BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Malacañang denied that Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) former chairman Margarita Juico resigned because of her failure to comply with a request for information on its new game.
“Walang batayan at purong ispekulasyon ang iyong binanggit na dahilan,” said Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma Jr. referring to a Philippine Star news item published yesterday.
Its story claimed the Juico refused to provide Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas with the documents for its “review of the government’s policy on anti-illegal numbers games.”
Friday last week, the ex-PCSO head, who just turned 65 years old, tendered her irrevocable resignation, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family.
Juico, who served as the late President Corazon Aquino’s social secretary, cleared that her resignation had nothing to do either with Roxas’ membership suspension at the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club.
Her husband, Philip is the club’s president.
Earlier, President Benigno Aquino III thanked Juico for her 16 years of service in PCSO.
Aquino acknowledged that Juico is an “esteemed family friend.”
“Kagabi sa Myanmar, sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino na tinanggap niya ang pagbibitiw ni Ginang Juico bilang paggalang sa kahilingan nitong mag-ukol ng dagdag na panahon sa pamilya pagkatapos ng mahabang panahong paglilingkod sa pamahalaan mula pa sa panunungkulan ni Pangulong Corazon Aquino,” said Coloma./PN
