CYRIL del Callar has resigned as president and chief executive officer of the National Power Corp. for health reasons, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said yesterday.

He said Del Callar’s resignation letter dated September 8 was forwarded to President Arroyo by Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes last Thursday.

Dureza said the President has yet to act on the resignation which is to take effect Sept. 30.

"It is still at that stage when a memo had been sent to the President. We will await what action the President will have on this," he said.

Dureza said it was the second time that Del Callar indicated his intention to quit the government. He said the first was in June 2007 when Del Callar wanted to give Arroyo a freehand in reorganizing the Napocor.

Del Callar’s resignation followed that of Peter Anthony Abaya as president of the Philippine National Oil Company-Alternative Fuels Corporation, for health reasons.

Abaya, whose resignation takes effect October 9, will be replaced by retired general Romeo Tolentino, former Army chief.

Dureza denied knowledge of reports that Froilan Tampinco, vice president for Asset Management and Electricity Trading of the PSALM (Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp), is being eyed as Del Callar’s replacement.

Arroyo has named Loreta Ayson and Zamzamin Ampatuan as undersecretaries of the Department of Energy, and Ramon Allan Oca as new assistant secretary of Energy, replacing Melinda Ocampo, Francisco Delfin Jr. and Annette Rafael. Their appointment papers were signed September 17.

Ayson was former director and acting undersecretary of the DOE before she was promoted to undersecretary.

Delfin, former director of the DOE Energy Resource Development Bureau, was also acting assistant secretary prior to his promotion as assistant secretary.