‘Rocky’ to GMA: So sorry

Press Undersecretary Heraclio "Rocky" Nazareno has apologized to President Arroyo for drunkenly urinating in an airborne jet carrying the presidential delegation last month, and said he was ready to face the consequences of his "moment of weakness."

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Nazareno sent a letter of apology to the President expressing regret "for causing embarrassment to himself and to the Arroyo administration."

"Undersecretary Nazareno is very repentant about what happened and said that he is leaving his fate in the hands of the President," Bunye said.

After issuing his apology, Nazareno was transferred yesterday to the office of Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Hernani Braganza, who recruited Nazareno into government service when Braganza was appointed press secretary last year. Braganza and Nazareno, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, are both members of Ateneo’s Utopia fraternity.

Nazareno’s transfer from the office of Press Secretary Milton Alingod was directed in Special Order No. 1390, dated yesterday and signed by Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Waldo Flores.

Nazareno’s transfer to Braganza’s office was authorized for a period of six months and was made effective immediately, the special order said.

The transfer order was signed a day after Nazareno apologized for the incident.

"I deeply apologize about all the shattered expectations... How I wish I could deny it. But it was one moment of weakness I’m really sorry about," Nazareno said in his apology.

The President reportedly ordered Nazareno’s "transfer" after the undersecretary, who was very drunk on board the flight that carried the President from her trip to Europe last month, urinated by the jet’s emergency exit, which he apparently thought was the lavatory.

Alingod confirmed that the incident occurred during Mrs. Arroyo’s flight home to Manila after speaking at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in Paris last month.

Nazareno went on official leave following the incident and reported back to work on the media coverage of the state visit of US President George W. Bush last Saturday.