Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Defense chief won't quit
DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said he is not going to resign from the defense portfolio, dismissing a call by former senior government officials for the Cabinet members of the Arroyo government to resign.
Interviewed after attending the opening rites for this year's Balikatan exercises between US and Filipino forces, Teodoro believed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has not caused someone to do illegal or immoral things to warrant his resignation from the defense department.
Last Sunday, at least 60 senior officials from the Aquino, Ramos, Aquino, Estrada and Arroyo administrations led by former ambassador Alberto del Rosario called on the incumbent Cabinet men to "cut clean" and to expose the alleged wrongdoings by the Arroyo government.
"Why should I resign? It's my answer. The President has not ordered me to do anything illegal, immoral. I have not seen her order anybody to do anything illegal or immoral so why should I resign," Teodoro said.
When asked what will he tell to those who are asking his resignation and of the other Cabinet members, the defense chief just said: "You know its useless for me to tell them anything or not, that's just my position on the matter."
Teodoro, a former Tarlac congressman, assumed the defense portfolio late last year.
He has since been trying to insulate the military establishment from partisan politics and at the same time pushing for reform programs.
The group of del Rosario called for the resignation of the Cabinet members and of President Arroyo after a prayer rally at the La Salle University in San Juan City, principally to air support for national broadband network (NBN)-ZTE prime witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr.
In his testimony before the Senate, Lozada linked First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo and former election chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., among other personalities, to the questionable broadband network project with China's ZTE corporation. (VR/Sunnex)
