Kumambiyo si dating Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) undersecretary Eliseo rio sa totoong dahilan ng kaniyang pagbibitiw sa puwesto.
Sa panayam ng DWIZ, sinabi ni Rio na ang kaniyang pagbibitiw sa pwesto ay walang kaugnayan sa P300-milyong intelligence funds at P400-milyong halaga ng confidential funds ng ahensiya.
Aniya, ang kaniyang pagbibitiw sa puwesto ay bunsod ng “professional reasons” lamang, dahil na rin sa pagkakaiba-iba nila ng opinyon ng iba pang DICT officials.
Secretary Honasan and I came up with a joint statement, clarifying na ang aking casue of resignation is not because of the P300-million intelligence funds, hindi ko rin alam ‘yan, I mean, that was a discovery of our COA that did not come from me. Iba ‘yung reason ng aking pagresign, it’s more of a professional reason, and it is stated there in that joint statement that I fully support ‘yung leadership ni Secretary Honasan,” ani Rio.
Sa katunayan, sinabi ni Rio, hindi niya alam ang P300-milyong halaga ng intelligence fund ng DICT dahil ito ay natuklasan lamang ng Commission on Audit at wala rin siyang problema sa disbursement ng higit P400-milyong halaga ng confidential fund ng ahensiya.
Even in COA meron silang special team para asikasuhin itong mga confidential funds, (…) tumugma ‘yung paglabas ng report with my resignation, so, people, I think, or even the media, I think, put one and one together, and made that because of my resignation,” ani Rio. —sa panayam ng Sapol ni Jarius Bondoc