3 DOTC undersecretaries quit posts after their boss resigns

(Updated) Less than a week after Jose de Jesus resigned as Department of Transportation and Communications secretary, three of his undersecretaries announced their resignations as well. One of the four, undersecretaries, Glicerio Sicat, said this was meant to give the new DOTC secretary a free hand in reorganizing the agency. "We want to give the new DOTC secretary a free hand. When De Jesus took over last July, we had a hard time removing people we were not comfortable with. Personally I decided to hand in my resignation effective on June 30, the same day de Jesus is leaving," Sicat said in an interview on dzBB radio. Likewise resigning from their posts were undersecretaries Dante Velasco, and Ruben Reynoso Jr. A report by radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen said De Jesus had brought in the three to the department when he took over the department last June 30. Last Monday, De Jesus handed over his irrevocable resignation (effective June 30) to President Benigno Aquino III. Sicat indicated he is considering returning to investment banking, while Velasco may go back to the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES). "Undersecretary Velasco is straddling two positions, one is with the OES and here at DOTC. Mawawala ang function niya sa DOTC at babalik siya sa OES (Velasco presently has two positions, with the DOTC and with the OES. Once his function with the DOTC is gone, he will likely return to the OES)," he said. No disruption Sicat said there will be no disruption of services at the DOTC once they leave, adding they are willing to help their replacements learn the ropes. "[Handa kami] kung sakaling tawagin ng bagong DOTC secretary para makatulong kahit walang bayad," he said. Palace 'understands' In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said they "understand" the sentiments of the four undersecretaries. "Most of the undersecretaries kasama ni Sec. de Jesus. We cannot blame them kung gusto nila mag-tender ng resignation," Valte said in a separate interview on dzBB. De Jesus' decision De Jesus, in a statement read by Velasco Friday morning, said his resignation was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. "I feel my completion of one full year in service at the DOTC is the right time to start moving on," went part of the statement read by Velasco. He also maintained his relationship with the Aquino family "remains strong and durable," and that his "loyalty to and friendship with the family cannot be shaken." De Jesus said he hopes his successor can sustain the momentum of the agency. He said he expects to submit to President Aquino a list of completed and ongoing projects, including those in the pipeline, in the "next few days." On the other hand, he appealed to the public and the media to be fair in reporting on his resignation. "Please allow me to appeal to your sense fo fairness and objectivity so that no undue harm is done to the people we respect and the families we love," he said. — LBG, GMA News