MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has asked Development Academy of the Philippines president Elba Cruz to vacate her post as her term already expired in June 2017.

In a letter from Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea dated December 18, Cruz is informed that President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered for her services to be discontinued.

“Considering that your Term of Office expired on 30 June 2017 and that you have been serving the DAP Board in a holdover capacity, we now wish to inform you that, upon instructions of the President, your service in such holdover status is hereby discontinued effective immediately,” reads the letter.

JUST IN. #PresidentDuterte asks DAP president Elba Cruz to leave her post as her term expired last June 2017. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/c90aVKmTxD

— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) December 20, 2017

The Office of the Executive Secretary confirmed to Rappler that the letter is authentic. It was released on Tuesday, December 19, from the Malacañang Records Office.

The presidential instructions come after DAP employees accused Cruz of unauthorized organizational restructuring of the DAP, violations of Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules, continuous threats of mass termination against employees, and frequent foreign travels.

The DAP employees claim Cruz has been going on “monthly” foreign trips in the 8 months she has been president.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, commenting on Duterte’s penchant for firing officials due to unnecessary or lavish travels, said, “I think the President has given a topmost priority to running after government officials who are engaged in junketing or ‘government junketeers.'”

Roque had said then he was certain Duterte would investigate the allegations against Cruz. – with a report from Mara Cepeda/Rappler.com