Duterte says Panelo to run revived Office of the Press Secretary

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:56 p.m.) — President Rodrigo Duterte is considering making his chief legal adviser Salvador Panelo his press secretary as some members of the Cabinet prepare to run for office in May 2019.

He said that presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who has already paid for and shot a campaign ad, is determined to run for office.

JUST IN | Nagsabi raw si Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque kay Pres. Duterte na magbibitiw siya sa pwesto. Hindi pa pinangalanan ng Pangulo ang kapalit ng kalihim. pic.twitter.com/zDXM7yTCVX

— News5 AKSYON (@News5AKSYON) October 9, 2018

"Naipit nga si Roque. It's not my fault, actually. Sabi niya tatakbo... tapos hindi tatakbo, tapos tatakbo. Ngayon, kung hindi siya tatakbo, hindi ko alam kung saan siya ilalagay," the president told reporters at a news briefing Tuesday night.

(Roque was caught in a bind. It's not my fault. He said he was running, then he wasn't running, then he's running. Now, if he's not running, I don't know where to put him)

"As for me, I did not wait a minute longer," Duterte said as he said he is considering Panelo, who hosted a September 11 question-and-answer session with the president, to take over the Office of the Press Secretary.

The Palace is planning to revive the Office of the Press Secretary to replace the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

Duterte said that Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar can stay on as a consultant.

Last Friday, Roque said he would need the weekend to ponder if he would run for senator in the 2019 midterm polls or accept the chief executive's reported offer for him to lead the Office of the Press Secretary.

Other new appointees eyed

Duterte said he also has a candidate to replace Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, who also plans to run for office. Cayetano was a senator when he ran as Duterte's vice-presidential candidate and later appointed the country's top diplomat.

The president said he believes Cayetano will run to represent Taguig at the House of Representatives. The Foreign Affairs secretary's sister, Rep. Pia Cayetano (Taguig), is eyeing a run for the Senate.

"I have a name. He agreed, but he did not authorize me to name him now. Maybe siya na lang... pag gusto niya. Baka ma-ala Roque tayo (Maybe it's up to him to announce it when he wants to. We might be ala Roque)," said.

He said he is also eyeing a Chinese-Filipino entrepreneur who has experience in the business to head the National Food Authority, the office that regulates rice importation and distribution