President Marcos has reappointed Henry Aguda as head of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Jay Ruiz as acting secretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed on Tuesday, June 17 that Ruiz was reappointed to his post, while Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro disclosed that Aguda was reappointed.

Both officials were  reappointed after they were bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Meanwhile, Castro also confirmed that PCO Senior Undersecretary Ana Puod stepped down from her post. She added that Puod's resignation was voluntary.

“[B]oluntaryo po kay Miss Ana Puod ang kanyang pagre-resign at kung anuman ang kanyang dahilan personal na po sa kanya iyon (Miss Ana Puod's resignation was voluntary and whatever her reasons were are personal),” she added.

The Palace official further bared that the term of about 27 officers have expired and the courtesy resignations of others were accepted by the President. Castro, however, did not disclose their agencies.

Under the PCO, the courtesy resignations of 17 officials have been accepted by the President.

Castro also said that there has been no directive from Marcos for undersecretaries to submit their courtesy resignation, although they are part of the massive Cabinet performance evaluation initiated by the President last month.

“Sa mga undersecretaries po kasi wala naman pong direktiba na kami ay maghain ng courtesy resignation. Depende na lamang po sa Pangulo kung ang mga usec., asec., at ibang mga director ay hindi tumatalima sa direktiba ng Pangulo – iyon po ay maaaring matanggal (For the undersecretaries, there is no directive for us to submit a courtesy resignation. It will depend on the President if the usecs, asecs, and other directors are not complying with the President’s directives – they may be removed),” Castro said.