Estrada vows wider Cabinet revamp

We have not seen the last of the revamp.

President Estrada said yesterday there would be more changes in his Cabinet within the next few weeks.

"The revamp of the government is by no means over. But even as we reorganize, we shall also re-energize. In fact, the two processes overlap a great deal. Reorganizing is itself part of re-energizing, since the latter requires the building up of a more powerful team," the President said after officially announcing the first wave of changes in the Cabinet.

In his Ulat sa Bayan (Report to the Nation) aired in a special edition of his weekly radio program, Mr. Estrada announced the appointment of House Majority Leader Mar Roxas III as secretary of trade and industry vice Jose Pardo who was appointed finance secretary.

Pardo replaced Edgardo Espiritu who resigned last Wednesday.

Other appointees were former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Dakila Fonacier as Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner, former STAR editor-in-chief Ramon Farolan as Customs commissioner and businesswoman-lawyer Florecita Flores as Investment Ombudsman.

"I think it will be a more powerful team so I expect to have more accomplishments," Mr. Estrada said.

He also said he has accepted the resignations of about 90 percent of his nearly 100 special advisers and consultants denounced earlier by Espiritu for allegedly meddling in the formulation of major government decisions.

The terminated advisers and consultants, most of whom were receiving P1 a year as token compensation from the government, were directed to destroy their calling cards and letter heads stating they were presidential advisers.

The announcement was applauded by officials, diplomats and dignitaries who gathered at Malacañang to hear the special presidential report.

Mr. Estrada said he was still evaluating the qualifications of other potential appointees to Cabinet posts and other key positions in the government.

"We will study this because it is hard to find replacements," he said, adding that certain people he approached have refused his offer. "Those who are good in their professions are not attracted to a Cabinet position because, first, the pay is low. Second, they are subjected to all kinds of criticisms, true or not."

In the same report, the President announced the revocation of an executive order he issued last year removing the Securities and Exchange Commission from the supervision and control of the finance department and placing it under the umbrella of the Office of the President.

He also announced the deactivation of the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, one of the attached agencies of the Department of Finance.

The reshuffle followed a drastic decline in the President's popularity rating from 78 percent in June 1999 to 44 percent last December as shown by the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

Asked if the reshuffle was expected to improve his ratings, Mr. Estrada said, "I am not hurrying that. I'm not bothered by my ratings."

However, he asserted that his popularity has already recovered to 28 percent in the latest Pulse Asia Inc. public opinion poll.

"I know this will eventually happen," the President added.

He said while he remained committed to his campaign to amend the Constitution, he conceded that for the moment, his Charter change plan must give way to "more urgent, more short-term and more feasible concerns."

Opposition Sen. Raul Roco branded the Cabinet reshuffle as consisting of "vulcanized and recycled" Cabinet officials.

Roco, a member of the powerful bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA), said Mr. Estrada simply "recalled to active service senior advisers and retirees," citing as examples Lim and Farolan, who held the Customs post during the last years of the Marcos era.

"This indicates the Estrada administration is looking into the past instead of to the future. Thus, new initiatives or creativity will not be expected," Roco said.

While he lauded the appointment of senior advisers who allegedly have "sterling records," he likened the move to "borrowing the gold medals of your grandfather in the hope it will add luster to the performance of the President."

On the other hand, the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) doubted the President's pronouncement that he will vigorously pursue the stalled peace initiatives in Mindanao.

MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar pointed out that while Mr. Estrada was professing his sincerity to restore peace and stability in Mindanao, soldiers were pounding MILF positions in Shariff Aguak.

"The President should match his words with action and stop the soldiers from further attacking us," Ghazali said.

He cited, however, the Cabinet revamp, saying he was pleased to hear that the President was doing something to improve his administration.

For its part, the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said it would take more than a Cabinet reshuffle to solve the country's numerous problems.

In a statement, Bayan chairman Rafael Mariano said despite the changes, the people still don't expect any dramatic improvement in their lives "because Mr. Estrada's economic and political policies remain unchanged."

Meanwhile, Roxas said his new role as trade and industry secretary offers him better options to boost his political career.

Roxas, who is rumored to be eyeing a slot in the ruling party's senatorial slate in next year's elections, said as a Cabinet member, he would still be working "in a different way but for the same ends."

"Personally, I am attracted to this chance to work in an expanded area with more tools at one's disposal; to apply myself more intensively in a critical sector; to try and get on the ground the laws and policies I have worked on and see the concrete, direct results of these actions," Roxas said.

He said his decision to accept the Cabinet post was with the concurrence of his constituents in Capiz.

At the same time, he confirmed earlier reports saying he would not vacate his House seat unless he has been confirmed by the CA.

He still has one year and three months to finish his term as representative for Capiz.

For his part, Speaker Manuel Villar assured the President that the House will continue to support his development initiatives.

Villar said the House will pass measures that address the administration's primary concerns in job generation, mass housing, electoral reforms, weeding out graft and corruption and maintaining peace and order.

On the other hand, Senate President Blas Ople said the CA will conduct a complete background check on the incoming Cabinet members to ensure that they do not have conflict of interest when they assume their respective posts.

Ople, chairman of the CA, said the background investigation was part of an earlier agreement among the CA members to prevent a recurrence of collision between CA personnel and supporters of the appointees.

He said the National Bureau of Investigation has been tasked to conduct discreet investigations on the background of incoming Cabinet officials.