President Rodrigo Duterte and Peter Tiu Laviña. (Photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/NQUIRER FILE PHOTO
His principal, then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, with his unorthodox style, was hot copy during the 2016 presidential campaign, and continues to be so today.
And as Duterte’s campaign spokesperson, Laviña was sought after by journalists seeking insider information from the candidate’s camp.
It’s not surprising then that he would be given a plum post when Mr. Duterte won the presidency. And his prize was the National Irrigation Administration. But he lost the job after only three months in office.
Last Wednesday, rumors flew that Laviña had been fired by the President. But he said he resigned his post to spare the President from the embarrassing talk that he had demanded money from contractors.
Mr. Duterte later confirmed that he had indeed sacked Laviña.