Tiglao named OIC communications director

Presidential Management Staff (PMS)chief Rigoberto Tiglao has been named officer-in-charge of the Office of the Communications Director (OCD) by President Arroyo, Malacañang officials said yesterday.

Tiglao, Mrs. Arroyo’s spokesman when she first assumed the presidency, replaces Silvestre Afable Jr., who resigned last month to focus on his work as chief government negotiator in peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

It was not yet clear whether Tiglao would eventually serve in a permanent capacity.

Afable had resigned amid reports that he could no longer effectively function as Mrs. Arroyo’s communications chief because of the many competing factions in the Palace.

His resignation also came at the height of destabilization attempts against the Arroyo administration that included the mass resignation of Mrs. Arroyo’s economic team.

Earlier, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said despite Afable’s resignation, the OCD would not be disbanded as the coordinating center of the government’s media effort.

Tiglao will serve concurrently as head of both the OCD and PMS until the final structure of the Palace communications team is finalized. Prior to Tiglao’s appointment, the OCD was manned and operated by Undersecretary Claro Fernandez.

Secretary Cerge Remonde, Government Media Group head, said the OCD might be further restructured to improve its performance.

"This would be the setup until a final configuration (of the OCD) is done," he said. — Paolo Romero