Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo has submitted his letter of resignation to President Aquino. This the Office of the President has confirmed, according to news reports.
Domingo’s resignation though is “under consideration” by the President, said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, citing Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa as his source.
Secretary Domingo appears to be leaving a sinking ship. Domingo did not give any details about or reasons for his sudden resignation. Sounds very intriguing.
Was he frustrated that the joint resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives, calling for amendments in the Constitution to remove its restrictive economic provisions, was not supported by his boss, President Aquino?
According to reports, his resignation takes effect in October 2015. This is before the Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting which will be held in November this year, here in the Philippines. The gathering will include a two-day summit of the heads of state of the Apec member-countries.
I heard Secretary Domingo speak in a forum in Makati, after which I had some talk with him. He seems to be a decent man and indeed he has a sterling track record in the private sector—like Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario; unlike other members of the Aquino Cabinet, who hardly have any.
—R. B. RAMOS, rbrpilipinas@gmail.com