Puyat tells DOT top execs to quit, summons Montano

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — New Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat yesterday ordered all undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to resign effective immediately in a bid to give her a free hand to perform her mandate.

Puyat issued the directive a day after she assumed the DOT post on Monday night.

“I want to start with a clean slate, that is why I am asking for their courtesy resignations,” Puyat told The STAR.

She also summoned Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) head Cesar Montano to explain a recent trip to New York and the supposedly questionable P80-million “Buhay Carinderia” project, a food tourism program, which features local street food and eateries.

Puyat said Montano should explain why he allegedly paid in full the project organizer even when the event has yet to be completed.

Montano is chief operating officer of TPB, an attached agency of the DOT.

“I want to know what is the budget and what he plans to do. I have to ask whoever the organizer is, did it go through proper bidding?” she said in a television interview.

Boo Chanco, a columnist of The STAR, earlier alleged in an article that Montano paid P80 million in full to a certain Linda Legaspi to mount the Buhay Carinderia project.

Under standard practice, the government must pay in tranches. The last disbursement must be made only after the project has been completed.

Puyat said she would ask Montano to clarify reports that he attended an official event in the US but he immediately left to catch a Broadway show.

“I have to ask Cesar himself what happened. Did you really just talk for two minutes? I believe there are two sides to the story. I’m sure he has the proper explanation,” she said.

Montano is on holdover capacity following the expiration of his term as TPB chief. The tourism stakeholders have the power to re-elect him.

Under the Tourism Act of 2009, it is the Tourism Congress of the Philippines that elects the TPB head.

“The law says it is the private sector that will elect the members of the TPB, so to me, it’s nothing personal. Whoever they elect, I will follow,” Puyat said.

“In the exigency of service, all incumbent undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the DOT are hereby directed to tender their unqualified courtesy resignation to the President through the undersigned starting May 15 until May 21, except career officials as defined by pertinent civil service laws, rules and regulations,” the memorandum read.

“Until any action is taken by the President on such courtesy resignation, all undersecretaries and assistant secretaries should continue to report for work and perform their duties and responsibilities subject to any modification,” it added.

Puyat said she met with the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the DOT.

“To be fair, there were others who already gave their courtesy resignation,” she said.

The DOT chief said President Duterte has given her a free hand in choosing who she wants to be her undersecretaries and assistant secretaries.

DOT contracts up for review

Puyat also said she would review all contracts entered into by the previous DOT leadership for certain projects to ensure transparency.

Puyat, an economics graduate from the University of the Philippines, said she would cancel all contracts that did not go through bidding procedures.

“I have to look at all the contracts, even the ones existing because I will be implementing all these programs. If I find out there’s a contract that did not undergo bidding, I will have to cancel,” she said.

Puyat said she would be strict in reviewing all the contracts, programs and budgets of the DOT.

“I have to evaluate which programs will push through and which won’t,” she said.

Puyat is the second Cabinet official who has ordered the top officials of their departments to resign from their posts.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra had asked ranking officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ), especially those hired by former DOJ chief Vitaliano Aguirre II, to resign.

Case vs Teo: Up to COA, ombudsman

Meanwhile, Puyat said she is leaving the possible legal charges against her predecessor, Wanda Teo, to the Commission on Audit (COA) and Office of the Ombudsman.

Teo had resigned after drawing flak for the P60-million advertisement deal of the DOT with her brothers’ agency.

“I will just leave it up to the COA and the ombudsman. That’s because they are the proper agency to handle this. It’s like a witch hunt and I just want to work, move on,” Puyat said. – With Catherine Talavera