Cabinet members vying for elective posts are free to resign to focus on their political ambitions despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing them to stay until the campaign period, Malacañang said Friday.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde disputed insinuations made by former Senator Ralph Recto that President Arroyo has compelled these Cabinet officials to stay for the meantime to provide a supposed security blanket.

Remonde said the President has actually given her Cabinet freedom to pursue their endeavors, including the option to quit ahead of the campaign season, adding she is even prepared to appoint their replacements.

“The President will never prevent anybody from leaving. In fact, I have been a witness to this that the President has really given her Cabinet complete freedom, even other people informing their plans. The President will always allow them to go ahead with their plans,” Remonde said in a news conference in the Palace.

When then Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. disclosed his presidential plans in 2010, the President respected his decision and did not stand in his way, he said.

The President “will never stop you or encourage you” since her subordinates “should be able to plan their own lives after her presidency,” Remonde said.

He also insisted that Malacañang has nothing to do with a petition by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal where the Supreme Court ruled that Cabinet members would no longer be considered resigned upon filing their certificates of candidacy.

He said they were actually “neutral” on the SC ruling, insisting the President was ready to replace these Cabinet members who were supposed to be deemed resigned. “We already put up a new team and we are hoping that even the new team will add a fresh blood to the Cabinet,” he said.

Remonde also dispelled suspicions the High Court favored the President’s men due to her many appointed magistrates.

“It has been proven in many cases in the past that the Supreme Court rules against the Palace and that to me contradicts the assumption that the Supreme Court will only rule in favor of the Palace,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malacañang’s congressional allies Friday belied allegations that Cabinet officials who have filed their certificates of candidacy (CoCs) for various elective positions in the May 2010 elections are being forced to stay in their respective offices.

Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez, a spokesman of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said presidential appointees such as Cabinet officials are not being forced to work under the Arroyo administration.

“I don't believe that Cabinet men and executive officials are working under forced servitude. The hardworking President may be a slave driver, but it doesn't mean that those working under her are slaves,” Alvarez said.

He added: “Yes, Cabinet work is hard labor but it doesn't mean that its members are involuntary laborers. Cabinet men are not kindergarten kids who can be ordered to sit in the corner.”

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III said Recto’s claim was “baseless and preposterous.”

“That will not happen because institutions are not based on Cabinet members for life. Serving in the Cabinet is not a personality-based. Even the President cannot prevent the Cabinet members from leaving their posts to pursue other positions in public service,” Albano said.

Even if the allegations were true, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said Mrs. Arroyo “definitely has a valid reason.”

“It is understandable that the President wants to keep some of her Cabinet men, especially those in the economic team. They are holding important positions and the President can’t just let them go for now because we are still in a crisis,” Suarez said.

Among Cabinet officials running in next year’s polls are Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Environment Secretary Jose Atienza, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Golez and Presidential Management Staff chief Hermogenes Esperon.

In a related development, Sen. Manuel ‘’Mar’’ A. Roxas, president of the Liberal Party (LP), asked Congress Friday to pass his bill that would reverse a Supreme Court ruling that all public officials seeking elective posts are not considered automatically resigned after filing their certificates of candidacy (Coc), six months before election day.

Roxas filed Senate Bill No. 3547, or the proposed No Government Machinery Abuse (NO GMA) During Elections” law, to address concerns raised by the Supreme Court's decision allowing appointive officials to hold on to their positions even after filing their CoCs. (With reports from Edmer F. Panesa and Mario B. Casayuran)