Ex-Palace exec not giving up TV post

All is not well at the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

The problem stems from the reported refusal of former Press Undersecretary Cerge Remonde to give up his post as "acting director" of Radio-TV Malacañang (RTVM) even when he is no longer connected with the OPS.

Last Friday, President Arroyo already appointed former Rizal congressman Manuel Sanchez as Remonde’s replacement.

Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo quietly swore into office Sanchez, whose appointment as press undersecretary came as a surprise to Malacañang reporters. Almost all of them do not know Sanchez.

Romulo told The STAR Sanchez was recommended by Press Secretary Noel Cabrera, which he however denied.

"I suppose he (Sanchez) passed through the Malacañang search committee," Cabrera said, adding: "At this time, we really need extra hands."

A Palace source said Cabrera was actually the last to know about the latest appointment in his office, which was reportedly engineered by Mrs. Arroyo’s chief publicist, Dante Ang.

Cabrera said he has already met and talked with Sanchez, a lawyer whose skills, the press secretary believes, the OPS can make use of.

"I’m asking him ... maybe to host a talk show," Cabrera quipped.

It is Remonde who has been hosting a talk show, "Ugnayan," the OPS-TV program over Channel 4. Remonde has continued his hosting duties even if he submitted his resignation last Aug. 20, and in fact drew his salary last Sept. 15.

Before he gave up his being press undersecretary, Remonde was able to secure a new appointment as board chairman of the government-sequestered TV station Channel 13.

"He (Remonde) is still around. He might have asked for it (RTVM post). If he can handle the job together with Channel 13," Cabrera said.

Remonde’s supervision of RTVM came to public attention about two months ago when President Arroyo flared up over boo-boos in her teleprompter.

Mrs. Arroyo verbally accepted Remonde’s resignation last month when she announced it during her press conference at the Palace.

In quitting his post, Remonde said he wanted to go back to the private sector. And though Sanchez has already, at least on paper, replaced Remonde, the OPS could not implement changes, particularly in the RTVM.

Meanwhile, Dave Gomez has also tendered his resignation as director of the Philippine Information Agency, which is attached to the OPS.

Cabrera said Undersecretary Bobby Capco takes over PIA in a concurrent capacity to "tighten and control" OPS operations. – Marichu Villanueva