(Eagle News) — Tourism Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre has resigned.
In a letter addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte, Alegre said the “courtesy resignation” was to give newly appointed Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat the “free hand to determine who would be allowed to continue to serve in the said department.”
Earlier, Puyat asked all 10 undersecretaries and secretaries to submit their courtesy resignations.
In the letter dated May 15, Alegre said when he accepted the post on September 5, 2016, “I took to heart the mandate (Duterte) had given us to continue to promote tourism in the country so that its benefits could be felt by each and every Filipino.”
“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,” Alegre said.
Puyat was sworn in as the new tourism chief on Monday, May 14.
She replaced Wanda Teo, who resigned over a P60-million advertisement placement controversy.
The Commission on Audit had red-flagged the project that saw the placement of ads of the DOT–which she then headed— in “Kilos Pronto,” the program of his brother Ben Tulfo.
Teo has denied any wrongdoing.
