Dureza’s gaffe, Mar’s folly

Amid talks of extending the term in office of President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III, let me share with you this sort of a public confession from a former Cabinet member of two past presidents of the country. Having walked the corridors of power at Malacañang Palace during those times, former press secretary Jesus “Jess” Dureza came out with his personal accounts of how term extension likewise hounded former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos (FVR) and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) during their respective last two years in office.

In particular, Dureza confessed how he un-intentionally started the furor on GMA’s suspected plans to lift the term limits for all elected officials, including the President. Dureza wrote in the weekly news update from Advocacy MindaNOW Foundation, Inc. how he got “burned” by his own inadvertent float on GMA term extension.

Dureza likened his case to now Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas II who also served once in the GMA Cabinet during her succession into office from deposed President Joseph Estrada under whom he also served as Trade and Industry Secretary.

Due to space constraints, I have to cut the rest of the article (denoted by X-X-X) but the essence of Dureza’s recollections remained intact. So here’s Dureza’s first person account:

I have a complaint to make.     

When Sec. Mar Roxas made public his own intentions of extending P-Noy’s term, Malacañang appeared to be patting him on the back. But in my case, when I prayed in a cabinet meeting during GMA’s time playfully hinting on term extension, I got  “burned” in the process. Why oh why? Perhaps, someone can help me explain. (ha ha ha!)

IT’S A PLOY — Yes, presidents who are nearing the end of their terms always have this issue of term extension on their plates. It is a usual ploy resorted to by out-going presidents so that everyone will still have to reckon with them to avoid the inevitability of being viewed early as a “lameduck.” That way, they can still have everyone guessing and watching their every move, rather than be ignored up to the end. So what else is new? X-X-X

DURING FVR TIME — I remember towards the last years of FVR’s presidency I saw how some FVR boys, seemingly appearing to be on their own and second guessing their boss, were pushing for Charter change, only to abandon the idea towards the end. Some “got burned” in the process.  But FVR managed to remain above the fray.     

DURING GMA TIME — During my work with GMA, the scenario was a bit different. When I was press secretary, GMA was herself showing discomfort even at suggestions or speculations that she wanted to stay beyond her constitutional term. I could tell up close that she was anxiously counting her remaining days and wished to get it over with, although there were the usual sycophants who wished otherwise. X-X-X

CABINET PRAYER — Here goes. Every Tuesday meeting, cabinet secretaries took turns in leading the prayer. Malacañang press, especially the photogs were allowed to shoot only and take photo ops but would have to leave when the meeting got underway as discussions were “off the press.” It was my turn that Tuesday and my daughter and Head Executive Assistant, Ning had a well written prepared prayer text for me to read.  At the strike of 10 a.m., all cabinet secretaries, including the President, were already on their feet with bowed heads and eyes closed ready for my prayer. For one reason or another, I could not find the text from my folder. I was frantic coz I had not done, ever, impromptu prayers before, unlike many I know who had memorized by heart the usual incantations. So, I had to improvise on the spot. I went by instinct uttering light-hearted words as they spontaneously came. I started off by asking God to forgive my forgetfulness in losing my copy, “perhaps, this can be due to my age”; then I recall saying some words of welcome for the assumption of “ageing” Senate President Johnny Enrile, that he was already so old for that position and if God could help him out, or words to that effect. Then I asked for God’s blessings for birthday celebrant Sec. Art Yap but wished and prayed that he would serve “lechon baka” over lunch (a relief from the usual meager sandwiches during cabinet meetings). I went on like this and I was already noticing some of my colleagues like Sec. Bebot Bello raising their bowed heads and trying to suppress laughter. Finally, I came to the end part. And this was where I got into trouble. I recall fervently saying:  “And finally Lord, we pray that our President be given the good health, wisdom and fortitude to serve this country until 2010”  (Ahem, I paused...) then I remember adding naughtily, “and perhaps beyond” (and seeing GMA already negatively reacting), I hurriedly added my planned final punch line: “in her private and personal capacity,” although this was less audible due to the chatter of reactions. But hell hath broken loose by then. The cameras were whirling and clicking and recording for posterity something that was later called as a clear admission by no less the president’s own alter-ego and spokesman, that  “aha” there were indeed plans of serving “beyond 2010.”  Of course, that took national center stage because at that precise time, we in Malacañang were trying hard to deny or downplay speculations that GMA had sinister plans of staying in office for another term by amending the Constitution. The cabinet was abuzz and amused. But not GMA. Instinctively, she told me to go talk to the cameramen and ask them to keep the whole episode “off the record” and not air their film clips. Of course, I knew this was a valuable scoop and no media man would agree. 
 NO INTENTIONS — Sure enough, within less than an hour, the airlanes were choking with the news. Some blared: THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG; PALACE CAUGHT RED-HANDED; PRESIDENT’S MAN ADMITS CHA-CHA PLANS, etc. X-X-X The president was so angry that she did not speak to me for sometime. X-X-X” 

Postscript. That Cabinet meeting took place in November 2008 and three months later, Dureza turned in his letter of resignation, citing the need to attend to his ailing wife. Mrs.Arroyo would later run in May 2010 election and won as Congresswoman of Pampanga.

In yesterday’s mass for the 31st  death anniversary of his slain father, P-Noy again played along, this time with Palace chaplain Monsignor Daniel Tansip who echoed aloud his prayer to see the incumbent President to continue in office beyond 2016. 

Déjà vu! Pardon my French. Learning from Dureza’s gaffe, we now see Mar’s folly gaining fire.