Estrada fires Laquian over drinking joke

It was supposed to be a joke, but the butt of the joke was not amused.

A piqued President Estrada fired his chief of staff Aprodicio Laquian, barely hours after Laquian indicated "in jest" Tuesday that his boss decided government policy while stone drunk every night with his so-called "midnight Cabinet."

Laquian's removal from office was announced on several radio stations early yesterday morning by Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora, who read the chief of staff's irrevocable letter of resignation. Laquian was on the job for all of 41 days.

The forced resignation came on the eve of La-quian's 65th birthday today.

Mr. Estrada worked the telephones early yesterday, going on the air over several radio stations to reverse the damage wrought by Laquian's comments, which brought into focus persistent criticisms that he favors cronies and sets government policy with a nocturnal circle of friends instead of the Cabinet.

Malacañang sources said Laquian's irrevocable resignation was prepared by Trade and Industry Secretary Mar Roxas at the Palace late Tuesday night.

"And (Laquian) was just made to sign the irrevocable letter of resignation," the sources said.

After living in Canada for 10 years, the President argued, Laquian was probably out of touch with the "people's pulse."

"I do not fault him for that," the Chief Executive said. However, he added Laquian would be better off returning to Canada to "reapply for citizenship."

A Palace official who requested anonymity told The STAR a furious Mr. Estrada confronted Laquian at Malacañang late Tuesday after learning about his MOPC statement and gave him a "severe, head-to-toe tongue-lashing."

"Did you ever see me drinking with my friends?" the Palace official quoted the President as asking Laquian angrily.

The official said the President could have a point here because Laquian, being 65, leaves Malacañang before 8 every night.

Stock brokers suggested the issue helped drive down prices 0.3 percent at the Philippine Stock Exchange, which is already reeling from an insider trading and stock manipulation scandal involving a gaming firm controlled by presidential friend Dante Tan.

The President had appointed Laquian to the position six weeks ago in an attempt to counter Cabinet infighting and bring direction to his languishing administration.

Mr. Estrada said Laquian, a tall, sandy-haired former public administration professor at the University of Vancouver in Canada who helped formulate policy during the presidential campaign in 1998, submitted his resignation after realizing the impact of his statement, which was made before the monthly luncheon forum of the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) at the Century Park Hotel Tuesday.

"He wanted to get a few laughs but he was taken seriously. I didn't find it funny," the President said, adding that what riled him most was the fact that he had stopped drinking his favorite Johnnie Walker Blue scotch and had switched to red wine.

"I've been off alcohol for such a long time that I no longer even know how it tastes," Mr. Estrada said.

Laquian was asked by Manila Times editor Cipriano Roxas at the MOPC forum whether his being a teetotaler was a disadvantage when the President allegedly makes many important decisions during the late-night drinking sessions with his friends.

"It's the best thing working for me because at 4 o'clock in the morning, I am the only person sober in the room," Laquian responded.

"If there is one person who is sober in the room who would be able to take all of these things that were signed and hide them in my record book, then the decision-making will probably be, in the beautiful light of the morning, very rational," Laquian said.

"And if this is in Canada, I will be the designated driver, I will be the one taking them to their beds and so on," he said.

Mr. Estrada said Laquian later told him "he did it all in jest" and that Laquian had apologized, but "it came out as a serious pronouncement" in the newspapers.

Laquian is an academic who gave up his acquired Canadian citizenship to become the manager for official documents at the Palace beginning Feb. 8. When he was new at Malacañang, he had said he was aware that it was a "snake pit" and that he would become the Palace "snake charmer."

Malacañang later yesterday released copies of Laquian's resignation letter, in which he admitted: "I inadvertently caused harm to you and to your administration by certain statements I made in that forum."

Laquian stressed that the comments were made in jest and with tongue in cheek. "I used exaggeration and hyperbole to try and make a point. Unfortunately, my statements were used out of context and were not received in the same manner as I had intended them to be," he said in his letter.

"I deeply regret the unintended damage that this has caused you. I continue to believe that you are sincere in your intentions and you are in a unique position to be of tremendous service to our people. I do regret that I could no longer be part of this worthwhile effort," Laquian said.

The President said Laquian called him up late Tuesday night to give his side after television news programs showed clips of the MOPC forum, "but perhaps he saw that I really did not like it."

Mr. Estrada said there would be "no need" to replace Laquian and his duties would be assumed by Deputy Executive Secretary Ramon "Eki" Cardenas.

The President said Laquian was assured by Canadian Ambassador John Trealeven that he can still go back to Canada and re-acquire Canadian citizenship.

In fact, the President said, Laquian's equally controversial wife Eleonor had earlier gone back to Canada with their children when the couple figured in a "rooming space" controversy with Press Secretary Rodolfo Reyes and his wife.

Zamora also said Laquian had confided to him after his speech that he was "really worried" about the statements being misconstrued, and that his worst fears were realized by unflattering television news reports late Tuesday.

Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who left for China yesterday, said she was saddened by Laquian's leaving the Estrada Cabinet.

"Professor (Laquian) was good in terms of what he knew and it was really a pity this thing happened. But everybody serves at the pleasure of the President. So the President decided to dispense with his services; so it is the prerogative of the President," she told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

"I saw him on TS and he was in a joking mood. On the other hand, it was the President's judgment on whether what Laquian was saying was made in jest or not," Arroyo added.

Mr. Estrada's arch critic, Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, said that he will never accept any position from the President if ever he is offered one.

"If I were the one, I will never accept any position from him because you are not sure of your future," Sin said on Church-run radio station dzRV.

An Estrada LAMP party-mate, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, said: "The public must not grieve the loss of Laquian because his courageous stand in the so-called 'midnight Cabinet' will differentiate his brief public career."

"From a political strategic view, l' affaire Laquian should put the conflict between presidential management style and the complex demand of a modern civil society to head. The Palace may have lost a promising management technician but the nation stands to gain a better and wiser President," Salceda said.

The left-leaning Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said Laquian was fired "for telling the truth about the President's incompetence."

"It seems that the biggest crime at Malacañang nowadays is telling the truth. Everyone on President Estrada's team who has dared to be honest and truthful and competent eventually gets kicked out and humiliated," Bayan secretary general Teodoro Casiño said in a statement.

"Mr. Laquian is like the boy who cried 'the emperor has no clothes.' He is the latest victim in President Estrada's snake pit. But he should not worry because he is in good company." Casiño said.

Laquian's resignation leaves the Cabinet, already widely accused of lack of direction, without any strong coordinator, and the Office of the President without an effective overall administrator.

The President has been revamping his Cabinet since last December following a sharp drop in his once-immense popularity and acceptance ratings, but had admitted he was having trouble recruiting capable people.

Laquian is the second senior official in the Estrada administration to quit in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Customs Commissioner Ramon Farolan resigned less than two months after his appointment, citing health reasons.

But reports then circulated that Farolan quit because he could not suffer the involvement of some influential people in alleged waterfront irregularities.