‘It was up to them’

In a meeting three weeks ago, Malacañang had made it clear to the two erring Monetary Board (MB) members that they would have to resign on their own to resolve the ghost employee controversy surrounding them, as the President would not interfere with the legal action that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) was pursuing against the people involved.

This was confirmed by President Marcos’ Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to reporters on the sidelines of the Swedish National Day celebration on Thursday last week, June 6, at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati.

ES Bersamin confirmed that the two MB members who had hired ghost employees visited Malacañang three weeks ago to explain their involvement in the ghost employee controversy.

Malacañang, however, ES Bersamin said, made it clear to them that the President would not interfere in the investigation and disciplinary process that the BSP was undertaking.

“It was up to them,” he said.

Malacañang had also made it clear to the two MB members that they could not appeal again to the Office of the President “once a case is docketed against them,” the Executive Secretary said.

However, according to ES Bersamin, Malacañang did not give the two MB members a deadline on making a decision on what course of action they choose to take. Hence, the long wait for the submission of their resignation letters.

ES Bersamin acknowledged that the controversy appeared to have been fanned by an internal leakage from the BSP and the banking sector, or from those who may have an interest in the matter.

True enough, the rumor mill went on overdrive.

The Executive Secretary confirmed that they had received the resignation letter of MB member V. Bruce Tolentino. (On Wednesday last week, The STAR broke the story on Tolentino’s resignation).

As of Thursday night, ES Bersamin had not yet seen if the other MB member had actually sent a resignation letter to Malacañang.

Online media platform Bilyonaryo, however, had reported on Thursday night that MB member Anita Linda Aquino had already submitted her resignation.

Malacañang and the BSP have not made any official announcement as of yesterday.

But even before a formal announcement of the two vacancies following the resignation of Tolentino and Aquino, the rumor mill is already churning out several names that could be considered for the soon to be declared vacant and coveted MB positions.

Social media has already floated the possible candidates which include a former BSP deputy governor, a sitting board member of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp., a former official of the National Treasury and several seasoned bankers.

Let the games begin!

Diplomatic farewells

At the Swedish National Day celebration, Swedish Ambassador Annika Thunborg announced that she would be leaving her post after serving three and a half years as Sweden’s top envoy in the Philippines.

During her stay in the Philippines, Ambassador Thunborg had overseen the visit of Sweden’s Minister of Trade Johan Forssell last year, the visit of State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Jan Knutsson, leading Swedish industrialist and banker Marcus Wallenberg, and Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson who graced the Swedish National Day celebration at the Fairmont Hotel where he gave a speech.

Also departing is Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente who will be saying his farewell to President Marcos on June 11. Ambassador Clemente will be sorely missed by Filipino students to whom he had been trying to introduce Italian operas.

During his three year stint in the Philippines, Ambassador Clemente had worked tirelessly to introduce Italian opera to Filipino youth, including those in underprivileged communities.

Enhancing security and defense ties

In his speech, Swedish Minister Jonson highlighted Sweden and the Philippines’ cooperation that he described as “closer, deeper and more comprehensive than it has ever been before.”

Minister Jonson cited recent favorable agreements between the two countries, which include the recent signing of an implementing arrangement for defense acquisition, a joint memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation and the resumption of free trade negotiations between the European nation and the Philippines.

He also expressed Sweden’s desire to deepen collaboration in such areas as defense innovation, cyber and space “if the Philippines so wishes.”

Jonson highlighted the presence of more than 40 Swedish companies in the Philippines that are active in infrastructure development, green transition, defense, security, aerospace, cyber and space.