PMS chief: Only `calling card' advisers were fired

Some presidential advisers and consultants will remain in office.

Presidential Management Staff (PMS) chief Secretary Leonora de Jesus told newsmen yesterday President Estrada has retained the services of certain presidential advisers, consultants and assistants but is not compelled to reveal who they are.

"That is correct. They (consultants/advisers) are supposed to report only to the President and the President alone," De Jesus said.

"In the first place, these advisers and consultants should not be dealing with the public or with government officials. They should not be carrying calling cards," she added.

"I think it's only the President who can determine who are really helping him. As we have been saying repeatedly, these presidential advisers and consultants should not report to anyone else but the President and that they should not interfere in the bureaucracy," De Jesus pointed out.

On Saturday, President Estrada announced he had dismissed about 25 of his 72 advisers, consultants and assistants who have no regular duties.

As of yesterday however, Malacañang has not released the names of those whose resignations have been accepted by the Chief Executive.

But De Jesus could not identify yesterday the presidential advisers and consultants whose services have been terminated.

As for movie star Richard Gomez, she said the President has retained him as presidential adviser on youth and sports.

"I really would not know whether as of now if Richard Gomez is getting paid or not," she said.

"But I did hear the President say there are some of them we should even thank instead like Richard Gomez who are actively involved in (the program) Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga and diligently attending its rallies. And if we really pay him as a talent, we have to pay about P1 to P3 million per appearance whereas the government is saved from paying those talent fees and many children are taught about this program."

Presidential Spokesman Fernando Barican, on the other hand, said they have a list of presidential advisers and assistants who report for work daily and receive regular salaries.

He said the Executive Secretary's office was supposed to receive the resignations, but Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora denied that they have a list of their names.

The PMS keeps the list of presidential appointees. However, De Jesus said her office does not have the names of presidential consultants and advisers.

"For the legitimate ones, yes we have a list of them," she said. "But for many who pretend or present themselves as one, they really have a big effect on the image of the President getting bad because of them."

De Jesus does not know when Malacañang will release the names of dismissed presidential advisers, consultants and assistants.

"I don't know (when the list can come out) because just like the Cabinet revamp, the advisers and consultants are really the prerogative of the President," she said.

"Even if we release the list these people who are not in the official list will not be reflected there. So some people may still think they are really advisers when from the beginning they never were. There are many of them," she said.

In his Ulat sa Bayan (Report to the Nation) on Saturday, President Estrada announced that he had accepted the resignations of all presidential advisers, consultant and assistants.

Thereafter, he ordered them to destroy all their calling cards and stationery bearing their official titles.

However, the President told reporters after his Ulat sa Bayan that he will not dismiss all his advisers, consultants and assistants, particularly those with line functions or Cabinet rank.

He gave as examples National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre, Presidential Flagship Project Committee Adviser Robert Aventajado, and Presidential Assistants on Regional Concerns Office.

Having served former presidents Aquino and Ramos, De Jesus noted that under the Estrada administration there is transparency in the appointment of presidential advisers and consultants. -