinet meeting after the elections.
Budget Sec. Emilia Boncodin, one of the six Cabinet members who is reportedly planning to resign, laughed off Tatad's claim.
Boncodin and Justice Sec. Merceditas Gutierrez said the only resignation letter that they would submit is their courtesy resignation which other Cabinet secretaries are also required to submit.
Boncodin added that the courtesy resignation is necessary to give the President a free hand in reorganizing the cabinet. She said she would file her courtesy resignation as soon as she arrives from her home province.
Boncodin also denied she was pressured into releasing funds for President Arroyo's campaign prompting her to quit while Gutierrez said her confidence on the administration remains intact.
Social Welfare Sec. Corazon Soliman and Labor Sec. Patricia Sto. Tomas in separate radio interviews also denied they are disgusted with the Arroyo administration. The two other Cabinet secretaries reportedly planning to quit are Trade Sec. Cesar Purisima and Tourism Sec. Roberto Pagdanganan. JMR
(May 18, 2004 issue)
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