Cabinet men eye courtesy resignations

Cabinet members planned to tender courtesy resignations to President Arroyo last Thursday but Malacañang officials, worried that the gesture could be construed as abandonment of the Chief Executive, shot down the idea.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the matter of courtesy resignations was raised during the first day of the two-day Cabinet workshop at Malacañang last Thursday. It was the first Cabinet meeting since the President announced last Dec. 30 her decision not to run in the 2004 presidential elections.

Cabinet members reportedly wanted to give the President a free hand in reorganizing her official family to achieve her administration’s three priority goals.

But Bunye said the proposal "was ruled as unnecessary since the President can change any Cabinet member at any time."

Meanwhile, President Arroyo is expected to formally announce major changes in her government priorities tomorrow when she delivers a policy speech at Malacañang during the traditional vin d’honneur or New Year reception for the diplomatic community.

One Cabinet official told The STAR that the proposal for courtesy resignations — made by newly named Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong — was roundly applauded by other members of the Cabinet.

Despite the wide acceptance of Datumanong’s proposal, it was shot down by Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao.

"Courtesy resignations might be misconstrued as a sign of abandonment," the same Cabinet official, who refused to be identified, quoted Tiglao as saying.

The idea of tendering courtesy resignations was earlier raised by Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairman Michael Defensor amid changes in the Cabinet. Defensor, the youngest of Mrs. Arroyo’s Cabinet members, tendered his courtesy resignation early last month to Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo.

Romulo told Defensor and several Cabinet members who followed suit — Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho and Trade and Industry Secretary Mar Roxas — that the President saw no need for such courtesy resignations.

Reached by The STAR yesterday, Defensor confirmed there was such a renewal of the offer to tender courtesy resignations by the entire Cabinet last Thursday, especially after President Arroyo expressed her desire to pursue a government program that would promote national unity.

"By giving our courtesy resignations, we would give the President a free hand in pursuing her program of national unity," Defensor said.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza told The STAR he agreed with Defensor that courtesy resignations by the Cabinet would in fact help the President "reorganize the Cabinet as she sees fit."

Braganza said their courtesy resignations would be in support of the Arroyo administration’s goal of national unity, to bring in new people who could help achieve her goals for the country.

Mrs. Arroyo earlier vowed to pursue three priority goals of her administration, unimpeded by politics: to rev up the economy in order to create new jobs, to unify the country, and to ensure clean and honest elections next year.

Bunye noted that individual Cabinet members said the President’s announcement of her withdrawal from the 2004 race was initially met "with disbelief, sadness, then gradually with acceptance, and finally with admiration and support."

Members of the Cabinet "are unanimous in their support of President Arroyo’s decision. They... lauded the President for the highest form of leadership — a leadership by example," he added.

One Cabinet member, according to Bunye, "said the decision has raised a lot of expectations which must be met by a strong leadership."

It was at this point last Friday, Bunye said, when one of the Cabinet officials raised the idea of each one of them tendering their courtesy resignations to the President.

Later that day, Justice Secretary (on leave) Hernando Perez jumped the gun on his colleagues in the Cabinet, personally tendering his undated resignation letter to the President at the Palace.

Mrs. Arroyo accepted the resignation of Perez several days after he was accused by Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez of extorting $2 million from him. Perez said in his letter that his resignation would take effect immediately.

The next day, in a full Cabinet meeting presided by Mrs. Arroyo, she asked Datumanong to be her new justice secretary in place of Perez.

In her weekly message yesterday, the President said Filipinos could look forward to "changes" for a better future now that she is no longer burdened with partisan politics because of her decision not to run in the 2004 elections.

The President said the only thing that had changed was her candidacy in the 2004, "but the vision and programs of (her) administration remain the same."

"Because of my decision (not to run in 2004), I hope I have freed the color of politics out of the reforms and initiatives that I would implement in the coming days," she said.

The President did not mention though if she would implement further changes in the Cabinet.

She said she would focus the remaining 18 months of her administration on striving "to bring life to our economy and give meaningful services to our people."