Marcos accepts DICT chief’s resignation

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has accepted the resignation of Henry Aguda as secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.

“He resigned. And his resignation was accepted,” Remulla said in his radio show “Executive Session” on dzRH yesterday.

Aguda’s resignation came as the DICT faced criticisms over policy decisions and an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Aguda said he was aware of rumors about his resignation.

But Remulla’s announcement came three days after Aguda said he will continue to serve as DICT chief and was “focused on carrying out my responsibilities and ensuring the continuity of the department’s work.”

Aguda was appointed head of DICT in March 2025, succeeding Ivan Uy.

The DICT under Aguda came under fire the past weeks over its efforts to regulate online platforms, which included a move to block Discord over concerns of nihilistic violent extremism activities, child grooming and other online safety threats.

The ban, which was implemented by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), an attached agency of the DICT, came after government investigations into online activity surrounding several school shooting incidents and concerns that digital platforms were being used to influence young people into doing violent acts.

The move, however, lasted less than a day as the DICT lifted the restriction after Discord agreed to strengthen child-protection measures and cooperate with Philippine authorities.

The brief prohibition was met with backlash, including concerns over the disruption to legitimate Filipino users, including gamers and online workers who use Discord for communities and work-related activities.

The DICT is also facing an investigation before the ombudsman over an alleged “ghost internet” scheme where contractors install outdated or fake software on the information technology systems of the government.

The ombudsman said the scheme, which involves the free internet connection the government is offering in public places, works with the government paying billions of pesos for IT systems with “very specific requirements” but contractors will install cheaper, outdated or even fake software “while still charging the government full price.”

No verification was allegedly conducted to check the authenticity of the software that was involved, which allows alleged irregularities and overpricing to go undetected until the systems break down or the transactions undergo closer scrutiny.

The probe seeks to determine if contracted sites were actually installed and are operational, and if the government was billed for services that were not delivered, according to the ombudsman.

The anti-graft body will also investigate if the prices of hardware, software and services were inflated and identify those who approved, certified or released payments for projects that were not delivered.