Reyes wants out due to poor health, chief of staff confirms

It's confirmed: Press Secretary Rodolfo Reyes is really on the way out of President Estrada's Cabinet. But he is not being fired nor being pressured to quit.

Presidential Chief of Staff Aprodicio Laquian said this yesterday as he confirmed that Reyes has already expressed desire to "retire" from the Cabinet due to his failing health.

"It's been an old issue already," Laquian said. "Rod (Reyes) himself said that his health is really suffering."

Reyes, who is presently in the United States having a medical checkup, has twice underwent heart surgery. His last operation, a quadruple bypass, was in December 1998.

Laquian's confirmation ended rumors that Reyes may be the next Cabinet member to be replaced, following Justice Secretary Serafin Cuevas whose courtesy resignation the President accepted last week.

Laquian noted that the President's reference to Reyes as being "weak" did not mean he was dissatisfied with the press secretary's performance. "Rod is physically weak because of his health problems," he said.

And Laquian explained that the issue now is whether Reyes can still serve the Estrada administration in another capacity. The press secretary was earlier reported as being considered to head the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, the virtual Philippine embassy in Taiwan.

As to who will replace Reyes, Laquian said he could not yet mention a name since it is the President who has the prerogative to choose his press secretary.

Other top Malacañang officials denied the report that Reyes was being replaced.

In separate interviews, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora and Presidential Spokesman Fernando Barican said it is unfair to speculate on Reyes' position in his absence.

"I think it is unfair even to discuss anything like that at this point because he (Reyes) is not in a position to comment," Zamora said. "I can assure you the President has not talked with anyone at all."

Barican, on the other hand, said that contrary to earlier reports, Reyes has performed creditably in protecting the Office of the President from disinformation. "We should all wish him well," he said.

Meanwhile, Laquian vehemently denied the charges made by Cuevas that he was the last to know about the President's decision to remove him. Cuevas, in media reports, was quoted as saying that he only learned of his removal from newspapers.

"The President had already asked his Cabinet men for their individual courtesy resignations and he even told them that he will accept the resignation of those he wants to replace," Laquian said.

"And Secretary Cuevas was informed about this so I think it's not true that he did not know. All these have been discussed in private." -- With Paolo Romero