THE PRESIDENTIAL Palace on Friday confirmed the resignation of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu who had been serving in that post since 2017.
Acting Presidential Spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said at a televised news briefing that the resignation letter, submitted to the President on Monday, cited health as his reason.
Environment Undersecretary Jim O. Sampulna will be designated as the officer-in-charge of the department.
Mr. Cimatu had previously served as the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 2022 under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was later appointed as a special envoy to the Middle East during the Iraq war.
Under the current administration, he headed the rehabilitation of both Boracay and Manila Bay. He was also assigned to oversee the coronavirus 2019 response in Cebu city, as it had the highest number of confirmed cases in the latter part of 2020. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
