Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairman and chief executive officer Efraim C. Genuino said on Saturday he will vacate his post if President-apparent Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ C. Aquino III replaces him.

Genuino broke his silence on the issue of appointments made by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, among them five members of the board of directors of PAGCOR. The appointments were made last March 9, the day when the PAGCOR brass took their oath office before the President, and one day before the two-month election ban.

“I will respect any decision that presumptive President-elect Noynoy Aquino would make regarding my reappointment,” Genuino said in an interview.

Genuino, however, said his reappointment is in compliance with law, citing section 6 of Presidential Decree No. 1869 or the PAGCOR Charter, that provides that: “Each director shall serve for a term of one year and until his successor shall have been duly appointed and qualified”.

Likewise, he said these were not midnight appointments as their oath-taking took place before the election ban, and while some sectors claimed that the appointments were ‘unconstitutional’, these remain valid until such time that the courts say otherwise.

Genuino expressed willingness to respect Aquino’s decision regarding the appointments, stressing that, “We want peace and harmony, this is not a battle of who is better or best, for our goal is to help the country and support the next administration in its endeavors.”

Aside from Chairman Genuino, the other members of the Board are President and chief operating officer Rafael ‘Butch’ A. Francisco, directors Philip Lo, Manuel Roxas, and Ester Leconico-Feria.