Palace defends govt ‘infomercials’

A Malacañang official on Tuesday defended Cabinet members who have infomercials on television and radio, saying these is part of their mandate to inform the public about the programs of their departments.

“As far as I'm concerned, what the Cabinet members are doing is just within their mandate to be able to disseminate information pertaining to their departments," said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita in an ambush interview.

Ermita made the statement three days after the Manila Regional Trial Court issued a temporary restraining order against the airing of the infomercials.

The issuance of the TRO was based on a petition filed by lawyer Ernesto Franciso Jr.

Ermita said government lawyers would address the cases against the Cabinet members.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who was one of those affected by the issuance of the TRO last Friday, expressed regret that his constitutional duty to inform the public has been stifled.

Duque is one of several Cabinet members being eyed by the administration to run for senator in the 2010 national elections.

But in radio interview earlier in the day, he said he is not inclined to “waste his time" if the surveys show that he has little chance of winning.

“Tingnan natin ang survey. Kung kulelat tayo sa survey huwag natin pagsayangin ng panahon (I’ll look at the surveys. If I fare poorly, I’d rather not waste my time)," Duque told dzXL radio. - GMANews.TV

Palace names choices for president

MANILA, Philippines -- Despite his consistent high rating in polls, Vice President Noli de Castro is not the only choice of Malacañang for president in the 2010 national elections, an official said Saturday.

Apart from De Castro, Malacañang's choices also include Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Senator Richard Gordon, Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte.

"They are the administration's choices. But we will have to await who the President will anoint,'' Cerge Remonde, Presidential Management Staff chief, said in a phone interview.

For now, the President has refused to discuss the 2010 elections, opting to focus on contingency measures against the global financial crunch.

De Castro was the top recommended successor to the President in May 2010, gaining 29 percent of the respondents, according to the third quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations.

He was closely followed by Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. (28 percent) and Senator Loren Legarda (26 percent).

Earlier, in an interview over the government-run Radyo ng Bayan, Remonde made special mention of Teodoro, a member of Congress before he was appointed to the top defense post.

"One whom we feel is a presidential timber, apart from Vice President De Castro, is of course Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. He's showing interest,'' he said. "We will not be surprised if his name will be floated as a presidential candidate.''

Of the five, only Fernando has declared he would run for President in 2010.

Remonde also disclosed he was convincing Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, wife of Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto, to run for vice president in May 2010.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza on Friday shrugged off the results of the SWS survey, saying the President was more focused on contingency measures against the global financial crisis.

"They are not too significant to us because the President is focused on good governance, addressing needs of the nation especially in time of crisis so we can weather the storm,'' he said.

Dureza, however, said that the SWS results showing that one percent of the respondents recommended Arroyo to succeed herself was interesting.

"We don't want to find significance in that. We are more concerned with governance but it is interesting if you would ask me,'' he told reporters. inquirer.net