Ronnie Puno is ISAFP consultant

Despite opposition from her allies in civil society, President Arroyo has accepted the "voluntary" services of Ronaldo Puno, a former supporter of ousted President Joseph Estrada, to help in the government’s anti-drug campaign and prevent the rise of "narco-politics" in the country.

The President said Puno, a former secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, may work as head of a non- government organization (NGO) or an anti-crime watchdog agency under the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) headed by Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus.

She revealed she has enlisted Puno’s services in an interview with political talk show Strictly Politics hosted by Pia Hontiveros on Tuesday night.

During the July 15 dialogue with the President, the Kongreso ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kompil), an alliance of people’s organizations and NGOs, asked her not to appoint supporters of Estrada to her inner circle, specifically Puno, his brother former Press Secretary Ricardo Puno, and former Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Secretary Jose Jaime Policarpio Jr.

Chito Gascon, a member of the Kompil secretariat, had said at the time they "were assured that the Estrada henchmen were not being recruited into government ... We can put the matter to rest even as we remain vigilant as certain quarters will continue their attempts to try to inflict these persons and others with the same probity on the public once again."

Mrs. Arroyo told the political talk show that she had discussed with her Cabinet members the Puno issue before accepting his offer of service. "The suggestion that everybody thought would be ... the best way is that he would help in the same way that Dante Jimenez helps. Dante heads the VACC (Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption). Dante heads his anti-crime NGO. So Ronnie would possibly be helping as an NGO," she said.

Puno "will be helping out in the anti-drug campaign. But that’s not with me, for instance, he will help Victor Corpus and he will help ISAFP because is very strong in fighting narco-politics and preventing us from becoming a narco-state," she said.

The July 15 meeting with Kompil was an apparent attempt by Mrs. Arroyo to stifle growing dissent from among the ranks of her former supporters. In the meeting, Mrs. Arroyo impressed upon Kompil leaders that as president, she has to make hard, unpopular or unacceptable decisions to her EDSA II allies such as them.

Mrs. Arroyo clearly told Kompil leaders that her decisions would be guided by dictates of national interest and not pressures from groups that disagree with her or from any quarters.

As to the case of Policarpio, the President said they "have not talked about any role" for him.

The President recalled that Puno talked about his "volunteered" services with her husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, during a fund-raising golf tournament.

Mrs. Arroyo reiterated during the interview that she will not be coerced by any group, even from "civil society."

Kompil has supported Mrs. Arroyo’s ascent to the presidency via EDSA II.

"I may listen but that does not mean that I will have to capitulate every time in all these issues ... that they will withdraw support in every disagreement with me. That’s not the way a government is run," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo said that "the President is in the best position to know what can be done, what needs to be done to achieve a certain target, a certain outcome because that’s the reason why our government is a presidential form of government."

The President acknowledged that making "tough decisions" will not sit well with some of her EDSA II allies. "I believe in what I’m doing, then let them withdraw support."

She said her government is "not a coalition government or a junta or a council of elders."