Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella on Tuesday said that former President Fidel V. Ramos has submitted to the Palace his letter of resignation as special envoy to China.
“According to FVR (Fidel V. Ramos) the letter has been submitted to the office of the Executive Secretary” Salvador Medialdea, Abella said in a text message.
“But it will be up to PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte), whether to accept it or not,” he added.
“The moment the President came back from China from a successful state visit I resigned as special envoy to China because the officials have taken over,” Ramos told GMA News.
Ramos was one of the key figures who convinced then-Davao City Mayor Duterte to run in the May 2016 elections which Duterte won by a majority vote.
After taking office on June 30, the President named Ramos special envoy to China three weeks later.
Ramos’ role was to help ease tensions over bilateral relations that soured when the Philippines won a landmark decision from an international arbitration court.
The court upheld the Philippines’ claims over its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea which China has claimed as theirs.
FVR criticizes Duterte
But the seemingly warm relationship between the two has headed south in recent weeks.
Ramos did not join Duterte’s trip to China in October despite his role as envoy.
READ: Former Pres. Ramos not joining Duterte’s China visit
Prior to this, the elder statesman had written a column criticizing the first 100 days of the President’s administration which he described as a “huge disappointment and a letdown.”
Recently, Ramos wrote an impassioned editorial criticizing Duterte’s foot-dragging on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change which will be enforced on November 4.
RELATED: President Duterte urged to ratify global pact on climate change
Palace officials said they were aware of Ramos’ comments, and respected his opinion.
“It is not true that the former president can no longer have any role in our engagement with China,” said Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Monday.
“His stature and expertise are needed now, more than ever, to follow up, and build on what President Duterte accomplished during his recent visit to China,” he added.
GMA News in an interview with Ramos on Monday quoted the former president as saying that he had “resigned as special envoy.”
