Noy retains Romulo at DFA

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo announced yesterday that president-elect Benigno Aquino III would retain him in the Cabinet.

Romulo had a brief meeting with Aquino at his Times Street residence in Quezon City at around 1 p.m. 

Aquino also met yesterday at his home with Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, fueling speculation that she might also be retained. But Cabral said she would leave any announcement to Aquino, who told The STAR he would announce his Cabinet lineup tomorrow.

 Aquino also met separately yesterday with former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., former ambassador to the United States Alberto del Rosario and National Kidney and Transplant Institute executive director Enrique Ona.

Davide did not give a statement while Del Rosario said he only made a courtesy call.

Ona said he was not asked to join the Cabinet and that he and Aquino only talked about health issues.

Fashion designer and couturier Paul Cabral also arrived with a barong Tagalog, black trousers and a blue polo shirt. He did not say whether the clothes were for the inauguration of Aquino on Wednesday.

Romulo said Aquino asked him to remain at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“I have accepted and I am honored by his trust,” Romulo said. “No term limit was discussed.”

He said that he and the Aquinos have been long-time friends and that his being an appointee of President Arroyo was not an issue in the decision to retain him.

Romulo said he is willing to serve Aquino whose program of governance is good.

DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said that the DFA rank and file was united in rejoicing over the reappointment of Romulo to head the department under an Aquino presidency.

“The DFA family welcomes the reappointment of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo by president-elect Benigno C. Aquino III. The DFA rank and file and countless officers have earlier called for the retention of Secretary Romulo at the department’s helm given his significant achievements in advancing the Philippine national interests in the international community and in uplifting the welfare of DFA personnel,” Malaya said in a statement sent to the media in a text message.

“In the next six years of the Aquino administration, the DFA is committed to redoubling its efforts in serving the nation and the Filipino people,” Malaya said.

There were reports that Romulo would only be accommodated for a year and that a new secretary would be appointed later.

Some groups in the DFA were reportedly asking for Aquino’s running mate, Sen. Manuel Roxas II to be DFA secretary but Roxas was not interested in the position.

Aquino has to wait for a year before appointing Roxas because of a one-year ban on the appointment of losing candidates.

“There is no period of course. You know all of us serve at the pleasure of the president,’’ Romulo said.

Aquino said earlier he was considering several names for the DFA and Romulo was still among them.

He cited the fact that Romulo was one of the first Cabinet members of Mrs. Arroyo who expressed support for him.

Romulo was budget minister during the term of Aquino’s mother, former President Corazon Aquino before he ran and won a seat in the Senate in 1987.

Aquino said he would announce his other Cabinet members on Tuesday.

He was reportedly considering former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Jose Anselmo Cadiz or ex-Labor secretary Bienvenido Laguesma to head the Department of Labor and Employment.

In answer to criticisms against Cadiz, lawyer Jimmy Miralles, president of the Alliance of Genuine Labor Organizations, said they would leave it to the good judgment of Aquino to choose the next DOLE chief.

“It is wrong to conclude that just because one is a management lawyer then he will not be a good labor secretary,” Miralles said.

Jose Umali, president of the National Union of Bank Employees, said that an appointment of a management lawyer as labor secretary would be “unacceptable and an insult to workers.”

Umali earlier urged Aquino not to name lawyers who had represented corporations to the post of labor secretary due to their ties with the management of big companies.

Miralles said the late labor secretary Augusto Sanchez was a management lawyer who turned out to be a pro-labor secretary.

Acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman was a former lawyer of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and was not therefore, a management lawyer, Miralles said. – With Rainier Allan Ronda