NDRRMC head quits

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Retired Army general Benito Ramos, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), has resigned to take care of his ailing wife, government officials said.

His resignation takes effect on February 1. Ramos announced his resignation to regional directors of the NDRRMC on Thursday, January 10, according to NDRRMC sources.

Communication Secretary Ricky Carandang said “[Defense] Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has confirmed that Benito Ramos has submitted his resignation from NDRRMC.” Carandang said Ramos resigned to attend to his wife who is said to have diabetes.

On Friday afternoon, defense department spokesman Peter Galvez confirmed Ramos’ resignation and said it was the latter’s third time to submit his resignation letter to Gazmin.

Galvez told reporters that in Ramos’ first and second attempts to resign, he was asked by Gazmin to stay “because of the critical nature of his job and his effective handling.

“Because of him there has been heightened disaster awareness among the people. He did a lot that saved lives,” Galvez said.

But in Ramos’ third attempt, Gazmin finally reconsidered and made a recommendation to the President.

As NDRRMC head, Undersecretary Ramos saw the worst typhoons to hit the Philippines – Ondoy in 2009, Sendong in 2011 and Pablo in 2012.

He was the public face of government preparations in the face of numerous disasters and weather upheavals in the past 3 years, being the source of warnings and updates about them. – Rappler.com