Monday, November 06, 2006
Defense chief submits resignation
MANILA -- Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. tendered his resignation Sunday to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo amid a supposed plan by Malacañang to strip him of his post.
Defense Undersecretary for Legal and Priority Concerns Rodel Cruz announced the secretary's resignation to the media hours after the defense chief submitted his one-page resignation letter to the President.
Cruz handed his "irrevocable" letter of resignation to President Arroyo in a meeting in Malacañang, thanking her "for the opportunity to be of service to our nation," according to a copy of the letter released by the department.
Arroyo's spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, confirmed Cruz had quit, but said without elaborating that she would not take any immediate action on his resignation.
Rodel, who is reported to be the closest to Cruz among the several defense undersecretaries, said the defense chief's resignation would take effect on November 30 but would not elaborate as to what prompted Cruz to quit his post after leading the defense department for more than two years.
Asked if Cruz's resignation has something to do with the controversy on the people's initiative, which the Supreme Court (SC) struck down, Rodel said he doesn't know why Cruz decided to leave the defense establishment.
"I do not know; it's hard to speculate. What I only know is that his resignation is irrevocable," Rodel said. He however clarified that no one asked Cruz to resign from his post, saying that was Cruz's own decision.
Last week, the defense chief said that at least three Cabinet members, whom he did not identify, wanted to get back at him because of his opposition to amend the 1987 Constitution through a people's initiative.
Reports also had it that Malacañang might sack Cruz or demote him as a result of his opposition to amending the Constitution through a people's initiative.
Cruz's partner in the "The Firm", Justice Antonio Carpio, penned the SC decision junking the petition for a people's initiative and dealing a blow to Arroyo.
"Secretary (Cruz) wishes his successor to continue the comprehensive reform agenda under the Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) program that he initiated to professionalize and upgrade the capability of the defense and military establishment," said Rodel.
Cruz, 53, served as Arroyo's chief legal counsel until she appointed him to head the defense department in August 2004 at a crucial time when her government was struggling to tame the restive 120,000-strong military.
Cruz has been at the helm of US-backed government efforts to reform the military -- one of Asia's weakest -- by upgrading training and modernizing war equipment to better fight a nationwide 37-year Marxist insurgency and a decades-old Muslim separatist rebellion in the southern Philippines that has lured al-Qaeda militants to the impoverished region.
Cruz has worked closely with Washington to organize joint US-Philippine counter-terrorism and military training in the country in recent years and has been leading talks with Australia to hammer a Status of Forces Agreement that would allow large-scale military training exercises by Australian and Filipino forces.
"Despite leaving government service, he commits to maintain an abiding interest in ensuring good governance, upholding the rule of law and the pursuit of genuine reforms in our society," Rodel said of Cruz.
After Cruz met the president, he informed military chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and major service commanders of his decision. The officials "expressed disappointment because Cruz has begun many of the ongoing military reform efforts," he told The AP. (VR/JMR/Sunnex/AP)
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(November 6, 2006 issue)
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Another Cebu venue for Asean meet acceptable: Arroyo