Mercado quits Cabinet over selection of Abadia

You just can’t please everybody.

Barely completed, the Arroyo Cabinet got its first resignation yesterday when Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado quit over the appointment of former Armed Forces chief Gen. Lisandro Abadia as national security adviser.

Abadia immediately offered to resign.

Prior to the resignation, the President named former Press Undersecretary Noel Cabrera as acting press secretary, Joemari Gerochi as acting secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Avelino Cruz as chief presidential legal counsel.

"I resigned today," Mercado told reporters. "One of the reasons is the appointment of General Abadia."

He said Abadia was chief of staff when officials uncovered a case four years ago involving the misuse of P5 billion in the Armed Forces Retirement and Separation Benefits System (RSBS), the military’s pension fund.

Charges against top military officials are still pending in the Office of the Ombudsman.

"How can I serve in the Cabinet together with the national security adviser when I initiated the probe against him?" Mercado asked.

In a television interview, Abadia offered to resign while denying any wrongdoing in connection with the RSBS scandal. He said no case has been filed against him by the Ombudsman and wondered why Mercado was hounding him with allegations, suggesting political motivations.

"He’s running for the Senate. I don’t know if this is part of his campaign strategy at my expense and to attack the administration at my expense," Abadia said.

Mercado’s departure was a clear blow to Mrs. Arroyo’s fledgling administration, especially since a Cabinet official was linking it to a military corruption case, and the President has made clean government a top priority.

Mercado, a holdover from the collapsed Estrada administration, said he told Mrs. Arroyo about his decision prior to the start of her first news conference as President yesterday.

She reportedly responded that she would take the resignation under advisement, but Mercado said he told her it was certain.

"I have been trying to reform the defense and military procurements, putting this through the Internet for transparency. It was difficult and I wanted to stay a little longer to finish this but... Then we have somebody who is the object of our reform... suddenly he’s there. We’re supposed to be teammates," Mercado said.

Both Mercado and Mrs. Arroyo said the resignation would not affect the military’s stability.

"I don’t think we should read anymore into this resignation. This has in no way anything to do with recent stories," Mercado said, referring to rumors about a coup plot.

Rumors of a possible coup against the newly installed administration have continued to swirl in recent days, and were further fueled yesterday by the defense chief’s resignation.

Mercado said he would probably just focus on preparing for his Senate bid. He had been planning to step down Feb. 12 to become eligible for the election in May.

More appointments

It was another busy day for the President yesterday in terms of issuing appointment orders.

Joining Cabrera at the Office of the Press Secretary is the new press undersecretary for broadcast, Serge Remonde, a member of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.

Cabrera, a veteran newspaperman, said he will remain press secretary until such time the President‘s selection committee names a permanent choice.

Named president of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) was Ephraim Genuino, an active Arroyo supporter.

At the DENR, Secretary Antonio Cerilles formally tendered his "irrevocable" resignation to the President after his replacement was named yesterday.

"It has been a rare privilege serving you for three days. I honestly believe that any new leadership should be given elbow room to select officials to lead the country," Cerilles stated in his letter.

Gerochi, his replacement, was agriculture undersecretary during the Ramos administration. He also served as administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA) and director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an attached agency of the DENR.

Mrs. Arroyo appointed more "Ramos boys" to top government posts, including Arturo Valdez as transportation and communications undersecretary; retired Maj. Gen. Leo Alvez as presidential assistant for military affairs; Rene Villa as presidential assistant for Western Mindanao; and Jesus Dureza as presidential assistant for eastern Mindanao and officer-in-charge of the Mindanao Economic and Development Council.

Alvez had served as head of the Presidential Security Group assigned to then President Fidel Ramos.

Meanwhile, the former President said yesterday that he had not influenced Mrs. Arroyo to appoint people closely identified with him or his administration.

"If you are talking about my people, they are now GMA’s people. They are their own people," Mr. Ramos told a press conference.

‘Credit grabbers’

In Tarlac City, a prominent leader of a group that first convened the anti-Estrada movement, denounced the mad scramble for key Cabinet positions in the new administration.

Former Tarlac Rep. Jose "Peping" Cojuangco, head of the Council on Philippine Affairs (COPA), said most of those now lining up for key positions are "people who had not taken a single step or even dropped a single bead of sweat to oust Estrada."

"These credit-grabbers are miserable," said Cojuangco as he clarified that his group is not against Mrs. Arroyo but the people that surround her.

It was Cojuangco and the members of COPA who first helped Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson expose Mr. Estrada’s illegal gambling collections.

COPA was responsible for coordinating the divided left, rightists, moderate groups, business organizations and Catholic and Protestant churches in staging anti-Estrada protests.

Cojuangco stressed that he is not eyeing any position in the fledgling government, and that if the President offers him a government post he would turn it down.

"We are only after the simple courtesy of recognition for those who truly deserve it," he said.

At Malacañang, the President reassured COPA and other groups who contributed to the success of people power II that they are not being ignored.

"There is enough credit to go around, for COPA and for everyone who contributed. Nobody’s contribution is going to be diminished."

She pointed out that the appointments are not over yet.

"There are still many vacant positions, and certainly, there is no intention to leave COPA out of governance," Mrs. Arroyo said. — With reports from Liberty Dones, Jose Rodel Clapano, Ted Torres, Rey Arquiza, Marichu Villanueva, Benjie Villa, Ding Cervantes, Jaime Laude