Petilla to leave energy department June 30

Rappler.com

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Petilla to leave energy department June 30
President Benigno Aquino III has yet to name the energy chief's replacement

MANILA, Philippines – Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla announced on Thursday, June 18, he would stay in his department until the end of the month, although the President has yet to name his replacement.

Petilla in April announced that he would resign before the filing of certificates of candidacies in mid-October, but did not give a specific date then.

He also cited “personal and family reasons” in his resignation letter submitted to the President. 

He is seeking considering running for senator or congressman in May 2016. Coming from a political family in Leyte, Petilla had served as provincial governor for 9 years before being appointed energy chief in 2012.

“It is my hope that they will decide on June 30. No date was cited as to when they can name my replacement. I am still waiting for it,” Petilla said over the phone on Thursday.

He couldn’t say what he would do should Malacañang still fail to name his replacement by June 30. 

Petilla is the only Aquino Cabinet secretary whose appointment remained unconfirmed by the commission on appointments. President Benigno Aquino III has been reappointing him since 2012 each time he was bypassed. His latest reappointment is good until the end of this month.

Petilla submitted his resignation letter to President Aquino in December of 2013, after he failed to deliver on his promise to restore electricity by Christmas Eve in all the areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Aquino did not let him go, saying there were only few villages where power was not restored, and that Petilla’s department was able to bring power back to most areas.

Petilla became the target of criticisms again after he pushed Congress to grant emergency powers to President Aquino to address what he said was a looming energy crisis. Lawmakers – particularly Senator Sergio Osmeña III – said Petilla was exaggerating with his estimates.

Since the polling firm Pulse Asia started including his name in senatorial preferences surveys in September 2014, Petilla has ranked 40th or lower. Only 12 candidates are elected to the Senate every election. – Rappler.com

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