Lichauco quits DOTC post

Citing "very deep disappointments," Transportation and Communications Undersecretary Josefina Lichauco tendered yesterday her irrevocable resignation, ending 19 years of government service.

"Even if I am a CESO (career executive service officer), I resigned because I have always been a decent public servant. The only difficult thing in this decision is to leave the people I love. I've grown old with the department and I've served long and hard. That makes me feel bad," Lichauco said.

Salvador Hizon, president of Eastern Telecommunications Philippines Inc., was reportedly being eyed as replacement for Lichauco.

Lichauco, who made the announcement in the company of her children, said she suffered several frustrations in the performance of her duties and responsibilities, but did not elaborate.

"These are very personal reasons. There are some very deep disappointments in my professional responsibility. We should not allow our country to be destroyed in any manner," Lichauco said.

She said she initially submitted her resignation last Nov. 27, followed by another handwritten note shortly before Christmas, but the President did not act on her offer to quit.

Her decision also cost her the presidency of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) council this year.

"I have written the secretary general of the ITU to inform him that I will not be able to assume the presidency of the council because of my resignation, in order to give the Union sufficient time to elect somebody else from a developing country," Lichauco said.

Lichauco has been credited for the deregulation and the dismantling of the monopoly in the local telecommunications industry, paving the way for the entry of new players.

She said she has no plans to return to government service, but kept her options open for a diplomatic post.

Lichauco was undersecretary for communications from 1986 to January 1998, after which she was named secretary of the department for six months, then volunteered to return to her previous post.

"This is not the be-all and end-all of life. But I've got to smell the roses in the garden before it's too late," Lichauco said.

Meanwhile, President Estrada is set to officially announce this morning changes in his Cabinet even as some of the fresh appointments have already been leaked to the media by sources at Malacañang.

The announcement will be made in his Ulat sa Bayan (Report to the Nation) during his weekly radio program "Jeep ni Erap."

The President is also expected to swear in today the new appointees including erstwhile Trade and Industry Secretary Jose Pardo as the new Secretary of Finance vice Edgardo Espiritu who resigned last Wednesday, House Majority Leader Mar Roxas III as replacement for Pardo, former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim as secretary of the interior and local government, succeeding Ronaldo Puno who reportedly gets a new post.

Also to be sworn in are Board of Investments chief Dakila Fonacier as the new commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue replacing Beethoven Rualo and ex-Philippine STAR editor-in-chief Ramon Farolan getting back his former position as commissioner of the Bureau of Customs vice Nelson Tan.

A highly reliable source at Malacañang told The STAR that some Cabinet members who were reported earlier as also on the way out have apparently prevailed upon the President to retain them.

Among the holdovers, the source said, are Press Secretary Rodolfo Reyes who was reported earlier as having been assigned to head the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, and Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta was allegedly designated as ambassador to Venezuela.

"Just let the President make the proper announcement. We may never know up to the last minute," the source said.

Mr. Estrada has clammed up on the revamp even as he regretted Espiritu's irrevocable resignation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Estrada summoned to Malacañang Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares who was reputed to be a strong contender for the seat to be vacated by Puno who, in turn, was reportedly named ambassador to the United Nations.

Emerging from his meeting with the President, Ynares said he politely declined the offer to head the Department of the Interior and Local Government, adding that he endorsed Lim instead.

In another development, smarting from the sad experience for Batanes Rep. Florencio Abad, Roxas would not give up his seat in Congress unless he has been confirmed by the Commission on Appointments.

Abad was congressman of Batanes during the eighth Congress when then President Corazon Aquino appointed him to replace Miriam Defensor-Santiago as agrarian reform secretary.

Abad immediately left his seat at the House, but the CA refused to confirm him because of his pro-peasant leanings.

He ran and won again for the lone congressional seat of Batanes in 1998.

Meanwhile, National Treasurer Leonor Briones was reportedly willing to step down if Pardo asks her to.

However, Espiritu has said there was no need for Briones to quit since the President was happy with her performance. - With Marichu Villanueva, Marianne Go, Jess Diaz, Aurea Calica