Roxas to resign; eyes transition already — Palace

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. INQUIRER.net file photo/Julliane Love de Jesus

Malacañang on Saturday said that Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II will resign from his post following an endorsement from President Benigno Aquino III for the 2016 presidential elections.

“Of course, that is a given. He will not stay in office so he won’t be accused of taking advantage of his position. Certainly, he will not do that,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said over state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

“What he is actually preparing for is the transition already to whoever will lead the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) next,” she explained.

Valte, however, could not confirm who will replace the Interior Secretary.

Roxas is expected to recommend names for the position.

Valte said Roxas wants to have a smooth transition, especially for the priority projects of the DILG, including the Oplan Lambat Sibat of the Philippine National Police.

Members of the opposition have already called for the resignation of Roxas, who was praised by Aquino on Friday for his integrity.

READ: It’s time for Roxas to quit post, says Marcos

Responding to those who questioned and criticized Aquino’s decision to endorse Roxas, Valte said, “As the President said, it only validates the integrity and the hard work of Secretary Roxas when all these people use him to prop themselves up.”

She said those groups only try to put others down instead of banking on the merits of their own candidates.

Earlier, the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay called Roxas a “study in incompetence,” while the Vice President himself reminded the people that he already beat Roxas in the elections.

READ: LP standard-bearer Roxas a ‘study in incompetence’—Binay camp 

Roxas was then the running mate of Aquino, while Binay was the vice president of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

“I think it’s also a validation of what the President said—that the more that they attack Secretary Roxas, the more that his integrity, his competence and hard work are being seen by the people,” Valte said.

She added that the Cabinet members, most of whom were present at the endorsement of Roxas, support the President’s candidate. She said the Cabinet knows how professional Roxas is when it comes to work.

Noynoy 2.0?

Valte, meanwhile, refused to respond to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan’s comment that Roxas is a “Noynoy 2.0” or just a duplicate of the President.

“I think [that question should be addressed to Sec. Mar],” she said.

Nevertheless she said, “it’s really the good governance. It’s the overarching principle that you want to continue because you’ve seen the gains that it has brought to us in the past five years…It is really also his commitment and his willingness to continue the ‘daang matuwid’ that is first and foremost also on the President’s mind.” IDL