New PCO secretary defends order on resignation of appointees
Veteran broadcast journalist Jay Ruiz. | PHOTO: Screengrab from Jay Ruiz’s YouTube page, Jay Ruiz Talks @ Sentro
MANILA, Philippines — Newly installed Communications Secretary Jay Ruiz on Monday defended the order mandating the submission of “unqualified courtesy resignations” of presidential appointees at the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and its attached agencies and state-run firms.
On the sidelines of a flag-raising ceremony in Malacañang, Ruiz was pressed about the order released on Saturday.
READ: PCO appointees asked to submit resignations
“Usually, ganun naman talaga kasi we’re all presidential appointees here. So, para lang sa amin naman, siyempre, free hand sa pagpili ng ating mga kasama,” he said.
(Usually, it’s like that because we’re all presidential appointees here. So, just for us, of course, we have a free hand in choosing our companions.)
Article continues after this advertisement“Mahirap din po kasi, dapat pagkakatiwalaan… Kasi, kung hindi mo kasama, hindi mo naman siya dapat kilala,” he continued.
Article continues after this advertisement(It’s also difficult because you have to trust each other… Because, if you’re not with him, you shouldn’t know him.)
Ruiz further said, “As a secretary, dapat dalhin mo rin ‘yung sarili mong tao (you should bring your own staff). I-a-assess mo rin yung mga proseso at sistema sa opisyo. So, sa akin lang, siyempre, walang personalan (You will also assess the processes and systems in the office. So, just me, of course, nothing personal.)
In a memorandum dated Feb. 25, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin gave the incumbent appointees at Malacañang’s premier communications arm until Friday, Feb. 28, to quit their posts.
“In the exigency of service and in order to give the new PCO secretary a free hand in performing his duties and functions, all incumbent presidential appointees in agencies, offices, and bureaus under the PCO are hereby directed to render their UNQUALIFIED COURTESY RESIGNATIONS, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations,” it read.
The directive covered presidential appointees in PCO agencies, offices, and bureaus “whose appointments are not permanent.”
It also applied to presidential appointees in government-owned and controlled corporations attached to the PCO “whose appointments are in acting capacity, as well as those who are in holdover status.”
