VZCZCXRO6699
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #0529/01 0370852
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 060852Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9082
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 000529 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, INR/B 
NSC FOR H. MORROW 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINS PINR ECON RP
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ARROYO MAKES SEVERAL CHANGES TO HER 
CABINET 
 
REF: A. OPS CENTER - MANILA 02/06/2006 TELCON 
 
     ¶B. MANILA 0242 
     ¶C. 05 MANILA 5688 
     ¶D. 05 MANILA 4140 
     ¶E. 05 MANILA 3154 
 
¶1.  (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please 
handle accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Summary:  On February 5, Malacanang announced 
several changes to President Arroyo's Cabinet. 
Representative Ronaldo Puno replaced Angelo Reyes as 
Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. 
 
SIPDIS 
 Reyes will now head the Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources.  Malacanang announced several other 
appointments and promised more in coming weeks.  The Cabinet 
changes announced by Malacanang contained no major surprises. 
 End Summary. 
 
¶3.  (U) On February 5, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita 
announced several changes to President Arroyo's Cabinet. 
Representative Ronaldo "Ronnie" Puno was appointed Secretary 
of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). 
(Note:  Among other matters, DILG supervises the Philippine 
National Police.  End Note.)  Puno, who is head of the 
Pro-President Arroyo KAMPI party, played a central role in 
her 2004 presidential campaign.  Puno also served as DILG 
Secretary under former president Estrada from 1999-2000 and 
 
SIPDIS 
was Assistant DILG Secretary during the Marcos Administration. 
 
¶4. (U) Secretary Angelo "Angie" Reyes, whom Puno is 
replacing, will now head the Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources (DENR).  This position has been vacant 
since January when then-secretary Mike Defensor became Chief 
of Staff at Malacanang (ref B).  Reyes, who had been in the 
DILG Qsition since July 2004, previously served as Secretary 
of National Defense (2001-2003),  He also served as Chief of 
Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under 
President Estrada, playing a key role in Estrada's January 
2001 ouster.  Reyes was reportedly offered the post of 
Ambassador to the U.S. but declined. 
 
¶5.  (U) Malacanang announced several other changes to the 
Cabinet, including: 
 
-- Eduardo Antonio Nachura was appointed as President 
Arroyo's chief legal counsel, replacing Merceditas "Mercy" 
Gutierrez, who became head of the Office of the Ombudsman in 
December 2005 (ref C).  Nachura, a former congressman from 
Western Samar in the central Philippines, assisted the Arroyo 
administration's successful effort to stave off impeachment 
in mid-2005 (ref D). 
 
-- Representative Rolando Andaya was named Secretary of the 
Department of Budget and Management.  The position was 
temporarily occupied by Romulo Neri following the resignation 
of Secretary Emilia Boncodin in July 2005 (per ref E, 
Boncodin subsequently joined opponents of the administration 
in calling for President Arroyo's ouster).  Neri returns to 
his former position as Director General of the National 
Economic Development Authority. 
 
-- Dr. Esperanza Cabral was named Secretary of the Department 
of Social Welfare and Development.  A cardiologist, Cabral 
formerly headed the Philippine Heart Center.  She replaced 
Lual Hati Pablo, who temporarily occupied the position 
following the resignation of Secretary Corazon "Dinky" 
Soliman, who joined the Opposition in July 2005 (ref E). 
 
-- Edgardo Pamintuan was appointed Chairman of the 
Subic-Clark Area Development Authority, a newly-created 
position.  Pamintuan, who hails from the President's home 
province of Pampanga, located northwest of Manila, had served 
as Arroyo's Adviser for External Affairs. 
 
¶6.  (U) Without elaborating, Ermita said more appointments 
will be announced in coming weeks. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  The Cabinet changes announced on February 
5 contained no major surprises.  Mission contacts had hinted 
of these appointments as early as mid-January (ref B).  In 
filling the positions, Arroyo elected to stick with 
experienced political players like Puno who had demonstrated 
proven loyalty to her. 
 
 
MANILA 00000529  002 OF 002 
 
 
Jones