03/03/2025
As a public servant, I uphold the highest standards of integrity and accountability. With utmost respect to Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, I sincerely apologize that his name was dragged into this incident. I will not condone actions of one of my staff, Russell Smith. He was already turned over to the proper authorities and investigation is being conducted. Rest assured that steps will be taken to ensure that this will not happen again. I will not tolerate any action that besmirch the good name and integrity of any official or employee of the Department and the sector that I serve.
