Aguda thanks Marcos as he exits DICT

MANILA—Resigned ICT chief Henry Aguda thanked President Ferdinand Marcos as he gets ready to leave the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

In a statement, Aguda said he was honored to have contributed to the country’s digital transformation through his tenure at the DICT.

“I am committed to ensuring a smooth and orderly transition, with the continuity of essential functions, operations, and ongoing digital initiatives safeguarded,” Aguda said.

Marcos confirmed on Sunday that he had accepted the resignation of Aguda. This was after Ombudsman Crispin Remulla said on a radio show that Aguda had resigned.

Aguda has been criticized by various groups over the past few weeks over the DICT’s move to ban social media platforms amid the slew of school shootings, which authorities partly blamed on so-called groomers operating in online chat groups.

The Ombudsman also said it is conducting a fact-finding investigation on the alleged “ghost internet” of the DICT, where contractors installed “cheaper, outdated, or even fake software” for government agencies.

Aguda was appointed to the DICT in March last year. He formerly served as president and CEO of UnionDigital Bank, and Digital Infrastructure Lead at the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), which assists the administration in linking the private and public sectors.