Sec. Eduardo Romualdez: the once and future kin

Title

Creator

Patricio, Mario

Language

English

Year

1969

Subject

Romualdez, Eduardo

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

Sec, Eduardo Romualdez: THE ONCE AND FUTURE KIN By MARIO PATRICIO WHEN President Marcos first named the men who were to compose his Cabinet, Finance Secretary-designate Edu ardo Romualdez had seemed at once to be an unfortunate choice, not because of any failing for the job but ironically because he hap pened to be related to the Presi dent. Many of the President’s close advisers feared then that it was politically unwise, but the President named his cousin (by marriage to the First Lady) any way, certain that Romualdez’s qualifications and his subsequent performance in the job would blunt the criticism. In the three years since his ap pointment, Secretary Romualdez not only blunted the criticism but was cited as well for his perform ance by the press and public alike. This, while other members of the Cabinet became the butt of critic ism, and of harassment by the opposition. And for awhile, it had seemed as though the public and the President’s perennial critics had forgotten that he was a Ro mualdez. It came then as a surprise to many when the national dailies headlined recently the news that Romualdez was “irrevocably re signing” from the Cabinet. The news report mentioned no more beyond saying that the Finance Secretary was quitting for reasons of health. But coming as it did in the wake of the President’s Cabinet revamp, the press and public alike speculated that Ro mualdez was resigning because of a conflict of policies with the President. The President immediately is sued a statement saying that he was rejecting the secretary’s re signation. But this did not quiet down the fuss over the issue. An other story made the headlines, and this time it suggested that the finance chief had tendered his resignation because he (Ro mualdez) “was displeased by the President’s alleged support of BIR Commissioner Misael P. Vera in the reorganization of the Revenue Office.” The same story added WITH PRES. MARCOS, Sec. Romualdez and some government officials discuss a vital administration project. that Romualdez would “insist” on his resignation. This drew another disclaimer from the President who stated curtly that Romualdez would stay as finance chief. But the alleg ed conflict had been fanned by rumors and speculations, and the men who had once seemed an un happy choice for the finance port folio now hugged the limelight because he did not want it. When interviewed at his office at the Beneficial Life building in Intramuros, Secretary Romualdez seemed puzzled and dismayed by the fuss over his resignation. A big and apparently shy man, he seemed an unlikely man to hug the headlines. “When the President first men tioned the projected Cabinet re vamp to me,” he began, “I ex pressed to him my desire to re turn to private life. I told him that'my health was beginning to fail me. I have previously ex pressed this wish to him on past occasions, and I asked that he give the same his renewed con sideration. The President reject ed my resignation and requested that I continue as Secretary of Finance. I took his wish for me to stay as a command, and so I left him thinking that the mat ter of my resignation was closed. “You can imagine my surprise when I found my name in the headlines a few days later, along with my reported insistence and my alleged conflict with the Pres ident. I believe that there has been too much speculation and conjecture on my resignation.” With regard to the so-called conflict over the BIR, the Sec retary hastens to point out that the President has practically sup ported him in all his actions. He admits, of course, to an occasion al difference with the President over certain questions, but he says: “This is to be expected. Members oP- the Cabinet are not blind followers of the President.” Does his kinship to the First Lady make him uncomfortable as a member of the Cabinet? “It’s not that I feel uncomfortable,” he answers. “I realize only too well that I am related to the First Lady. But I believe that when the President asked me to serve the government in 1966; it was because he felt that I can con tribute to the work of nation building.” He admits to a fear that the President’s political ri vals might just use his presence in the Cabinet as issue in the com ing Presidential elections, but since the President has insisted that he stay as Finance Secretary, he will continue to serve in that capacity. He declines to comment on his oerformance as Finance Secretary beyond saying simply that he has tried to perform his work to the best of his ability. His record would seem to speak for itself. Indeed, a review of that record would reveal too much that is sig nificant and would be wasted if he should resign simply because he happens to be a cousin of the President, or because his health is slightly failing him. PM PHILIPPINE AAAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 28, 1969 7

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