Dizon asks incumbent DOTr usec, asec, directors to resign

A major shakeup in the upper echelons of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looming as newly appointed Secretary Vince Dizon is asking all incumbent officials of the agency to submit their courtesy resignations.

In a memorandum dated February 24, 2025, Dizon directed incumbent undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and directors to tender their resignations not later than February 26, 2025.

The directive was issued to give the new Transportation chief a “free hand to perform the mandate given to him by the President.”

At a press conference, Dizon confirmed issuing the memo asking incumbent officials to tender resignations.

The Transportation chief noted that the memo only applies to senior officials of the DOTr’s Central Office and does not cover “attached agencies and GOCCs.”

“This is standard [memo] for courtesy resignation… It is just a simple gesture of goodwill and good faith to the newly appointed leadership that doesn’t mean that I will accept the courtesy resignations in toto,” Dizon said.

The DOTr chief added that his office has already submitted several names of who will be heading the agency’s major sector to the President.

Early this month, Dizon was appointed as the new secretary of the DOTr following the resignation of Jaime Bautista, who cited health reasons for stepping down from the helm of the agency.

Prior to his appointment, Dizon was a former president of the Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and former presidential adviser for flagship programs and projects during the Duterte administration.

The new Transportation chief took his oath of office last Friday, February 21, 2025.

Among his first marching orders was to suspend the reimplementation of cashless toll collection in all expressways which was supposed to take effect March 15, saying the efficiency of the automated toll collection should be evaluated first. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News