Garchitorena, Guidote quit as presidential advisers

Two more senior advisers to President Arroyo resigned as she struggled to keep her administration intact amid allegations of electoral fraud and her family’s alleged involvement in the illegal numbers game jueteng.

Corazon Guidote left her post as special adviser on investments while Victoria Garchitorena resigned as special consultant on good governance and as board of director of the Philippine Charity Sweestakes Office, Palace officials said.

On Sunday, Palace Communications Office director Silvestre Afable stepped down, but he stayed on in his other post as chief peace negotiator with Muslim separatist rebels.

"We thank Miss Corazon Guidote for her service as the presidential consultant on investor relations. We wish her well," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said, denying that her resignation was politically motivated.

He appealed to the media not to speculate on the latest wave of resignations, and denied reports that the President’s Cabinet members are demoralized.

"What is important is that the Cabinet is being reorganized and revitalized and we are working towards restoring political and economic stability," Bunye said. "The President is undistracted in her work and has the full backing of the Cabinet in the implementation of her programs."

He said all Cabinet members are deemed to have submitted their resignation letters after Mrs. Arroyo asked them to hand in their courtesy resignations last July 7. The Cabinet officials could be asked to leave, stay put or reassigned to other departments where they would be most effective, Bunye added.

While he confirmed the resignations of Afable and Guidote, Bunye said he has no information on the reported resignation of Garchitorena.

Garchitorena said she handed Mrs. Arroyo her resignation letter on July 7, but that it was kept under wraps.

"Part of the reason I resigned is because I am troubled with the ‘Garci tapes’ and what they contain," she said, referring to the wiretapped conversations.

"I want to be able to speak freely and I felt I cannot do that while I am still a consultant with the office of the president. I needed to speak out freely, I therefore felt the honorable thing to do is to resign as soon as I can," she said.

Garchitorena, who is part of a civil society group that pushed for the ouster of former President Joseph Estrada, said she backed the creation of a "truth commission" to study the supposed wiretapped conversations but would not join any street protests.

Bunye also said he could not confirm a statement reportedly made by Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas that one of the Cabinet officials who quit last week would return to the fold.

"Knowing (her), she would not make those statements without any basis," Bunye said.

Mrs. Arroyo, who has been accused of stealing the May 2004 vote, has suffered a wave of defections from her trusted allies and aides.

On July 8, 10 Cabinet members and advisers, including her entire economic team, resigned and called on her to do the same and save the country further damage.

Among those who quit were finance secretary Cesar Purisima and budget secretary Emilia Boncodin, two officials well-respected by the international community.

The 10 officials — commonly referred to as the "Hyatt 10" after they announced their resignation at the Hyatt Hotel in Pasay City — said that if Mrs. Arroyo stayed in power under a "cloud of doubt," more damage would be inflicted on the economy.

However, the President has refused to resign and has welcomed opposition plans to impeach her, saying this will give her a chance to clear herself.

The allegations sprang from wiretapped conversations in which a woman sounding like Mrs. Arroyo can be heard appearing to conspire to manipulate votes with a man believed to be senior poll commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

The President has publicly apologized for what she called a "lapse in judgment" in calling an unidentified election official but has denied any wrongdoing.

The scandal has triggered massive street protests and a censure from the influential Roman Catholic church, which stopped short of calling for her resignation.

The President’s supporters, however, staged a show of force with a large rally in the capital on Saturday.

Guidote said the political noise from both sides is seriously damaging the economy and one solution would be Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation. She said she prefers this option over impeachment, which could drag on and further weaken the economy.

"I resigned because I saw how much damage all this political noise is causing the economy," she said. "Let’s make the solution quick."

Guidote said the foregone investments in the stock market since the start of the political crisis could have reached up to $1 billion.

After announcing Guidote’s resignation yesterday, Bunye said Mrs. Arroyo had talked to her remaining cabinet ministers and "they have decided to stay."

"We thank them for showing their unity and support for the president," he said.

Not a jealous guy

Meanwhile, presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio dismissed reports that Afable resigned because he was annoyed at Marita Jimenez, the alternate representative of the Philippines in the Asian Development Bank board of governors, for proposing that the President project a friendlier, more emphatic image to boost her sagging popularity ratings.

"Secretary Afable, if you notice, is not the insecure or jealous type. He does not base his decisions (on the) actions and suggestions of a particular member of the Cabinet having supposedly taken over some of his functions. That is not the reason," Claudio said.

However, he said he is not aware of any moves to remake the President’s image.

"She has every intention of continuing to project her natural self and I do not think that this will be the subject of any retooling or remaking... What you see is what you get," Claudio said.

He doubts that the President believes improving her image would solve the country’s problems. "The solution to the current political crisis is to prod government to continue doing its best in delivering the basic and urgent services to our people."

Claudio said Afable resigned in order to lessen his workload, since he was holding two posts in government. Afable retained his post as chief peace negotiator with Muslim rebels "to see to it that negotiations... come to a final peaceful solution," according to Claudio.

Peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Claudio said, are at "a very advanced stage" and Afable needs to "be able to concentrate... on the peace process."

Afable’s move was lauded by Rep. Edwin Uy of Isabela and Monico Puentevella of Bacolod City, who said in a joint statement that Afable’s resignation was done in a cordial manner that shows delicadeza or propriety.

"In contrast, the Hyatt 10 showed their disloyalty and lack of professionalism when they announced their resignation before media," they said.

When asked if there would be more resignations between yesterday and the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25, Claudio did not give a categorical answer. He said these reports were "black propaganda" spread by the President’s enemies, and added that the incumbent Cabinet officials are establishing their camaraderie.

"They are all in high spirits and are looking forward to get away from the distraction of the political issues that are being levied against the government. All they want is to be able to focus on addressing the mandate of their respective departments," Claudio said. — With reports from Evelyn Macairan, Christina Mendez, Katherine Adraneda, AFP