Palace: Cimatu resigned due to health reasons, not involved in corruption

Malacañang on Friday said former Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu resigned in February due to health reasons rather than allegations of corruption.

"Former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu resigned due to health reasons. The Office of the Presidential Spokesperson on February 18, 2022 even released a statement wishing the former DENR Secretary good health," acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said.  

Andanar also said that President Rodrigo Duterte had commended Cimatu for the "successful transformation and clean-up of Boracay and Manila Bay."

"There is therefore no truth to the insinuation and/or rumor of his involvement in corruption," the Palace official said.

Andanar's statement comes after Duterte spoke about his firing of some members of his Cabinet. 

At a meeting in Lapu-Lapu City with the officials implementing the anti-insurgency program in Central Visayas on Thursday, the President acknowledged Cimatu's replacement, DENR Acting Secretary Jim Sampulna, before tackling the issue of reclamation projects and the dismissal of some Cabinet members.

"When I became President, I heard reports of corruption. So Secretary Sampulna is new because I fired them all. I won’t name anybody because it’s painful for them for this to have happened. But you know, whether you helped me during the elections or contributed something good, I am very thankful," the President said in a mix of Cebuano and English.

"All the applications right now for reclamation - all and it could include Cebu and Mindanao - I told the Acting Secretary to stop all of it. It’s either we give it to them last minute for as long as it’s honest and the legal requirements are complied [with]," he added.

Acting deputy presidential spokesperson Kristian Ablan, meanwhile, said holding erring officials accountable will go through the proper process.

"Mayroon naman tayong mga proseso na pina-follow dito po sa Executive branch. Mayroon po tayong Ombudsman, mayroon din tayong mga abogado sa OSG at mayroon tayong Sandiganbayan," he said at a press briefing on Friday.

(We follow a process here in the Executive branch. We also have the Office of the Ombudsman, lawyers at the Office of the Solicitor General, and the Sandiganbayan.)

"Dadaan naman po tayo sa tamang proseso kung mayroon po talagang proof na may korapsyon na nangyari. We have to trust our institutions and we have to trust our processes."

(It will go through the proper process if there is proof of corruption. We have to trust our institutions and we have to trust our processes.) — VBL, GMA News