Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat has directed all Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries of the Department of Tourism to tender their courtesy resignations within one week so she could have a “free hand” in running the agency.
Politiko obtained a copy of the memorandum dated May 15 in which Puyat directed all DOT Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries to submit their courtesy resignations to her between May 15 and May 21.
Exempted from the order, however, are career officials as defined by pertinent civil service laws, rules and regulations.
Puyat cited “the exigency of service” and the necessity to have a “free hand to perform the mandate” given by President Rodrigo Duterte as reasons for the courtesy resignations of the DOT Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries.
“Until any action is taken by the President on such courtesy resignations, all Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries shall continue to report for work and perform their usual duties and responsibilities subject to any modification that the undersigned may deem proper to adopt in the meantime,” the memorandum signed by Puyat read.
Affected by the order are the following Undersecretaries: Katherine De Castro, Rolando Cañizal, Alma Rita Jimenez and Marco Bautista.
Also asked to tender courtesy resignations are Assistant Secretaries Eden Josephine David, Maria Lourdes Japson, Daniel Angelo Mercado, Frederick Alegre and Reynaldo Ching.
Puyat’s order is reminiscent of Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s directive for Department of Justice Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries to tender their resignations when he assumed office last April.
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