Romulo said he was a “good soldier” and would accept any position that President Benigno Aquino III would offer him.

Reports suggested that he was to be appointed the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York.

Romulo said on the sidelines of the briefing at the Manila Diamond Hotel that he had asked the President that he be appointed COA chair, but added he would be happy with any other position.

“Actually I asked for the COA chief. But I’m happy with this designation,” he said, referring to the UN post.

Should Romulo be named COA chief, he will take the place of Reynaldo Villar, whose term, according to Malacañang, officially ended on Feb. 2.

Happy retirement

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Villar had written a letter to the President reiterating his stand that he will step aside upon the appointment of his replacement.

“His decision to step aside is a welcome demonstration of his affection and institutional loyalty to the COA and the country. We wish him a comfortable and happy retirement,” Lacierda said in a text message.

Last week, the President acknowledged Romulo’s capabilities in government service. “(H)e still has contributions that he can make,” Mr. Aquino said.

The President said it was possible that he might serve in another capacity. “That is very possible at this time. But it’s also subject to whether he’d accept it or not.”

Romulo served as budget secretary under the administration of the President’s mother, the late icon of democracy Corazon Aquino, before winning a Senate seat in 1988.

Romulo expressed support for Mr. Aquino in the last elections despite being a member of the Arroyo administration that backed the candidacy of former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.

Villar letter

To dispel any misconception that he wants to cling to power at all cost, Villar has written Mr. Aquino, saying that that he will make way once a new COA chair is designated.

Villar, in his letter, explained why he believed there was a legal issue over the expiration of his term as COA chair, but said that he would nevertheless relinquish his post.

Villar also voiced his dismay that he was being painted as someone who was clinging to his position without basis, and further lamented that the ensuing controversy has not left the COA unscathed.

Because of this, he would leave when his replacement comes.

“What pained me, my family and my co-workers is that some media practitioners and politicians have alleged that I am simply clinging to the office and to power without legal basis,” he said in the letter, where he cited the legal issues concerning his term.

“More than the attacks on my person, what has truly saddened me is that the issue of my term has dragged the very institution that I have served with utmost dedication into public disfavor. Given the present situation and owing to the exigencies of the service, I hereby reiterate my previous statement that I am stepping aside upon the appointment of my replacement,” he added.

Case in Supreme Court

Villar’s term is facing a case in the Supreme Court. He was appointed COA commissioner in 2004 and was supposed to serve for seven years until 2011. But in 2008, he was named COA chair, and a new commissioner was appointed to serve the rest of his unexpired term.

Villar claimed that when he became chair, he got a fresh seven year term, ending in 2015.

But lawyer Dennis Funa contested Villar’s appointment as chair, saying this was considered a reappointment, and is expressly prohibited by the Constitution. Funa also said that Villar could not serve until 2015. Doing so would mean that he would have been an official of the COA for 11 years.

The COA chair, in his letter to the President, noted that while his appointment papers stated that his term would end in 2011, former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita subsequently issued a clarificatory letter saying that his term as chair would actually end in 2015.

Villar also said he earlier sought the new administration’s comment on the matter. But Malacañang has issued no response.

“Needless to state, had my letter been rejected and a replacement promptly appointed, I would have willingly stepped down. However, to this date, no comment had been received from your good self,” he added.

From the ranks

Villar, who noted that he had risen from the ranks to become COA chair, also explained that he could not just leave right away without a replacement because that would create a vacuum and paralyze the agency from making vital decisions.

He said the COA, which is headed by a chair and two commissioners, needs at least two members to perform its quasi-judicial and rule-making functions. At present, it only has one commissioner, since the third member retired earlier this month after serving the unexpired portion of Villar’s term as commissioner.

On his presumptive successor, Romulo said: “I think he will have an easy time. He is a seasoned veteran.”

He described Del Rosario as “a man of integrity” and “competent.”

“The President could not have chosen a better one than him,” said Romulo, who is on leave.

Purely social

Del Rosario said that the briefing was not yet a turnover, official or otherwise, and that it was “purely social.”

Romulo said he expected the official turnover to be held within the month.

He said he gave Del Rosario some pointers about current issues concerning the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), such as the political unrest in the Middle East, and the stay of execution of three Filipinos on death row in China.

Also at the briefing were key officials and employees of the DFA. At present, the acting foreign secretary is the undersecretary for policy Erlinda F. Basilio, whom Romulo appointed for the duration of his leave of absence that started Feb. 18.

DJ Yap & Leila Salaverria, Phil. Daily Inquirer