Cabinet welcomes 2 new members

President Arroyo convened yesterday her first Cabinet meeting for the year at Malacañang and introduced two new members of her official family who took over the positions vacated by those who resigned in December to pursue elective posts.

New Trade and Industry Secretary Cesar Purisima replaced Manuel Roxas II, who has joined the senatorial ticket of the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4).

Prior to his Cabinet appointment, Purisima was chairman and chief executive officer of the auditing firm Sycip, Gorres and Velayo (SGV).

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Joe Nathan Tenefrancia, meanwhile, replaced Avelino Cruz, who stepped down from his Cabinet post to concentrate on his new role as part of Mrs. Arroyo’s legal team for her presidential campaign.

Tenefrancia was sworn in Monday by Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo while Purisima is scheduled to take his oath of office before the President on Monday. Prior to his new post in the Cabinet, Tenefrancia was a senior partner of the Villaraza and Angangco Law Offices.

"During the Cabinet meeting, the President formally welcomed the two newest members of her Cabinet. They are with us now and we’d like to present them to you," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said, addressing the Palace press corps.

Despite not being chosen as the President’s running mate, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando attended the Cabinet meeting, along with Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jose Lina and Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan.

Fernando shelved his political plans after the President selected broadcaster-turned-senator Noli de Castro as her vice presidential candidate.

It was earlier reported that Lina would be running for the Senate under the K-4.

Bunye announced Sunday that Lina resigned from the Cabinet, but retracted his statement a few hours later. Lina, Bunye said, is keeping his post as DILG chief.

After announcing his senatorial bid, Pagdanganan backtracked because he lacked the personal funds to support his third bid for a Senate seat.

Other Designations

The President also announced her designation of Gen. Victor Mayo, deputy director general of the Office of the National Security Adviser, as officer-in-charge of the ONSA.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez resigned his port and filed his COC before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Monday to run for congressman of Parañaque against Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez.

Bunye also said the President has not decided who will fill the vacancy left by resigned Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon, who is running on the K-4 senatorial ticket.

Bunye said the Department of Tourism was represented in the Cabinet meeting by Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab of the DOT tourism services and regional offices sector.

Bunye could not yet confirm the reported designation of actor-politician Edu Manzano as the new chairman of the Videogram Regulatory Board (VRB) to replace Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., who is also running for senator under the K-4 ticket.

Controversial presidential adviser on overseas Filipinos Heherson Alvarez was absent from the meeting.

Alvarez denounced members of the ruling party for easing him out of the K-4 senatorial lineup.

Presidential campaign spokesman Michael Defensor said Alvarez still remains in the fold of the administration, even after Alvarez criticized the Arroyo administration’s "sacrificing the EDSA II ideals" by including allies of deposed President Joseph Estrada in its senatorial ticket. Defensor said the Palace doors "remain open" to Alvarez.

Alvarez said on a radio program yesterday that he was offered his old post as agrarian reform secretary - which he filled during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino.

Independent Thinker And Business Executive

Tenefrancia, who turns 42 this year, figured prominently in the Estrada impeachment trial in 2000 and 2001.

"I’m a lawyer and lawyers are independent thinkers," Tenefrancia told Palace reporters. "We will base all our judgments on the facts and, as a lawyer for 14 years, that is how I have been and I will continue to be that way."

Purisima, 42, has promised to continue Roxas’ campaign to enlarge the growing ranks of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country and keep a close eye on the prices of food and other basic goods in the wet markets.

However, Purisima said, he is not going to be the "Mr. Palengke" that Roxas was. "I’d rather continue focusing on DTI as a whole," he said. "DTI is a very big agency."

Purisima said he is "very pleased" to join the DTI, adding that he found his first Cabinet meeting "very interesting. I was there as a keen listener, listening to the President and the other Cabinet members giving their inputs on various aspects of the economy."

He said the National Price Monitoring Council is set to convene this week to look into consumer complaints about the high prices and shortage of dressed chicken, which began over the Christmas season, when there was a big demand for poultry products.

"My plan is to continue what Secretary Roxas has implemented in the past three years," he said, adding that these initiatives are "basically the programs of the President."

Purisima said he wants to put particular focus on "SMEs and entrepreneurship."

"We will also continue to encourage foreign investors who are already here in the Philippines to make sure that we continue to retain them... (and) to invest more in the country," he said.

His "interests" are to push forward the administration’s programs to attract call centers and other information and communication technology (ICT)-related industries.

The fledgling call center industry, Purisima said, is expected to grow by another 100 percent and the Philippines is "well-positioned" to be the alternative call center site to India in Asia.

"We will focus on some of these programs and we will continue to work with other departments to make sure we address the programs of the President to help our fellow Filipinos improve their status," he said.

Purisima said he is now in the process of completing his divestments from his private business interests after deciding to join government service.

The DTI helm was the second government position offered to Purisima by the President, he said, adding that, shortly after assuming the presidency in 2001, Mrs. Arroyo asked him to join the Commission on Audit (COA) but he declined her offer.

Purisima said he finally gave up his job with SGV, where he worked for almost 24 years, and took a pay cut to boot to enter government service. "Government service is something that has always intrigued me," he said. "It’s my first try at public office. I thought it was a good time to make a move and try the public sector."

Appointed before Tenefrancia and Purisima were Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert, who fills the vacancy left by the late Blas Ople, and Acting Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez. Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong resigned to pursue his bid for election as congressman of Maguindanao.

There are now nine women in the Cabinet - Albert, Gutierrez, Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Environment Secretary Elisea Gozun, Presidential adviser on absorption of official development assistance Marita Mapili-Gimenez, Presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles, Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin and Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong.

The President said this is the largest number of women in the Cabinet in history.