Former ES Bersamin: I did not resign

Contrary to what Malacañang had announced, former executive secretary Lucas Bersamin yesterday said he did not resign but had willingly stepped down when told he was being replaced.

- By BELLA CARIASO

“I don’t know how it started that I resigned. Maybe it was announced. But I didn’t file a resignation, because it was announced that I resigned out of delicadeza. It’s nice to hear ‘out of delicadeza,’ but that’s not true. I didn’t resign,” Bersamin said in a phone interview with reporters.

Malacañang on Monday announced his “resignation” as well as that of budget chief Amenah Pangandaman after their offices got dragged into the controversy over anomalies in budget insertions and flood control projects.

Bersamin’s replacement, former finance chief Ralph Recto, took his oath at Malacañang yesterday, along with acting Finance secretary Frederick Go.

“The only letter that I sent regarding my position that it’s gone, was that letter I signed yesterday (Tuesday), late afternoon. I said, I bow to the prerogative of the President, submit to the prerogative of the President to replace me. That is the nature of my tenure, serving at the pleasure of the President,” Bersamin said.

At a briefing on Monday, Palace press officer Claire Castro announced that Bersamin and Pangandaman “respectfully offered and tendered their resignations out of delicadeza after their departments were mentioned in allegations related to the flood control anomaly currently under investigation and in recognition of the responsibility to allow the administration to address the matter appropriately.”

Bersamin said he relayed in a letter to Malacañang on Tuesday his willingness to be replaced, a day after Castro announced his supposed resignation.

“The announcement was made around 2 o'clock, Monday, Nov. 17. You know, for these kinds of processes, there should be a logical reason,” he said. “There should be a resignation before you accept, right?”

He said that prior to Castro’s announcement, he received a call from an unnamed “close friend” informing him that he had to go.