Irregularities’ undid de Jesus
DOTC chief’s leaving linked to airport deal
BY JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA
“Irregularities” at the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) allegedly involving officials there apparently led to Jose de Jesus recently resigning from his post as chief of the department, a source told The Manila Times on Thursday.
The source, who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity, said that President Benigno Aquino 3rd expressed disappointment after learning of supposedly shady deals at the Transportation department.
According to The Times source, de Jesus may have learned about President Aquino’s dismay, prompting him to quit.
Malacañang and Transportation Undersecretary Dante Velasco earlier said that de Jesus resigned because he wanted to go back to private life after a year of service under the Aquino administration.
The source said that the resignation could also be linked to the former Transportation chief’s supposed bias for a faction of Stradcom Corp. loyal to Cesar Quiambao.
Stradcom is the sole information technology service provider of the Land Transportation Office, which is to be headed again by Virginia Torres, supposedly a close friend and a shooting buddy of the President.
Torres was told by Mr. Aquino in April to take a 60-day leave of absence in the wake of a recommendation from the Department of Justice to sack her for alleged involvement in a failed takeover of Stradcom by a businessmen’s group that claimed to be the new owners and officials of the service provider.
It was alleged that the then-Transportation chief had frowned at Malacañang’s decision to bring back Torres to the transportation office.
The resignation of de Jesus, according to The Times source, could also be linked to a pending contract for a radar system at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Public-transport operators also on Thursday appealed to Mr. Aquino to make sure that the official he would pick to take the place of de Jesus understood land transportation and other issues better than the former holder of the top Transportation post.
“It is easy to find a person with qualifications but the next Transportation secretary should have better understanding of the needs of the transport sector and the riding public,” Orlando Marquez, the spokesman for the United Transport Koalisyon (1UTAK) party-list, said.
Biggest headaches
Marquez said that the replacement must know how to address problems on illegal vehicles, smoke-belching and corrupt traffic enforcers that are among the biggest headaches of the transport sector.
The President, during an earlier interview, said that he had chosen a possible replacement for de Jesus, who was set to leave on June 30, or one year after he was appointed to the post.
That replacement, he told reporters covering his state visit to Brunei Darussalam, would give him his answer to an offer to take de Jesus’ place by next week.
He was not named by Mr. Aquino.
“I approached somebody, who answered, ‘If he needs me there, okay,’ but at the same time, he said, ‘Since this is out of the blue, baka pwedeng mag-isip lang ng konti (maybe you can give me time to think about the offer),’ and I expect an answer by next week.,” the President said.
“He (replacement) is not a stranger to you guys, ganoon na lang (let’s leave it at that). The position is one of utmost trust, (and should be given to) somebody who can be compulsive in trying to ferret out everything,” he also told the reporters.
The President described de Jesus, who also served as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways during the administration of his mother—President Corazon Aquino—as “a very hardworking” Cabinet secretary.
Mr. Aquino reiterated that de Jesus resigned because he wanted to go back to the private sector.
Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda also on Thursday said that they do not know yet who would next head the Transportation department.
“The President hasn’t mentioned any yet. We’re not privy to the choice or choices of the President, so let’s wait for any decision from the President,” Lacierda told a briefing in Malacañang.
He said that the Palace expected the replacement to continue with reforms that de Jesus had undertaken at the department.
Roxas as DOTC chief
Former Sen. Manuel Roxas 2nd could fill in de Jesus’ shoes, according to Sen. Francis Escudero.
Instead of appointing Roxas as Palace chief of staff, Escudero also on Thursday told the weekly forum “Kapihan sa Senado” that the President should name the former senator as Transportation chief.
At the same, he downplayed a reported power struggle within the Cabinet over government posts, saying that appointments are solely and ultimately Mr. Aquino’s call.
Escudero is perceived to be allied with the so-called Samar group headed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Roxas with the so-called Balay group.
Roxas was first groomed to be the chief of staff but his duties and responsibilities were still being drawn by Malacañang to avoid possible overlapping with those of Ochoa.
The position of Executive Secretary is defined by law while that of chief of staff seemed to have been created by the president just to accommodate Roxas, his running mate in the 2010 elections.
Roxas gave way to then-Sen. Aquino as the Liberal Party’s standard-bearer in last year’s balloting and ran for Vice President.
He, however, lost to Jejomar Binay, whose bid was said to have gained ground as a result of Escudero covertly campaigning for him, instead of Roxas.
Binay was the running mate of former President Joseph Estrada, who surprisingly gave then-Sen. Aquino a run for his money during the early stages of the 2010 polls.
WITH REPORTS FROM CRIS G. ODRONIA, SAMMY MARTIN AND JOANNA FLORITA G. ZAFRA
Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/news/topstories/%E2%80%98irregularities%E2%80%99-undid-de-jesus/
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