"I plan to take it easy for a while. Maybe do some consulting work in the future," Pena said in a telephone interview Friday, when asked about his plans after resigning as the government's current highest ICT official.
Pena said he submitted his letter of resignation in the middle of February, citing "purely personal reasons", but his resignation was accepted by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo only last week.
"I know it came as a surprise for some," he added, saying he informed the four CICT commissioners under him -- Tim Diaz De Rivera, Dondi Mapa, Emmanuel Lallana and former Department of Transportation and Communications undersecretary Bert Emphasis -- on Thursday.
While he welcomes prospects of going back to the private sector, Pena said that having served as a government official; he could be covered by a provision that restricts him from being employed for at least a year.
In addition, he said he has recommended to President Arroyo someone who can replace him as CICT chair, although he declined to reveal a name, saying the person he recommended "is from the private sector and is very experienced in ICT."
He acknowledged, however, that President Arroyo is also evaluating other possible candidates for the position. "Hopefully, there will be an announcement from the Office of the President within next week," he said.
Pena previously served as executive director of the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council (ITECC), which was established during the term of former President Joseph Estrada. In 2004, President Arroyo signed Executive Order 269 creating CICT as a transitory body in the wake of a proposal to create a separate Department of ICT or DICT.