RP minister quits over appointment of Abadia
RP minister quits over appointment of Abadia
MANILA (AFP): Crisis returned to the Philippines on Thursday when
the defense secretary resigned over new President Gloria Arroyo's
appointment to cabinet of a former general under investigation
for corruption.
As Arroyo showed off her cabinet to a news conference, any
hope the new administration would usher in much needed stability
evaporated as Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado announced his
departure across town.
Arroyo came to power last Saturday when former president
Joseph Estrada was hounded from the presidential palace by mass
protests demanding he step down over allegations of wholesale
corruption.
But on Thursday Mercado, who stayed on from Estrada's cabinet,
said he could not work beside National Security Adviser Lisandro
Abadia. Mercado filed corruption charges against the retired
general in 1998.
"How can I serve in the cabinet together with the national
security adviser when I initiated the investigation against him
and up to this time (the charges are) still pending in the
courts?" Mercado asked.
Arroyo confirmed Mercado had offered to quit, but said she had
not yet accepted.
She insisted Mercado's leaving would not affect the armed
forces, saying: "The chain of command is direct from the
president to the chief of staff."
Abadia denied any wrongdoing and expressed regret at the row.
"If he wants, I can submit my resignation so he can stay on,"
said Abadia, a former armed forces chief of staff.
The country has been in turmoil for months over the
accusations Estrada stole millions of dollars in state funds and
took millions more in bribes.
His subsequent trial in the Senate saw the stock market and
currency plummet further and growth and foreign investment all
but dry up.
When a slim majority of senators voted along party lines last
week to suppress evidence detailing Estrada's secret bank
accounts -- all but acquitting him -- hundreds of thousands of
angry protesters took to the streets, paralyzing Manila and other
cities and forcing him to quit.
The withdrawal of support by Mercado and military chief Angelo
Reyes from Estrada last Friday triggered the collapse of the
former government.
The 63-year-old former movie star now faces a possible
criminal prosecution and could face the death penalty if
convicted.
Even so, Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said Thursday
Estrada was free to leave the country if he wanted while
stressing the ex-president had not indicated any wish to do so.
"If former president Estrada wants to leave, that is his
decision. We cannot force him to leave," Perez said.
Senate president Aquilino Pimentel earlier urged Arroyo to
banish Estrada to remove any possible security threat and allow
the nation to rebuild after months of turmoil.