PIA head Clavite ‘resigns’ from agency, insists not sending a resignation letter

MANILA, Philippines — Harold Clavite has resigned from his post as director-general of the state-run Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

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In a Facebook post on Friday night, Clavite said that he officially separated from the PIA effective that day.

“Many thanks to all who have been part of my journey. I appreciate all the support given by our partners in government, the private sector, and the general public,” he said in his social media post.

Clavite described his three-year stint as PIA chief as a “roller coaster ride,” adding that he looks forward to a “less stressful” private life.

No resignation letter given

However, the now-former PIA chief revealed that although he did not send any resignation letter to President Rodrigo Duterte, he received a letter from the Office of the Executive Secretary saying that the President had accepted his resignation.

Clavite added that he was both surprised and relieved at the same time when he got the letter of acceptance.

“I have been asking for it actually in October of 2018,” Clavite told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview, revealing that he already planned to resign from his post before. “I indicated to [Martin Andanar, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary] that I will separate from PIA in 2019 because I wanted to go back to my family. So it was postponed for several times and I have been planning all along to really separate from PIA.”

Asked about his take on the matter, Andanar neither confirmed nor denied Clavite’s claims, telling INQUIRER.net in a text message: “I’ll wait for official announcement before I make a comment.”

Clavite said that he has no idea who sent his supposed letter of resignation to the President.

He also revealed that he talked to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea about his plan to resign as head of the PIA.

According to Clavite, both Medialdea and Andanar told him not to resign from his post.

“When I spoke to the [Executive Secretary], he told me to write him eh. He told me to officially communicate with his office lahat ng sinabi ko sa kanya (everything that I told him),” he said.

He then added that he sent Medialdea a 16-page letter that includes a paragraph stating his plan to submit a formal resignation letter to the President.

“And that was it. And I think kung walang ibang letter na dumating sa kanila, baka yun yung ginawa nilang basis, yung paragraph na yun. But I’m not sure. I haven’t heard back from [the Executive Secretary], but it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m no longer with the PIA anymore,” he said.

‘Coordinated effort’

Clavite, who faced corruption allegations during his time in the PIA, also believes that such claims cost him the post.

Earlier, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) said that it was investigating Clavite after the agency received letters from anonymous senders.  The letters have accused Clavite of corruption.

The PIA is a sub-agency of the PCOO.

READ: PIA chief under probe over corruption allegations – Andanar

“For the past three years, wala naman ako naging problema, but I really had a bad and strained relationship with the PCOO Secretary,” Clavite revealed of his relationship with Andanar.

“And so when I started doing the reforms in PIA, the people within the organization who were hurt with the reforms, they found their way to the [PCOO] Secretary. Kumbaga nakahanap sila ng kakampi,” he added.

“It was really coordinated effort. And primarily the aim there was for me to be fired by the President.”  /muf