Malacañang: Laviña has resigned
Posted on March 02, 2017
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s 2016 campaign spokesperson Peter Tiu Laviña on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to spare the President from “embarrassing” corruption accusations.
However, a labor group leader, who met with Mr. Duterte at Malacañang last Monday, bared a different story, saying that Mr. Laviña was fired by the President two days ago due to corruption.
“Paalam (Good bye)! I have been vilified in the past; my name used, abused and maligned. Recently, there had been efforts to discredit me again. There are rumors circulating that I have asked money from NIA contractors. These are not true,” Mr. Laviña said in a Facebook post yesterday.
“To spare the President from these embarrassing stories, particularly in these times of intensified attacks on him, I have quietly left government,” he added.
Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco, Jr. confirmed Mr. Laviña’s resignation saying in a text message to reporters: “It is with deep regret that our office receives this news and wishes him well in his next endeavors.”
For her part, NIA spokesperson Pilipina Bermudez confirmed that Mr. Laviña had tendered his “irrevocable resignation” last week and that it took effect Tuesday.
However, she said she believed he resigned because of “health reasons.”
While denying Mr. Laviña was engaged in corruption, Ms. Bermudez confirmed that there were people using the name of the former NIA chief who had been “asking for cash” and favors, forcing the agency to issue a memorandum warning regional directors about the matter.
Ms. Bermudez said Estrella Icasiano will be NIA officer-in-charge but clarified that she would not be allowed to sign important documents.
Sought for details, Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose Sonny Matula, who met with Mr. Duterte early this week, claimed that Mr. Duterte disclosed in a meeting with labor groups that he had sacked Mr. Laviña “to show that he mean business in the fight against corruption.”
“Wala rin siya sasantuhin sa war against crimes and illegal drugs at pagsugpo sa kontraktwalisasyon (The president also said that there will be no sacred cows in his war against crimes and illegal drugs and contractualization),” Mr. Matula said.
In his speech during the launching of the new Bangsamoro Transition Commission on Feb. 24, Mr. Duterte reiterated his promise to weed out corruption, adding that he recently fired an official from Davao City.
“As a matter of fact, I fired last night one [official from] taga-Davao na... for simply making a remark about -- sabi ko he’s out and I told him, even a whiff of corruption, talagang tatanggalin kita,” the President said.
Known as “water boy” during his stint as NIA head, Mr. Laviña is from Mr. Duterte’s hometown of Davao City and served as his election campaign spokesman last year. -- Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral, with a report from interaksyon.com
“Paalam (Good bye)! I have been vilified in the past; my name used, abused and maligned. Recently, there had been efforts to discredit me again. There are rumors circulating that I have asked money from NIA contractors. These are not true,” Mr. Laviña said in a Facebook post yesterday.
“To spare the President from these embarrassing stories, particularly in these times of intensified attacks on him, I have quietly left government,” he added.
Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco, Jr. confirmed Mr. Laviña’s resignation saying in a text message to reporters: “It is with deep regret that our office receives this news and wishes him well in his next endeavors.”
For her part, NIA spokesperson Pilipina Bermudez confirmed that Mr. Laviña had tendered his “irrevocable resignation” last week and that it took effect Tuesday.
However, she said she believed he resigned because of “health reasons.”
While denying Mr. Laviña was engaged in corruption, Ms. Bermudez confirmed that there were people using the name of the former NIA chief who had been “asking for cash” and favors, forcing the agency to issue a memorandum warning regional directors about the matter.
Ms. Bermudez said Estrella Icasiano will be NIA officer-in-charge but clarified that she would not be allowed to sign important documents.
Sought for details, Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose Sonny Matula, who met with Mr. Duterte early this week, claimed that Mr. Duterte disclosed in a meeting with labor groups that he had sacked Mr. Laviña “to show that he mean business in the fight against corruption.”
“Wala rin siya sasantuhin sa war against crimes and illegal drugs at pagsugpo sa kontraktwalisasyon (The president also said that there will be no sacred cows in his war against crimes and illegal drugs and contractualization),” Mr. Matula said.
In his speech during the launching of the new Bangsamoro Transition Commission on Feb. 24, Mr. Duterte reiterated his promise to weed out corruption, adding that he recently fired an official from Davao City.
“As a matter of fact, I fired last night one [official from] taga-Davao na... for simply making a remark about -- sabi ko he’s out and I told him, even a whiff of corruption, talagang tatanggalin kita,” the President said.
Known as “water boy” during his stint as NIA head, Mr. Laviña is from Mr. Duterte’s hometown of Davao City and served as his election campaign spokesman last year. -- Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral, with a report from interaksyon.com
