Duterte campaign spokesperson quits NIA post following corruption allegations

President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign spokesperson Peter Laviña on Wednesday announced that he has resigned as head of the National Irrigation Administration.

Laviña in a Facebook post said that he quit his post to spare Duterte from embarrassing corruption allegations, which he denied.

"Paalam! I have been vilified in the past; my name used, abused and maligned. Recently, there had been efforts to discredit me again. There are rumors circulating that I have asked money from NIA contractors. These are not true," he wrote.

"To spare the President from these embarrassing stories, particularly in these times of intensified attacks on him, I have quietly left government. I have neither personal vested interest in it nor ill intent towards NIA and the whole government, which we are trying to reform," he added.

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio "Jun" Evasco also confirmed Laviña's resignation. 

"NIA [administrator] Peter Laviña tendered his resignation amidst attempts to [vilify], discredit and malign him and to spare the President from any embarrassment due to these attempts, it is with deep regret that our office receives this news and wishes him well in his next endeavors," Evasco said. 

At a news briefing, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte has "apparently" accepted Laviña's resignation. 

Laviña insisted that he did not betray the President, who had warned government officials that he would not tolerate corruption under his watch.

"Thank you for the opportunity to serve the government, especially to President Duterte, whose trust I have never betrayed," he said.

"I have proven in the past that one need not be in government to do public service or work for the common good. I will likely continue to do so in media, civil society and the business sector where I have been involved before," he added.

However, a labor leader claimed that Laviña was fired according to Duterte. 

Asked to clarify, Abella responded, "Let's go by with what's stated. He tendered his resignation... Wala po akong sinasabing sinibak." — ALG/RSJ, GMA News