MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang Monday served notice to its troops to “toe the line” after Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo—one of its most senior Cabinet officials—broadly indicated his support for Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, the Liberal Party’s standard-bearer in the 2010 presidential election.

News that Romulo was favoring the senator came the same day that another administration official—Commissioner Jaime Jacob of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC)—announced he was resigning his post in order to support the presidential bid of the late former President Corazon Aquino’s only son.

Jacob’s resignation was the latest sign of cracks in the facade of administration unity and came just two months before the official start of the campaign for the May 2010 national elections.

Romulo was in London accompanying no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself in her three-nation foreign trip when he indicated in an interview with an ABS-CBN correspondent where his heart lay.

“In 2007, I voted for Noynoy Aquino [for senator], so my ties with the Aquino family have been deep and lasting,” Romulo said in the interview. “I’ve always been with Tita Cory and voted for the Aquinos.”

Asked if he would support Noynoy, Romulo answered: “I have voted for the Aquinos all the time.”

Boss wouldn’t comment

Romulo declined comment when he arrived with Ms Arroyo later Monday in Saudi Arabia.

“Per boss, no further comment,” a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson said in a text message to the Inquirer, which had asked to talk with the foreign secretary.

Romulo was budget secretary in Cory Aquino’s Cabinet and, like the Aquinos, is a Tarlakeno.

Malacañang tried to appear unflustered by the report.

It’s a must

But Anthony Golez, deputy presidential spokesperson, made it clear that members of Ms Arroyo’s Cabinet would eventually have to declare their unequivocal support behind the administration’s presidential candidate once the choice became “official.”

“Definitely, when this administration officially supports a candidate, everybody must toe the line,” Golez said in a media briefing.

Gabriel Claudio, presidential adviser on political affairs, described Romulo’s declaration as a “curious case.”

“It will have to be carefully discussed and clarified,” he said.

Claudio declined to comment on the possible impact of Romulo’s declaration on the united front the administration is trying to project behind its presidential candidate.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro emerged as the Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s candidate by “consensus” during a meeting of the group’s 65-member national executive committee last week.

Teodoro and Aquino are cousins.

De Venecia fallout

Administration unity has come under severe test, if it has not been actually dented, since last year following the ruling coalition’s decision to oust Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia as Speaker.

De Venecia has since been a top critic of Ms Arroyo.

Last month, former President Fidel V. Ramos, a Lakas founder, rejected the administration’s offer for him to be chair emeritus of the merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD party—a merger now under question before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Inter-party strain heightened when Ramos last week warned against any move to keep Ms Arroyo in power beyond 2010, and said that generals now holding key security positions did not have full military support.

In August, another key Cabinet official, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto, quit his post, apparently to prepare for next year’s senatorial elections.

Not a difficult choice

If Romulo had indeed thrown his support for Aquino, that wouldn’t have been a hard decision for him to make, according to his son, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo.

Roman, a member of the administration party, said there was no disputing his father’s closeness to Cory Aquino. He also pointed out that his father was not affiliated with any political party at the moment.

But the congressman said he had yet to talk with his father about his reported backing for Aquino.

“Assuming that my dad really declared that, it’s easier for him because he has no political party and he was really close to President Cory. Assuming it’s true, that was not a hard decision for him,” Roman said in a phone interview.

His father’s decision was also not surprising, he added.

Father and son

Roman believes his father’s choice, if true, would not adversely affect the elder Romulo’s working relationship with Ms Arroyo.

“Their relationship is professional. I always assumed that he’s in that position because he accomplishes things in that position,” he said.

The Pasig representative also said that his father’s support for Aquino would not be a problem between the two of them.

“I don’t think it should be awkward between the two us. I understand his personal feelings. And I’m comfortable with my own stand,” Roman said.

Moral recovery

In Naga City, Jacob said he resigned from the PAGC so he could freely support the campaign of the LP candidates for the top positions.

“I resigned to support Noynoy [in his campaign] for moral recovery,” Jacob, a former congressman, said in an interview.

He said he was confident that given the right motivation, the Filipino people could be mobilized with the spirit of Edsa to bring change in the national leadership.

Jacob occupied other positions in the Arroyo administration, such as chair of the Philippine National Railways and head of the Bicol River Basin Project, before he became PAGC commissioner in 2006.

A real choice

Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, an LP stalwart in Bicol, welcomed the resignation of Jacob, saying it clearly affirmed the ascendancy of Aquino and Sen. Mar Roxas as an anticorruption tandem and symbol of good governance.

“Coming from someone in the know, Commissioner Jacob’s resignation tells us that Noynoy-Mar can deliver,” he added.

Claudio expressed confidence that the entry of Aquino and Teodoro to the presidential race would give the country a “real chance to participate in the election based not on showbiz popularity and logistics but on issues and principles.”

“It will do the country and our democratic system a lot of good to encourage the electorate to evaluate the worthiness of candidates on the basis of their ability to inspire, lead, and educate through ideas and concrete programs,” Claudo said.

“Issues about the economy, accountable governance, foreign policy, peace and unity and national security, among other substantive issues, have to be exhaustively debated.”

Claudio added: “Presidential aspirants who shun debates, either for lack of substance or the ability to articulate it, will be at a great disadvantage.” With reports from Cynthia D. Balana in Manila; Juan Escandor Jr. and Rey Nasol, Inquirer Southern Luzon; and Inquirer Research