The agency that blocked Discord in September, runs the eGovPH app for 61 million users, and is under investigation over government Wi-Fi contracts has a new boss: Robert Joseph de Claro, president and CEO of the Social Security System (SSS), took his oath as secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on October 13. Every pending decision that touches Filipino internet users — platform blocking, the free Wi-Fi cleanup, government app services — now lands on his desk.
An ad interim appointment, two days after Aguda's exit was confirmed
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the appointment on October 13 after an oath-taking event at Malacañang. "I have already signed the ad interim appointment of the new DICT secretary," Marcos told reporters, The Filipino Times reported. An ad interim appointment lets de Claro assume office immediately while the Commission on Appointments reviews his confirmation. Marcos said de Claro has "a very strong background in terms of the digital economy and the digital world."
The seat opened quickly. Marcos confirmed on October 11, at a media briefing in Singapore, that he had accepted Henry Aguda's resignation, and asked Aguda to stay on temporarily until a replacement was chosen. On October 12, Aguda thanked the president for the opportunity to serve and pledged an orderly transition, Newsbytes.PH reported. Aguda's departure came amid scrutiny of alleged irregularities in government-funded internet connectivity projects, including the free Wi-Fi program. Those remain allegations, not established findings.
Who is Robert de Claro?
De Claro, a computer science graduate of De La Salle University, ran the state pension fund for almost two years. He was named SSS officer-in-charge on October 11, 2024 and formally became its president and CEO on December 6, 2024. Before that, he sat on the Social Security Commission from January 2023 as the employers' sector representative, chairing its Information Technology and Collection Committee.
Newsbytes.PH's profile counts more than 25 years in business management, with executive roles at People4u Inc., FutureNow Business Services Inc., JMango Philippines Inc., GlobalOne Solutions Inc., and Cloud Sherpas. He has also represented the SSS on the UnionBank board and chairs UnionDigital Bank, per The Filipino Times.
Watchdog group BetterGov.PH, quoted in TechSabado's report, pointed to SSS digital initiatives under de Claro — biometric checks, digital pension services, and paperless transactions — while noting those reported results have not been independently confirmed. "It is too early to say how he will run things," the group said. TechSabado also flags an immediate loose end: it is not yet clear who takes over at the SSS.
The in-tray: a Supreme Court case and a 'ghost internet' probe
De Claro inherits one of the most closely watched agencies in government right now:
In its statement welcoming de Claro, the department said it "remains committed to expanding internet connectivity, strengthening cybersecurity," with responsible platform use and digital government services also listed among its priorities, per TechSabado.
What changes for internet users
Nothing yet — and that is the honest answer. De Claro has made no policy pronouncements on platform blocking, the free Wi-Fi program, or eGovPH. The early signals to watch: how the DICT answers the Supreme Court petition, whether the Ombudsman probe changes who runs the connectivity projects, and whether government digital services keep their pace under new leadership.
His confirmation now goes to the Commission on Appointments, which can confirm, bypass, or reject ad interim appointees. The SSS, meanwhile, waits for its own succession announcement.
