Malacañang defends Bunye from Sotto tirades

Malacañang officials defended Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday from criticisms lobbed by former President Fidel Ramos and former senator and opposition leader Vicente Sotto III.

Ramos and Sotto earlier denied Bunye’s statement that what transpired in their Monday meeting with Senate President Franklin Drilon wasn’t "flattering" to Sotto and Drilon.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and political adviser Gabriel Claudio said Bunye had probably interpreted Ramos’ statement to mean that he would not join the opposition with Drilon and Sotto.

Ermita and Claudio did not divulge what was discussed with Bunye, saying only that Ramos’ statement was the most probably basis for Bunye’s comment.

Claudio earlier said that Ramos had informed him that he was attending a high-level meeting of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party on Jan. 14 and meeting of the Council of State on Jan. 24 to put an end to speculations that he was severing ties with President Arroyo.

It had been speculated that Ramos met with Drilon and Sotto following a disagreement over the ongoing Arroyo administration initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution and change the country’s form of government.

Ermita and Claudio added there was no reason to question Ramos’ support for the Arroyo administration.

"Former President Ramos will always be a unifying factor especially during these times that we are hounded by a political crisis. He will never be part of those who want to destroy the government," Ermita said.

Mrs. Arroyo is battling an opposition campaign to force her from office over allegations that she cheated her way to victory in the hotly-contested 2004 presidential election.

Earlier, Sotto chastised Bunye, saying he had no basis for commenting on what transpired at the meeting with Ramos and Drilon because he wasn’t there.

"This is the best example of double hearsay — incompetent, inadmissible and incredible," he said, adding that Bunye should "limit his press briefings to issues and concerns affecting the President and should not venture into the realm of the unknown."

Ramos’s spokesman, Ed Malay, said it was improper for Bunye to speak about the meeting since his information had merely been relayed to him by Claudio, who had only spoken to Ramos by phone about the meeting.

"Secretary Claudio merely informed the presidential spokesman of what FVR (Ramos’ initials) supposedly told him. But what if this was not what FVR and Claudio really discussed?" Malay said.

Malay did not say what Ramos had told Claudio on the phone. There was no comment either from Ramos or from Claudio.