2 CAPITOL DEPARTMENT HEADS GONE

Cebu Provincial Civil Security Unit (CSU) chief Roberto “Bobby” Legaspi is the latest Capitol department head to resign from his post.

Legaspi’s resignation was confirmed by Provincial Human Resource Management Office (PHRMO) head Bonifer Nacorda in an interview Friday, March 8.

“Bobby has personal-related priorities as per his resignation (letter) that he has to pursue, but he did not state anything specific. His last day (in office) was on Feb. 28. Effective March 1, he’s considered resigned,” Nacorda said.

Legaspi joined the administration of Gov. Hilario Davide III on Jan. 20, 2014.

In 2017, he briefly assumed the post of officer-in-charge of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center before he was assigned to handle the CSU.

Nacorda confirmed that Legaspi tendered his resignation sometime in January, weeks before Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) head Joselito “Boboi” Costas announced his departure from the Capitol after three years in the post. Costas reportedly submitted his resignation letter sometime last month.

Nacorda said Costas had other “commitments of equal importance,” which may have been the reason he did not apply for the position of office head when the PTO became a department last year.

“He had some commitments prior to his resignation, even before this year started,” he said, adding that Costas would be in a better position to explain his resignation.

SunStar Cebu tried to reach Costas for comment but he was not available as of press time.

Although Costas’s resignation will take effect on March 15 yet, his staff at the PTO said he had already taken a leave.

Costas made headlines two years ago when he allegedly came up with his own tourism programs without following the policies of the Province.

This led to a rift between him and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, who heads the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC).

The issue reached a point where Magpale told Davide that she would resign from the PTC to avoid conflict with Costas, but the chief executive refused to accept it.

In a 2017 report, Magpale was also reportedly upset when Costas published the magazine “1521,” which included Davide and Costas himself, but excluded the vice governor.

Nacorda, though, belied reports of politicking as both Legaspi and Costas resigned due to “personal priorities.”

“I will base my answers on the HR records of their resignation letter, where they also thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve the Cebuanos. I don’t think it can be construed that the governor did not treat them properly because they also stayed long and the projects they worked on have also materialized. From an HR perspective, that’s what you call an employment life,” he added.

SunStar Cebu tried to reach Magpale for comment, but she was not available as of press time.

Following Costas’s resignation, Cebu Provincial Investments and Promotions Office head Floreza Alpuerto will serve as acting PTO head.

Provincial General Services Office chief Jone Siegfred Sepe will sit as acting head of the CSU.

I will base my answers on... their resignation letter, where they also thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve the Cebuanos.

BONIFER NACORDA Capitol’s HR Office head