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Presidential Communications Office (PCO) acting Secretary Cesar Chavez on Thursday announced that he has submitted his “irrevocable resignation” as head of the Communications Office (PCO), with former broadcaster Jay Ruiz set to replace him.

In a statement, Chavez said the resignation letter was submitted on February 5, and will take effect, “on February 28, 2025, or anytime earlier when my replacement is appointed.

“To use a broadcast parlance, I will be signing off as Acting Communications Secretary… However, I will not be signing out as a believer in this administration, whose vision I will continue to support as I pursue endeavors outside of government but still within the realm of public service,” the statement read.

“Although there is much for which I am grateful and a long list of people to thank, I leave with only one regret: in my estimation, I have fallen short of what was expected of me,” he said.

Chavez did not give a specific incident on why he felt that he failed to meet certain targets, but underscored that he “will leave with the same enthusiasm, gratitude, and hope for a better future for the country we love.”

“I would like to thank the President for the opportunity to serve, which has been an honor of a lifetime made possible only by his trust and confidence in me.”

“I spoke to Jay Ruiz already. I informed him that I will introduce him to the PCO Mancom on Monday, Feb 24, so he can begin a week-long transition, so that by March 1, it’s already a plug-and-play for him as the new PCO Sec,” Chavez added.

“I am also hoping that this kind of transition can be institutionalized in all other agencies,” he added.

Earlier this week, Chavez designated Communications Undersecretary Emerald Ridao as the officer-in-charge of the agency.

He worked as an Undersecretary for Rails at the Department of Transportation before he was appointed as head of the PCO.