Jeanne Young resigns from RPN-9 board

She cannot serve God and President Estrada at the same time.

Torn between her devotion to the Catholic Church and her position in a major television station in the country, Melita Jeanne Young resigned from the RPN-Channel 9 board and advised her benefactor, Mr. Estrada, to "walk straight" in the path of God.

Young, a missionary and well-known showbiz personality for decades, said her resignation is not about sitting in judgment of the President, who had appointed her to the RPN board, but rather about serving two masters.

Her resignation letter, addressed to Mr. Estrada and dated Nov. 8, 2000, was received by the Office of the President on the same day.

"Serving on the board of RPN-9 has been the pinnacle of my career in Philippine television. A career that began when I was still in high school. I can’t thank Your Excellency enough for the confidence you gave me through the presidential appointment in August 1998," she wrote.

In her letter, she said that her missionary work was her priority and that her career only came in second. But she admitted the decision to leave was painful, saying it would upset her mother, Mila del Sol, a friend and fan of Mr. Estrada.

"My mother will be heartbroken about this resignation. However, her priorities are with God and her children. She prays for you constantly. And she will, as I, pray that Your Excellency will too, forgive me in time," she said.

"I must now go where my primary calling, the Catholic Church, dictates. This is the life I have chosen," the letter continued.– Sandy Araneta