Senator Gringo Honasan has accepted the offer to become the next secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
Honasan himself confirmed this in a text message to reporters on Friday.
“For a better Philippines, a better government, for the Filipino People, and for a better future for our most precious Children; I have decided to accept the offer of the President to help lead the DICT,” he said.
The senator said he would be deemed automatically resigned from the Senate after his appointment is confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) and once he finally takes his oath.
“Upon appointment, confirmation by the CA, and oathtaking-w/c triggers my automatic resignation from the Senate,” he explained.
Honasan is the second senator of the 17th Congress to leave his seat in the Senate and join President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet.
The first was Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who vacated his seat to become the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Cayetano recently resigned as DFA chief to run for a seat in the House of Representatives.
With Honasan’s appointment to the Cabinet, the Senate will now be left with only 22 members, including Senator Leila de Lima, who has been in detention over drug charges./au