The firing of two senior Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) officials by Malacañang in August 2026 over alleged violations of government bidding rules may have marked the beginning of the end for secretary Henry Aguda, whose departure from the Marcos administration followed a series of controversies involving the agency.
On Aug. 14, Malacañang confirmed the dismissal of DICT undersecretary for special concerns Christina Faye M. Condez-de Sagon and assistant secretary for regional development June Vincent Manuel Gaudan amid allegations of irregularities in government procurement.
Presidential Communications Office undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed the dismissals at the time but did not publicly elaborate on the specific bidding violations allegedly committed by the two officials.
The controversy raised questions about procurement practices within the DICT, particularly as the department was overseeing major government connectivity and digitalization projects involving substantial public funds.
It also placed Aguda in a difficult position, as the two officials occupied senior posts with responsibilities involving major programs and regional operations.
Although the dismissals did not establish wrongdoing on Aguda’s part, they represented an early and unusually public intervention by Malacañang in the leadership of the department he headed.
Following the removal of the two executives, Aguda issued Department Order No. HRA-020, series of 2026, dated Aug. 10, which reassigned several officials and designated officers-in-charge to fill vacancies in the agency.
Among those appointed were assistant secretary Christian Mark Guingcangco, who took over the Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns, and director Emmy Lou Delfin, who assumed Gaudan’s former portfolio.
Director Maria Teresa Magno-Garcia was also designated officer-in-charge and chief of staff of the Office of the Secretary, while other officials were given additional responsibilities.
The reshuffle was presented as an administrative reorganization, but it came against the backdrop of the Palace-ordered dismissals, suggesting that concerns over the agency’s management had already reached the highest levels of government.
Ghost Wi-Fi projects add to controversy
The procurement controversy was followed by an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman into alleged ghost Internet projects involving the DICT’s Free Wi-Fi for All Program.
Industry sources said the projects under scrutiny reportedly originated during the tenure of former DICT secretary Ivan John Uy, who preceded Aguda. The suspected irregularities, however, apparently came to light only during Aguda’s incumbency.
The Ombudsman’s investigation is examining allegations that the government paid for Internet connections that were never installed or delivered, as well as technology systems that allegedly used outdated, substandard, or counterfeit software despite contracts specifying more expensive equipment and services.
Investigators are also looking into possible overpricing and whether government officials approved payments without properly verifying that contracted services had been delivered.
The investigation raised broader questions about procurement oversight, contract implementation, and the monitoring of government-funded connectivity projects.
In September, the DICT under Aguda publicly welcomed the Ombudsman’s investigation and committed to providing documents, technical information, and other assistance.
The agency also said it had strengthened contract management, service-level agreement enforcement, internal audits, and performance validation to ensure that publicly funded projects delivered the promised services.
Malacañang subsequently called for accountability among contractors and government officials found responsible for the alleged irregularities.
While the alleged ghost projects may have predated Aguda’s appointment, the controversy nevertheless added to the pressure on his leadership as the administration faced questions over the integrity of its flagship digital connectivity initiatives.
Remulla, not Palace, announces Aguda’s exit
Interestingly, it was Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, rather than Malacañang’s official spokesperson, who publicly disclosed Aguda’s departure from the Marcos administration.
During his radio program on Oct. 10, Remulla said Aguda had resigned and that Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had accepted his resignation, even as the Palace had yet to formally announce the Cabinet official’s exit.
The disclosure was particularly notable because Remulla is a member of Upsilon Sigma Phi, while Aguda is identified with Sigma Rho, two longstanding rival fraternities at the University of the Philippines.
There is no evidence, however, that the fraternity rivalry played any role in Aguda’s departure or Remulla’s decision to make the announcement.
The Ombudsman’s announcement stood in contrast to the Palace’s earlier public position, which had given no indication that Aguda was about to leave his post.
Other controversies compound Aguda’s troubles
Apart from procurement-related issues, Aguda’s leadership came under criticism over the DICT’s handling of online platforms, particularly the controversial blocking of Discord.
The restriction, imposed over concerns about online safety and violent extremism, was lifted within a day following public backlash and discussions with the platform.
According to a Newsbytes.PH report on Oct. 7, industry sources said First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos had become dissatisfied with the controversies surrounding Aguda and had asked President Marcos to remove him.
The sources also identified Aguda’s participation in a roundtable discussion organized by online platform BitDigest, despite reportedly being advised against attending, as another factor behind the push for his removal.
Another indication of Aguda’s weakening position emerged when he was excluded from Marcos’ state visit to Singapore, where Department of Finance secretary Frederick Go met with executives of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The discussions involved cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data centers, and digital infrastructure — areas that fall within the DICT’s mandate.
Although Go’s participation was consistent with his economic portfolio, Aguda’s absence from the high-level technology discussions raised questions about his standing in the administration.
Taken together, the developments suggest that Aguda’s departure was preceded by mounting pressure that began well before the Discord controversy and the Ombudsman’s investigation became public.
The August dismissal of Condez-de Sagon and Gaudan was among the earliest visible signs of trouble within the DICT leadership, followed by the ghost Internet project investigation, criticism of the agency’s policy decisions, and Aguda’s eventual exclusion from the Singapore delegation.
Whether the procurement controversies were directly responsible for the loss of political support that preceded Aguda’s resignation remains unclear.
What is evident, however, is that the Palace had already intervened in the DICT’s senior leadership two months before Aguda’s exit, suggesting that the problems confronting his administration extended beyond the controversies that dominated the final weeks of his tenure.
