GMA set to make final announcement on revamp

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo will make a final announcement tomorrow regarding the changes in her official family to end speculation and jitters about the Cabinet revamp, her spokesman said yesterday.

Press Secretary Ignacio   Bunye said the President clarified that the revamp, which she disclosed to reporters last month, only referred to him and outgoing Secretary to the Cabinet Ricardo Saludo.

Saludo has been named chairman of the Civil Service Commission. Bunye is moving to the Monetary Board with a fixed term until 2014.

“The President said, ‘I was referring to you and Ric Saludo. When you leave, there will be a chain reaction. When you leave, there are replacements,’” Bunye told the Newsstand Forum at the Ambassador Hotel in Manila.

“Of course these will create vacancies and these will have to be filled, so the so-called revamp is not as extensive as what many would like to believe. This is something that comes every now and then,” Bunye said.

He said Mrs. Arroyo would make the clarification to allay fears of Cabinet officials uncertain of their fate. He said this would allow Cabinet members “to focus on their work.”

A top Palace official earlier admitted that many Cabinet members are having sleepless nights over the shake-up.

Earlier in the day, Bunye said he would disclose the name of his successor on June 6 but later told reporters that an announcement would be made on Sunday.

He said he gave a shortlist to Mrs. Arroyo on his possible replacement and she chose an “insider with a Cabinet rank to shorten the learning curve.”

Rumors swept the Office of the Press Secretary yesterday that Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Jesus Dureza would be replacing Bunye. Employees said a staff of Dureza asked for a copy of the organizational setup and the names of OPS personnel.

Another buzz was that Presidential Management Staff chief Secretary Cerge Remonde would be named as Bunye’s successor, being an official of the broadcast industry.

When contacted by The STAR, Dureza said he heard that he was being considered “but these are still all talks at the moment.”

Bunye said his successor will assume the post of press secretary on June 16 while he will still be the presidential spokesman and adviser for political affairs until July 3.

He said he was not sure whether his replacement would also be the new spokesman.

Deputy Presidential Spokespersons Lorelei Fajardo and Anthony Golez would remain in their posts, Bunye said.