President Rodrigo Duterte did not ask Jesus Clint Aranas to resign from the Government Service Insurance System as its president and general manager, the Palace said on Thursday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Chief Executive still accepted Aranas’ offer to vacate the state-run pension fund even without citing a reason.
“The President just accepted the resignation. [There] was no reason,” Panelo said.
“He [Aranas] said for personal reasons. I do not think we can dwell on the privacy of that person,” he added.
Amid some reports that the two had a dialogue, the Palace official also said it would have been impossible for Aranas to engage Duterte for a talk in Malacañang during the Cabinet meeting.
“All I know was we had a Cabinet meeting the day before, so how can he talk with the President? We started around 5 o’clock and concluded at past 12 midnight,” he said.
Asked if the Chief Executive directly asked Aranas to resign, Panelo said: “No, he did not.”
On Tuesday, Aranas, confident that he abided by all laws during his time as GSIS chief, resigned.
“I resign, secure in the knowledge that I have unwaveringly advanced the interest of GSIS and its members in discharging the functions of the said office always in obeisance to all laws and never once compromising my integrity or that of the office I now relinquish,” he stated.
In an earlier statement, the Palace said Duterte accepted Aranas’ resignation “due to reports and allegations that there had been an impropriety in the management of the GSIS leading to loss of confidence.”
Panelo then later took back his statement, saying “there was a mistake.”