After four months in office, National Irrigation Administrator (NIA) Peter Lavina resigned amid efforts to discredit him.

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco said on Wednesday it is "with deep regret that our office receives this news and wishes him well in his next endeavors."

He cited Lavina tendered his resignation amidst attempts to villify, discredit and malign him. He said the resignation was accepted "to spare the President from any embarrassment."

In a post in his Facebook page, Lavina said he has been vilified in the past, his name used, abused and maligned.

In a statement by Pilipina Bermudez, department manager of the NIA office of public affairs and information staff, she said the agency will temporarily be headed by Estrella Icasiano, deputy administrator for administrative and finance sector.

Bermudez said employees were saddened by his departure since Lavinia was able to give long-awaited benefits to employees She added they noticed he became thin and thought he would take a leave of absence.

Recently, Lavinia said there had been efforts to discredit him again, citing rumors saying he had asked money from NIA contractors.

"These are not true! To spare the President from these embarrassing stories, particularly in these times of intensified attacks on him, I have quietly left government. I have neither personal vested interest in it nor ill intent towards NIA and the whole government, which we are trying to reform," Lavina said.

He thanked Duterte for giving him the opportunity to serve the government and "whose trust I have never betrayed. "

"I have proven in the past that one need not be in government to do public service or work for the common good. I will likely continue to do so in media, civil society and the business sector where I have been involved before," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS