Tourism Asec Alegre submits courtesy resignation
MANILA, Philippines — Heeding the order of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Ricky Alegre tendered his courtesy resignation from his post as assistant secretary Tuesday.
In his resignation letter addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte, Alegre said he is giving the chief executive and Puyat a “free hand” to determine who would continue to serve in the Tourism department.
“When I accepted this post on September 5, 2016, I took to heart the mandate you had given us to continue to promote tourism in the country so that its benefits could be felt by each and every Filipino. I have tried to heed that call to the best of my abilities,” he said.
Alegre, who also served as the department's spokesperson, added: “However, because of unforeseen circumstances, I feel it is necessary to tender this courtesy resignation because we all just definitely serve at the pleasure of the president.”
His resignation came hours after Puyat ordered the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo to submit their unqualified courtesy resignations, saying it is the “right thing to do.”
She, however, clarified that the submission of courtesy resignations does not necessarily mean the officials would be removed from the agency.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra issued a similar memorandum when he replaced Vitaliano Aguirre II in April.
Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat orders all undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the Department of Tourism to submit their courtesy resignations.
Puyat, who issued the memorandum on Tuesday afternoon, said she had done the same for changes of leadership in the Department of Agriculture, where she had been working for 12 years.
The Tourism secretary assumed her post on Tuesday after being sworn into office on Monday.
The Commission on Appointments approves the appointment of Bernadette Romulo-Puyat as tourism secretary in a swift confirmation hearing that took around six minutes.
Puyat faced the appointment body three weeks after she was named by President Rodrigo Duterte as the new tourism chief.
She replaced resigned Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo who quit her post amid a controversial DOT advertisement deal.
The Department of Tourism announces that career executive Arnold Gonzales has been named as the officer-in-charge of the Tourism Promotions Board.
Gonzales takes the place vacated by Cesar Montano, who resigned on May 21 amid the controversial “Buhay Carinderia” program he headed.
The Tourism Promotions Board says it supports the direction of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat amid controversies surrounding the agency's "Buhay Carinderia" project and the eventual resignation of its head actor Cesar Montano.
Tourism Secretary Puyat suspends the "Buhay Carinderia" project, which will be implemented by the Cesar Montano-led Tourism Promotions Board.
"I will suspend it. I will wait for the COA," she was quoted by a radio report.
READ: Cesar Montano asked to explain 'rushed' US speech, ‘Buhay Carinderia’
A report by The STAR questioned the use of P80 million for the project.
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