Palace transition team formed but talks on hold until winner proclaimed

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the creation of a committee that will oversee the transition of power to his successor, Malacañang said.

In a taped briefing aired Thursday, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said Duterte had approved Administrative Order 47, which creates the Presidential Transition Committee.

“The PTC will oversee the implementation of transition activities of the entire government and see to it that the delivery of services to the public remains unhampered,” said Medialdea, who chairs the committee.

Other members of the PTC include the following officials:

• Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.
• Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez
• Budget and Management Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie Canda
• Socioeconomic planning chief Karl Kendrick Chua

“We will work closely with the representatives of the incoming administration to ensure a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,” Medialdea said.

Talks on hold

He added the official transition talks are “put on hold” as the winners of the May polls have yet to be proclaimed.

“But preparations on our end need to begin. We, after all, have more work to do,” Medialdea said. 

Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the ousted dictator, is poised for a landslide victory with 31,103,761 votes, based on a preliminary tally as of 11:47 a.m. Thursday. His win would mean the family's return to Malacañang 36 years after the People Power Revolution.

Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, is leading the vice-presidential race after garnering 31,561,196 votes. The presumptive vice president is poised to lead the Department of Education despite having no formal experience in the education sector.

This year’s elections were dubbed as one of the most divisive in the nation’s recent history.