Palace: Cabinet revamp for elections

There will be changes.

Despite earlier denials of revamp rumors, Malacañang conceded yesterday that President Arroyo is set to make changes in the Cabinet as soon as some of them filed their respective certificates of candidacy to run for public office in the May 2004 elections.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said these Cabinet members should not resign their posts until the time to file their certificates of candidacy has come.

Speaking over government-owned Radyo ng Bayan yesterday, Bunye again denied rumors of an impending Cabinet revamp.

"We don’t want to be dragged into these speculations. What is definite is there would be (a Cabinet) revamp this coming Dec. 15 because this is the time for the filing of certificates of candidacy," Bunye said.

"We know there are some of these Cabinet officials who have already expressed their desire to run as candidates," he added.

While Bunye did not name who these Cabinet officials planning to seek public office are, these officials will be deemed resigned from their posts "as soon as they file" their certificates of candidacy and "the President will name their replacement(s)."

"The rule is, as soon as you file your certificate of candidacy... that’s the time you have to vacate office," he said.

The rumors of a Cabinet revamp include the alleged ouster plots against Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho, Public Works and Highways Secretary Florante Soriquez, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. and Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando.

"All of us serve at the pleasure of the President and nothing has been said at this time of any particular (Cabinet) member leaving the office," Bunye said.

He also reiterated previous declarations by Mrs. Arroyo that she would keep her security team, which includes Reyes and Lina, intact.

Bunye attributes the rumors saying Reyes, Lina and Fernando are leaving the Cabinet to observations that they are among those likely to run in next year’s elections.

In Camacho’s case, the rumors that an ouster move is underway against him is allegedly being spread by a clique of advisers to the President, sources told The STAR.

"As far as the President is concerned, (Camacho) enjoys (her) trust and confidence... He also enjoys the respect of the international community," Bunye said.

Camacho is one of the key members of the President’s economic team. The finance chief laughed off rumors that he has submitted his resignation to Mrs. Arroyo. "You know, my position has attracted so much rumors and intrigues."

The same sources told The STAR that the alleged ouster plot against Camacho was triggered by the finance secretary’s ongoing anti-graft campaign to rid his department of corruption — including the bureaus of Customs and Internal Revenue.

Camacho spearheaded the President’s campaign to turn the country’s top revenue collection agencies into "showcases" of her administration’s war on graft and corruption.

Under Camacho, Presidential Task Force 156 has pursued tax payment diversion cases and filed tax cases against four firms before the Sandiganbayan and sued 13 other firms before the Ombudsman for a total of P1 billion in unpaid taxes.

The rumors against Soriquez, on the other hand, began over a reported graft case the Ombudsman is set to revive regarding anomalies in the Mt. Pinatubo rehabilitation program, which the former DPWH Region III director handled.

"This is just a plan," Bunye said of reports that the Ombudsman may sue Soriquez. "Let’s just wait for the Ombudsman to initiate legal action. We don’t react to every plan, so (Soriquez) will just have to continue what he’s doing."

Meanwhile, Bunye also said that all Cabinet officials are subject to the lifestyle checks being conducted by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) amid questions raised over reports of Reyes’ "mansion" at Fort Bonifacio and Lina’s supposed jueteng takes.