Palace: DTI chief’s resignation won’t set back APEC preparations

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.

MANILA – The Malacañang assured that Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory Domingo’s sudden resignation will not hamper the country’s preparations for the coming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit later this year.

“Secretaries [Cesar] Purisima, Domingo and [Arsenio] Balisacan and all members of the Cabinet’s economic cluster are working as a unified and cohesive team together with Executive Secretary [Paquito] Ochoa Jr. and the national organizing committee to make our APEC hosting a success,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters.

Although the Palace remained positive despite Domingo’s unexpected resignation, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Alfredo Yao feared that business activities would be disrupted with the sudden change in DTI’s top management.

“It will affect and slow down something in the government and business community. There will be questions as to who will decide in DTI and there will again be adjustments. Hopefully his undersecretaries can step up. He is a very good secretary,” Yao said.

Domingo handed his resignation letter to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III over the weekend. Aquino, for his part, has not yet acted on the matter.

According to sources, the DTI secretary would stay in office until next month. The reason behind his resignation, however, remained withheld.