r publicly opposing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s attempts to overhaul the political system. Avelino Cruz, who was Arroyo’s lawyer before she named him defense secretary in August 2004, told the president that his decision was “irrevocable.”
“Thank you for the opportunity to be of service to our nation,” Cruz wrote in a letter to Arroyo dated Nov. 5, without giving any reason for his departure.
Ignacio Bunye, Arroyo’s spokesman, confirmed the resignation, but said the president had not taken any decision on it.
Cruz is popular among soldiers for his attempts to modernize the underfunded military. But his efforts to depoliticize the army ahead of next year’s congressional elections angered some of his cabinet colleagues.
The military is a key political force in the Philippines with disgruntled officers involved in more than a dozen coup bids since the ousting of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and troops are assigned to count votes and secure ballots during elections.
“He was a breath of fresh air for the armed forces,” said Earl Parreno, an analyst at the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms.
“It will affect morale among the soldiers but not to the extent that they are going to stage a coup or hold demonstrations against the Arroyo administration.”
Rumors of his plan to step down swirled in Manila after he openly opposed Arroyo’s controversial campaign to change the constitution and switch to a parliamentary system of government from the current presidential set-up.
Critics said Arroyo, who has survived two impeachment attempts and at least one attempted coup, was promoting the changes ion order to stay in power after 2010, when she finishes her last term as president.
The Supreme Court, voting 8-7, dismissed a petition for a plebiscite on constitutional change by the president’s allies last month. One of Cruz’s former law partners wrote the strongly-worded argument rejecting it.
Cruz had blasted the bid to change the charter as “hare-brained”, prompting calls for his removal by some cabinet colleagues.
A senior defense official close to Cruz told Reuters that the 53-year-old was fed up of politicking within Arroyo’s cabinet.
“The secretary has grown tired and wanted to return to law practice. He was not asked to resign. He was not sacked.”
Cruz said his resignation would take effect on Nov. 30 after completing some paper work.
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