DICT Secretary Aguda denies resignation rumors

MANILA, Philippines – Henry Aguda on Tuesday, May 12, denied rumors circulating online that he had resigned as secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), calling the claims “false reports and speculations.”

“I deny the false reports and speculations that I have resigned from my position as Secretary of the DICT,” Aguda said in a statement posted on the agency’s Facebook page.

Aguda added that the agency has been “steadfast in its efforts to combat disinformation and the spread of fake news,” describing the rumors as “another example of how false narratives can be weaponized to sow confusion and undermine public trust.”

News site Bilyonaryo News Channel had earlier posted on Facebook, citing two sources who allegedly confirmed Aguda’s resignation. The post has since been taken down.

Aguda was appointed DICT secretary in March 2025 under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr..

The resignation rumors surfaced weeks after the DICT faced scrutiny over outages affecting the eGovPH app and the National ID e-Verify platform. During a Senate hearing in April, DICT officials attributed the outage to a surge in users and insufficient backend infrastructure, along with alleged issues with the release of the budget.

DICT Undersecretary David Almirol Jr. admitted the agency had “economized on resources” to launch the platform, while Senator Bam Aquino criticized the explanation, saying: “Clearly, that’s not acceptable.”

Aguda, however, said he remains committed to the administration’s digitalization agenda.

“As with all members of the Cabinet, I continue to serve at the pleasure of the President,” he said. – Rappler.com