Roco quits after graft allegations

Former senator Raul Roco, who is widely tipped as a presidential candidate in the 2004 election, yesterday resigned as education secretary, a day after President Gloria Arroyo approved an investigation into allegations of corruption against him.

In his resignation letter, Roco criticised the Arroyo administration for "humiliating" him.
He said he was surprised by the leader's endorsement of the complaint filed against him by a group of employees at the department of education' head office.

"There is no place in a democracy for humiliating people as a policy instrument," he said in his letter which he submitted yesterday to the president.

The Head Office Employees' Union had been accusing Roco since last year of printing posters bearing his portrait using the department's funds and for not remitting millions of pesos every month in fees to the national treasury.

In his letter, Roco pointed out the achievements of the department under his leadership.

"Since February 14, 2001, I have served in the cabinet with dedication and without fanfare. ..The public recognised the work of the department such that since October, 2001, to the present, the department has been considered the best performing government agency survey after survey," he noted.

"It came as a surprise then, to hear that the Philippine Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) would investigate me over baseless charge ignored even by your excellency for more than a year now," he added.

He said that the investigation "was an expression of loss of confidence" of the president.
The presidential palace, meanwhile, was apparently caught unawares by Roco's decision.

In an official statement, Arroyo's spokesperson and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the president has not yet approved Roco's resignation.

"President Arroyo will meet with Secretary Raul Roco at the soonest possible time in the hope of thrashing out the issues involving the latter's resignation from his cabinet post," Bunye noted.

He added that the whole issue over the investigation had been "blown out of proportion so as to create the false impression that Roco is being eased out". "The impression has no basis in truth and in fact," he said.

In the same statement, Bunye stressed that the charges against the education secretary had to be referred "as a matter of routine" to the PAGC in the same manner that charges against Justice Secretary Hernando Perez and Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit were earlier referred to the anti-graft body.

According to Bunye, the president and the members of the cabinet recognise Roco's dedication and exemplary service.

Under Roco's 18-month stewardship, the department of education has undergone dramatic changes.

It was able to enhance the welfare of the country's public school teachers by increasing their salaries, revising the basic education curriculum and eliminating corruption in the department head office that resulted in cheaper textbooks and other school equipment.

Despite pronouncements by the presidential palace, former colleagues of Roco's in the senate have refused to rule out "political motives" behind the investigation.

They noted the timing of the order, which came shortly after an independent survey placed Roco's as a leading candidate in the 2004 elections.