By Alcuin Papa, Clarissa S. Batino and Volt Contreras
Inquirer News Service
"IT’S OVER," Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said yesterday as he announced his resignation from the Cabinet. "The continuation of the Arroyo presidency is no longer viable."
By the end of the day, at least 11 secretaries had left their posts, leaving a politically crippled President Arroyo with only half a Cabinet.
Lapus said he tried to contact the President but couldn’t get through. "It was like a fortress there," he said.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who resigned yesterday afternoon, also said he tried to call Mrs. Arroyo to inform him of her decision to quit, but was told that he could not come to the phone.
By 10 p.m., other Cabinet members who had resigned were Marietta Jimenez, presidential assistant for flagship projects; Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr.; Ronaldo Puno of the interior; National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, his deputy Virtus Gil; Romulo Neri, economic planning secretary; finance’s Margarito Teves; agriculture’s Arthur Yap; Manuel Bonoan of public works; and Esperanza Cabral of social welfare.
Those who decided to stick with the President were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion and Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairman Noli de Castro.
In a phone interview with the Inquirer, Durano said employees at the tourism department left their offices yesterday morning, gathered in the department’s quadrangle, and started to chant anti-Arroyo slogans.
Durano said she joined the employees to discuss "what we can do."
"We decided that we must go to EDSA," she said.
"I didn’t have time to draft my resignation letter."
A rowdy crowd booed Durano when he got to the EDSA Shrine, forcing him to seek refuge at the secretariat office. Ironically, it was Rep. Michael Defensor, a staunch critic of hers, who escorted him out of the office--through a window--to avoid the unruly crowd.
Painful
For many of the former Cabinet members, the decision to abandon the President was painful.
In his resignation letter, Aguirre told Mrs. Arroyo that "it is with deep pain as a friend that I now tender my irrevocable resignation."
Puno told reporters he defected "for the people. I resigned because I’m after truth and justice."
The Senate vote that rejected the opening of the second envelope containing President Arroyo’s alleged P5-billion secret bank account finally convinced him that "there’s something wrong somewhere."
When he left Malacañang around 1:30 p.m. yesterday, the President was "still conferring with his lawyers and Ermita," Puno told reporters after he arrived at the EDSA shrine around 6 p.m.
He called on all local government units to "heed the call of the people and go to EDSA. For the sake of the country, join the demonstrations."
"She should resign because, in the course of the trial, the evidence is pouring in," Puno said.
Going, gone
Teves and Neri resigned together with five undersecretaries of the Department of Finance, National Treasurer Omar Cruz, and Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Jose Mario Bunag.
Teves said he and Neri submitted their irrevocable resignations to Malacañang yesterday afternoon.
The five finance undersecretaries tendered their resignations Thursday morning. An unconfirmed report said that immigration chief Alipio Fernandez had also left the President’s side. Bureau of Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales remained loyal to Mrs. Arroyo.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amado Tetangco, Jr., however, said he and six other members of the Monetary Board would not resign. The sixth board seat is an ex-officio position occupied by Pardo.
Duty
"I and the other members of the monetary board must preserve the financial system and because of this, we could and would not resign," said Tetangco, Jr.
The BSP chief, who took his oath in July 2005, has a six-year term that ends in 2011.
A source close to Teves had disclosed the finance chief had actually submitted his resignation as then trade secretary to the President as early as Jan. 6. But Mrs. Arroyo prevailed on him to stay on, the source said.
Teves has been asked repeatedly by his good friend, former President Corazon Aquino, to leave the Arroyo administration. On Wednesday, he vowed not to resign after the impeachment court reached a verdict. -- With reports from Michael Lim Ubac and Agnes Donato
Inquirer News Service
"IT’S OVER," Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said yesterday as he announced his resignation from the Cabinet. "The continuation of the Arroyo presidency is no longer viable."
By the end of the day, at least 11 secretaries had left their posts, leaving a politically crippled President Arroyo with only half a Cabinet.
Lapus said he tried to contact the President but couldn’t get through. "It was like a fortress there," he said.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who resigned yesterday afternoon, also said he tried to call Mrs. Arroyo to inform him of her decision to quit, but was told that he could not come to the phone.
By 10 p.m., other Cabinet members who had resigned were Marietta Jimenez, presidential assistant for flagship projects; Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr.; Ronaldo Puno of the interior; National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, his deputy Virtus Gil; Romulo Neri, economic planning secretary; finance’s Margarito Teves; agriculture’s Arthur Yap; Manuel Bonoan of public works; and Esperanza Cabral of social welfare.
Those who decided to stick with the President were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion and Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairman Noli de Castro.
In a phone interview with the Inquirer, Durano said employees at the tourism department left their offices yesterday morning, gathered in the department’s quadrangle, and started to chant anti-Arroyo slogans.
Durano said she joined the employees to discuss "what we can do."
"We decided that we must go to EDSA," she said.
"I didn’t have time to draft my resignation letter."
A rowdy crowd booed Durano when he got to the EDSA Shrine, forcing him to seek refuge at the secretariat office. Ironically, it was Rep. Michael Defensor, a staunch critic of hers, who escorted him out of the office--through a window--to avoid the unruly crowd.
Painful
For many of the former Cabinet members, the decision to abandon the President was painful.
In his resignation letter, Aguirre told Mrs. Arroyo that "it is with deep pain as a friend that I now tender my irrevocable resignation."
Puno told reporters he defected "for the people. I resigned because I’m after truth and justice."
The Senate vote that rejected the opening of the second envelope containing President Arroyo’s alleged P5-billion secret bank account finally convinced him that "there’s something wrong somewhere."
When he left Malacañang around 1:30 p.m. yesterday, the President was "still conferring with his lawyers and Ermita," Puno told reporters after he arrived at the EDSA shrine around 6 p.m.
He called on all local government units to "heed the call of the people and go to EDSA. For the sake of the country, join the demonstrations."
"She should resign because, in the course of the trial, the evidence is pouring in," Puno said.
Going, gone
Teves and Neri resigned together with five undersecretaries of the Department of Finance, National Treasurer Omar Cruz, and Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Jose Mario Bunag.
Teves said he and Neri submitted their irrevocable resignations to Malacañang yesterday afternoon.
The five finance undersecretaries tendered their resignations Thursday morning. An unconfirmed report said that immigration chief Alipio Fernandez had also left the President’s side. Bureau of Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales remained loyal to Mrs. Arroyo.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amado Tetangco, Jr., however, said he and six other members of the Monetary Board would not resign. The sixth board seat is an ex-officio position occupied by Pardo.
Duty
"I and the other members of the monetary board must preserve the financial system and because of this, we could and would not resign," said Tetangco, Jr.
The BSP chief, who took his oath in July 2005, has a six-year term that ends in 2011.
A source close to Teves had disclosed the finance chief had actually submitted his resignation as then trade secretary to the President as early as Jan. 6. But Mrs. Arroyo prevailed on him to stay on, the source said.
Teves has been asked repeatedly by his good friend, former President Corazon Aquino, to leave the Arroyo administration. On Wednesday, he vowed not to resign after the impeachment court reached a verdict. -- With reports from Michael Lim Ubac and Agnes Donato
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