Palace Says DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu Resigns from Environment Department
DENR SECRETARY ROY CIMATU – Malacañang revealed the reason why Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu resigned from his position.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is headed by former military chief of staff Roy Cimatu since 2017. Under his leadership, he oversaw the clean-up of Boracay Island which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines.
Boracay Island was closed for several months then to give way for its rehabilitation. Hotels and all the establishments on the island were also assessed regarding their obedience to the protocols and the rules in preserving the environment.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu also oversaw the clean-up of Manila Bay and its transition to a beach with crushed dolomite. However, it became controversial. In December, he lifted the nationwide ban on open-pit mining.
Recently, Malacañang revealed that DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu resigned from his post in the Environment Department. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the Palace said that the DENR Chief left his post due to health reasons as stated in the resignation letter he submitted to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
According to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Cimatu did not elaborate on his health condition. In a statement, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that undersecretary Jim Sampulna is currently the officer-in-charge of the environment department. The Palace expressed its wish for good health for the former DENR Chief “as he transitions from his decades-long and stellar service in government to private life”.
Before becoming the Environment Secretary, Cimatu served as the chief of staff of the military in 2002. He also served as special envoy for the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and refugees. He is the successor of the late former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez who implemented a ban on the open-pit mining in 2017.
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