MANILA – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo initiated a “minor” reshuffle in her Cabinet, highlighted by the removal of her controversial adviser on the peace process, who was given another assignment, according to a senior Malacanang official.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said one of those affected in the revamp was retired military general Hermogenes Esperon, the presidential peace adviser on the peace process, who appointed as chief of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).
Ermita said Esperon, the former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, replaced as PMS chief Secretary Cerge Remonde who was named by President Arroyo as her press secretary.
Remonde, in turn, replaced Secretary Jesus Dureza who, Ermita said, asked the President to give him a “lighter” assignment so he could attend to his ailing wife.
Ermita said President granted the request of Dureza by appointing him as her chief presidential legal adviser vice Secretary Sergio Apostol who resigned in September 2008 to join a private commercial bank.
Appointed to replace Esperon as presidential adviser on the peace process, Ermita said, was Avelino Razon Jr., who after his retirement in August 2008 as the chief of the Philippine National Police was named by the President as deputy director general of the National Security Council.
The executive secretary pointed out that the new assignments given to Dureza and Esperon have nothing to do with the recent controversy in which the two Cabinet officials were involved.
Ermita added the latest reshuffle could trigger more changes in the Cabinet, saying it was the President’s prerogative to do so.
But he dismissed questions that Dureza was removed because of his controversial “prayer” during a Cabinet meeting in 2008 in which he invoked divine providence to allow President Arroyo to continue serving the country beyond 2010 when her term expires as mandated by the Constitution.
The Dureza prayer drew widespread criticism from various sectors because it came at a time when administration lawmakers revived the controversial issue of Charter change (Cha-cha) which calls for a shift in the form of government from the presidential system to federal parliamentary.
In the case of Esperon, Ermita insisted he was not removed as the presidential adviser on the peace process after he was accused of “selling out” the Philippines in agreeing to a draft agreement with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The agreement, which called for the establishment of an expanded Moro homeland in Mindanao under the concept of ancestral domain, was later declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC).
The SC decision stopped the revival of the negotiations between government and MILF representatives to bring peace to war-torn Mindanao.
However, reliable Malacanang sources disputed Ermita’s claim as they pointed out that the failed Mindanao peace talks was the main reason for the removal of Esperon from his position.
Provincial and local Mindanao officials as well as community leaders who are now being consulted by the government on the peace talks have demanded the removal of Esperon for “bungling” the negotiations by agreeing to the establishment of the expanded Moro homeland, revealed the sources, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“Esperon has lost his credibility, particularly to the Mindanao officials and community leaders now being consulted by the government regarding the revival of the peace talks with the MILF,” the sources pointed out. “They said they would not participate in the ongoing consultations if Esperon continues to remain as the presidential adviser on the peace process.”
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