Malacañang on Tuesday said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sees no need for Education Secretary Sonny Angara to resign amid allegations that his name was among those linked to supposed kickbacks in flood control projects.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters that any discussion of Angara stepping down remains purely speculative.
“It’s a hypothetical question,” Castro said when asked if the President would accept Angara’s resignation should he offer one.
“If Secretary Angara believes he is clean and has nothing to worry about, he does not need to submit a resignation,” she added.
Castro also brushed aside concerns that the administration was applying different standards in dealing with officials linked, directly or indirectly, to the controversy.
Asked why Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman resigned “out of delicadeza,” while Angara remains in his post, she said: “There is no difference. The two, the Executive Secretary and Secretary Mina, voluntarily resigned out of delicadeza because they wanted any investigation to proceed freely. But even after their resignation, the President’s trust in them remains.”
Moreover, Castro confirmed that DepEd Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar submitted his letter on Monday after reports surfaced that he was among those tagged in the alleged flood control scheme.
“We called Usec. Trygve himself and he said he submitted his resignation letter yesterday (Monday),” she said.
“We do not know yet if the President has read it, but it has already been sent,” Castro added.
