DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) chief Wendel Avisado announced that he is quitting his post.
His resignation was promptly acted upon by President Rodrigo Duterte
“President Duterte has accepted Secretary Wendel Avisado’s resignation due to medical reasons,” said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque.
DBM career official Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie Canda, who was earlier named as acting Secretary, was told to take over.
In his letter of resignation, Avisado said that leaving his post is imperative on his part for him to be able to fully recover after a bout against the highly-infectious virus which originally came from Wuhan, China. Moreover, he cited his past medical conditions, including one that required quadruple open heart bypass operation in 2007.
“The prognosis all point for me to take a rest from strenuous work and much pressure brought about by my current work so that I can fully recover and regain a much better health,” said Avisado.
Avisado, however, still managed to wrap up the Duterte administration’s last proposed budget – the proposed 2022 National Expenditure Program – before bidding farewell.
The former DBM boss has been with Duterte for quite some time. He was Davao City administrator during Duterte’s stint as Davao City mayor. When Duterte assumed the presidency, Avisado was named as presidential assistant on Yolanda rehabilitation, before finally being appointed as Budget Secretary, replacing Benjamin Diokno who was appointed Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor.