Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 22) — Judy Taguiwalo left a somber message to President Rodrigo Duterte on her last day as Social Welfare Secretary Tuesday.
“Mr. President I kept faith with you. Nalulungkot lang ako kasi [I’m just sad because] I don’t think you kept faith with me in the end,” Taguiwalo said in remarks to employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
When asked by reporters what the statement meant, Taguiwalo refused to elaborate.
This, after the Commission on Appointments (CA) rejected on August 16 her ad interim appointment as the Social Welfare head.
While Palace officials and lawmakers were disappointed with her rejection, Taguiwalo claimed she was not surprised with the CA’s decision.
Read more: CA rejects appointment of DSWD chief Taguiwalo
Duterte also expressed his disappointment late Monday over Taguiwalo’s rejection.
“(S)ayang. She was really — at tsaka bright,” he said.
“Taguiwalo was a worker. But I do not… I said, I do not want to inquire because nobody would tell me the truth anyway,” he said referring to the futility of trying to find out who voted against her appointment. The CA’s voting process is done in secret.
The President appointed DSWD Undersecretary for Finance and Administration Emmanuel Leyco as officer-in-charge of the department, according to a memo from Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea’s office dated August 18.
“Whoever it is or would be, I am asking you just to work sincerely, earn your keep for the day, do not corrupt the money and I would be happy. I would even shake your hand a thousand times,” Duterte said in a news briefing.
Emotional send-off
Taguiwalo’s last day at the DSWD was an emotional send-off, with employees donning black as a sign of mourning.
The former Social Welfare Secretary reminded DSWD employees to practice compassion and address the root problems of poverty.
“Puntahan niyo ‘yung roots. Huwag kayo magkasya sa sintomas lang; huwag, huwag kayo magkasya sa financial assistance lang. Sa cash assistance lang kasi maka-ilang taon na tayo sa 4Ps, sampung milyon ang mahihirap pa rin,” Taguiwalo said.
[Translation: Go to the roots, don’t just address the symptoms. Don’t just settle with financial assistance, cash assistance because we’ve been at the 4Ps for years, but there are still 10 million Filipinos.]
The “4Ps” is the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the conditional cash grants given to the poor in the Philippines.
Taguiwalo was a human rights victim under former President Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law regime. She was one of the leftist members Duterte appointed to his cabinet in July 2016.
In her 14-month term, Taguiwalo improved the distribution of relief goods and financial assistance to calamity victims, and continued a conditional cash transfer program of the Aquino administration that benefited 4.4 million poor Filipino families.
Taguiwalo is the third member of Duterte’s cabinet rejected by the CA, following Perfecto Yasay for Foreign Affairs, and Gina Lopez for Environment and Natural Resources.
CNN Philippines’ Correspondent AC Nicholls contributed to this report.
