Saturday, August 02, 2008 'Division' prompts guv's top aide to leave Capitol By Ian Ocampo Flora
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Governor Eddie Panlilio's chief-of-staff has broken his silence over his sudden resignation from the Capitol and cited some of the reasons why he decided to quit his post.
Archimedes "Archie" Reyes said Pampanga does not deserve a bickering and divided leadership between the legislative and executive departments. He said the Panlilio administration also does not need division and disharmony within the executive department.
"Since I'm one of those who support the clamor for the replacement of Atty. (Vivian) Dabu as provincial administrator, I believe I can no longer be of help to his (Panlilio) administration," Reyes disclosed.
Reyes, who served as the priest-turned-governor's chief of staff for more than a year, tendered his resignation last Tuesday. He will no longer be part of Panlilio's administration effective on Friday.
Although he already quit his job, Reyes has a piece of advice for Panlilio: "It would be better for the governor to maintain a smaller six-person team whose members are loyal, committed to one another, and competent enough to deliver what the province deserves."
Reyes was placed in the limelight late last year after he received the brown bags containing P500,000 for Panlilio and Bulacan Governor Joselito Mendoza during a meeting of local officials in Malacañang.
In separate text messages, Panlilio said he is thankful for the 13-month service rendered by Reyes to the Provincial Government.
"From his stint at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), he joined me to help in the good governance program. As he returns to the private sector, I wish him the best with assurance that he remains my friend," Panlilio said.
Panlilio said Reyes has not stated his reasons for resigning and he thinks the resignation may have something to do with the "pressures and challenges" of public governance.
However, the text message of Reyes confirmed the earlier statement of a source at the Capitol that Dabu was one of the main reasons for his resignation.
Earlier, a source from the Capitol said Reyes had been thinking of resigning after being "disenchanted with the way things have turned out" in the Capitol.
"He quit because he no longer likes what has been happening in the Capitol," the source said, who also alleged that Dabu is among the reasons behind Reyes's resignation.
The source added that other prominent names and supporters of Panlilio have detached themselves formally and informally from the priest-turned-governor for reasons similar to that of Reyes.
