GMA to Cabinet: You serve at my pleasure

All the President’s men serve at her pleasure and may be removed or retained as she sees fit.

This was President Arroyo’s message to her official family — and the nation as well — even as Malacañang announced that the fate of her beleaguered justice secretary, Hernando Perez, will be known tomorrow.

The message from the President triggered speculation that she was laying the groundwork for letting go of Perez, one of her political mentors who for some time was perceived to be so close to her they were rumored to be having an affair. Both have denied the rumors, often with a laugh.

Another speculation yesterday was that the President may announce an extension of Perez’s month-long leave,which ends today. The justice secretary, who took the leave ostensibly for health reasons, has announced that he would return to work on Dec. 27, unless otherwise ordered by the President.

Amid persistent rumors, spread in coffee shops and through text messages, of an imminent Cabinet shuffle, Malacañang officials denied yesterday that Mrs. Arroyo planned to revamp her Cabinet next month

But her spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao reiterated, "We all serve at the pleasure of the President."

Tiglao refused to give details on the President’s announcement tomorrow regarding Perez.

"The issue of a Cabinet revamp has always been circulated. Let me just restate the position of Malacañang on this matter — that the changing of Cabinet officials is a complete prerogative of the President," a visibly exasperated Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

"We do not box in the President on a particular date or timetable because, as we have repeatedly said, if there is a revamp — which could be done in one stroke — she will make the necessary changes and when necessary as the circumstances state," he added.

Text messages state that Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo would be replaced by Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho. Camacho would be replaced by Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo, and Bernardo would be replaced by Land Transportation Office chief Roberto Lastimoso.

It was also reported that Tiglao and Bunye were also on the way out.

Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez filed extortion, plunder and other corruption charges against Perez last Monday with the Office of the Ombudsman, which investigates corruption involving government officials.

"Secretary Perez’s leave of absence ends on Dec. 26, which was the time given him by the President to debunk the charges of Congressman Jimenez, but the President will announce her decision on the 26th of December," Tiglao told reporters.

"The President would make public her decision whether she is satisfied that Secretary Perez has sufficiently explained to the public (about the allegations against him) because it’s a public explanation rather than the court proceedings (that would really matter), although he would need some more time to debunk point-by-point Congressman Jimenez’s accusations."

Asked if the presidential announcement may have something to do with Perez’s reported plans to ask an extended leave, Tiglao said: "That’s a possibility since the President has not made public her decision."

In interviews last week, Jimenez claimed that Mrs. Arroyo told him in a telephone conversation on Dec. 17 that Perez would soon out of the Cabinet.

"He is on his way out," Jimenez quoted Mrs. Arroyo as saying. Mrs. Arroyo denied the following day that she promised the Manila lawmaker that he will fire Perez soon.

Mrs. Arroyo’s denial prompted Jimenez, who announced Monday last week that he would voluntarily hand himself over for extradition to the United States, to change his mind.

Government officials said Jimenez would be forcibly repatriated on the 26th if he does not leave voluntarily.

Tiglao refused to comment on unconfirmed reports that Malacañang is already scouting for Perez’s possible replacement.

Highly reliable sources had told The STAR that the post was reportedly first offered to House Majority Leader Rep. Neptali Gonzales (Lakas, Mandaluyong City) last Saturday during his wedding to ABC-5 television reporter Queenie Pajati, where the President stood as one of the sponsors. Gonzales declined.

The job was then offered to estranged Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr., who was the justice secretary of former President Fidel Ramos.

Sources said Mrs. Arroyo probably wanted to appease Guingona, who resigned in July after disagreeing with her over the presence of US troops in the country earlier this year.

Late last month, Jimenez gave a privileged speech accusing Perez of extorting $2 million from him.

The money came from his bank account in Uruguay, he said. It was routed to a bank in the Cayman Islands and then to Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City before it ended up in an account allegedly owned by Perez in Coutts Bank in Hong Kong.

Perez denied the allegations, saying Jimenez was only trying to delay his impending extradition to the United States where he faces charges of making illegal campaign contributions to the Democratic Party, reportedly including former President Bill Clinton.

Perez shortly went on a month-long sick leave claiming he was suffering from bleeding ulcers and gallstones, and put Justice Undersecretary Gutierrez in charge of his department.

Aside from the extortion allegation, Perez is also under fire from the political opposition for allegedly approving a controversial government contract awarded to Argentine power firm Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona Sociedad Anonima (Impsa) for the rehabilitation of a hydroelectric plant in Laguna province.

The Arroyo administration countered the contract was approved during the previous administration of deposed President Joseph Estrada, currently detained in a Quezon City military hospital on plunder and other corruption charges.

Estrada was ousted in January 2001 in a military-backed popular protest and replaced by then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Estrada alleged that he turned down a $14-million bribe offer from Jimenez, his former adviser on Latin American affairs, to have the Impsa deal signed.

His allies in the Senate said the Arroyo administration had taken a $14-million-dollar bribe to award the contract to Impsa.

Estrada was supposed to testify in a Senate inquiry on the contract Tuesday last week but the police failed to bring him to the hearing, forcing the Senate to reschedule his appearance for Jan. 14.

The police said there was no formal Senate notice ordering them to bring Estrada to the inquiry.

Opposition lawmakers lambasted the delay saying no such notice was necessary and accused Malacañang of working behind the scenes to derail Estrada’s testimony.

The Palace denied the accusation.