MANILA - Resigned Palace communications assistant secretary Mocha Uson guaranteed President Rodrigo Duterte of her continued support and loyalty despite quitting her post.

In her letter to President Rodrigo Duterte, Uson said “recent events have put me in a position where I am being held responsible for Congress withholding the 2019 PCOO budget. I do not wish to cause such burden to the office, hence I am hereby notifying you of my resignation effective 1 October 2018.”

Uson also thanked Duterte for giving her a “once in a lifetime opportunity” and assured the President that “my loyalty to your administration has not wavered.”

She described her resignation as a form of “sacrifice” to save the PCOO’s budget, lamenting the House of Representatives’ deferment of its hearing on the budget of the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

• Mocha Uson resigns, says fight has just begun

The lower chamber deferred twice deliberations on the PCOO’s proposed P1.41 billion budget for 2019 because Uson was absent.

• PCOO budget hearing deferred because of Mocha Uson's absence

Uson announced her resignation during a separate budget hearing at the Senate on Wednesday, as she explained that she missed the House hearing because she was at the United Nations General Assembly.

Uson alleged that several left-leaning lawmakers were deliberately stalling the PCOO's budget after her interview with some Lumad, who claimed they were being "used" by the left against Duterte.

She also slammed congressmen for politicizing budget deliberations.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he was surprised by Uson’s resignation.

“You cannot deny that Asec. Uson is a celebrity on the Internet, the Facebook. She was a messenger to many of the President’s supporters,” Roque told reporters.

Uson’s immediate superior, PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar, for his part, said: “Mocha is still a diehard Duterte supporter and I am one with her in that aspect. I wish her well.”

Uson, a popular social media personality, was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as assistant secretary at the Presidential Communications Office in 2017.

She recently drew flak over a video about federalism that featured dancing and another clip that courted protests from the deaf community.

• Mocha Uson named Communications Assistant Secretary