Two familiar faces are joining the Duterte Cabinet.
President Duterte has appointed Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano as the new Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary and designated Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año as the next Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary.
The President announced the two Cabinet appointments before departing Manila for six-day journey to Cambodia, Hong Kong, and China.
Duterte, in a pre-departure press conference at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, said he signed the appointment paper of Cayetano before leaving Malacanang. “Dito sa DFA, I remember I signed an appointment just before I left my room, I saw the name of Sen. Cayetano,” he said.
Cayetano’s latest Cabinet portfolio comes after the one-year appointment ban on losing candidates expired. The senator, the defeated running mate of Duterte in the 2016 elections, often joins the President’s foreign travels and recently defended the country’s human rights record before a United Nations body.
By accepting the Cabinet post, Cayetano would have to vacate his Senate position. His term as senator will end on 2019.
The President also revealed that Año will lead the DILG when he retires from the military service this October.
Duterte summoned the Armed Forces chief during the press conference and said: “You are now facing the next DILG Secretary.”
He explained that he wanted a “military man” to efficiently deal with police scalawags after expressing dismay with their alleged involvement in drugs and other crimes. The DILG has control and supervision over the Philippine National Police.
“He is retiring. I think he is ready by May, June,” the President said, about Año, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983.
But when informed that Año would retire from the military this October, Duterte acknowledged that he must still see through the programs of the Armed Forces.
“I want him to complete because there are projects which he has to…No at this time. You cannot just pull out somebody from the Armed Forces especially those who are tasked of programming what will happen next,” he said.
At present, Undersecretary Catalino Cuy serves as officer in charge of the DILG since the President fired Secretary Mike Sueno last April.
Once his DILG appointment is finalized, Año will join the growing list of retired military and police officers with key positions in the Duterte administration. Retired Armed Forces chief Gen. Roy Cimatu was recently named Environment and Natural Resources Secretary, replacing Gina Lopez.
With Año and Cimatu now on his team, the President joked about the near formation of a “junta” in his government. He said in jest that if he picks another general for a government post, the junta will finally be completed.
The President lauded the competence and integrity of the new Environment and Natural Resources Secretary.
Duterte said he is “impressed with the industry” of Cimatu, recalling his work as special envoy for the Middle East.
He said Cimatu handled the repatriation of distressed overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East.
“We have been friends. There will never be a time I will you for any favor for anybody. All that I ask of you to be true to yourself, to be true to your country, and protect the environment,” he told Cimatu. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)
pinunuan ni sec cayetano ang post ng DFA para lamang makatulong sa admin ni duterte tska di mapapahiya si PRRD sa pag pili nya kay sec alan
DFA wow malaking bagay yan para kay sec. cayetano na maging DFA sec ikaw ang nababagay para dito sa pwestong ito
congrats sec cayetano
hindi mapaphiya ang pagulong duterte sa pag pasya nya sa pagpili kay sec cayetano para sa DFA
Ito ang maganda kay senator alan cayetano kasi talagang magaling kaya kahit saan nilalagay ni tatay digong.
di nagkamali ang presidente natin sa pag pili at paglagay sa pwesto ni sec cayetano sa DFA alam nyang kayang kaya nya itong gampanan
galin galign mo po kasi tlaga sen.cayetano madami kami na sumusuporta sa kakayahn mo!
ayos ka po tlaga sen.cayetano pinapakita mo tlaga ang katapangan mo kaya madami ang humhanga sa kakayahn mO!
astig ka po tlaga sen.cayetano madami po kami naniniwala sa kakayahn mo!
thumbs up po kmi saiyo sen.cayetano ipagpatuloy mo lang po yan na pagging mabuti mo!
papatuloy mo lang po yan sen.cayetano na mabuting ginagwa mo para sa bansa!
galing mo kasi sen.cayetano kaya bumilib saiyo ang pangulO!
tiyak naman kasi magagawa mo ng maayos ang pagging dfa mo!
Naging praktikal lang si duterte kasi pinili nya ang pinakamagaling nyang senador. Alam ni digong na maraming masosolusyunan na problema sa DFA si Senator Cayetano.
tiwala si digong kay Cayetano kesa sa iba kaya ganun ang kanyang desisyon
Dyan magaling si Sen. Cayetano ang pag malasakit sa kapwa kaya bagay sa kanya ang bago nyang posisyon ang dhief sa DFA
tiwala kami na maayos ang DFA sa mga kamay mo Sen, Cayetano
Congratz Sen. Alan malaking good news ito sa DFA kasi ikaw na ang bgong chief
mas maigi na ikaw ang bagong chief sa DFA Sen. Alan kasi mabibigyan mo ng tama attention ang mga OFW
totoong magaling ka Sen. Cayetano noon pa man nakikita nman ang katalinuhan mo kaya nman ang tiwala saiyo ni digng na ilagay ka bilang na chief of DFA ay sobra sobra
tiwala nman talaga ang mga tao sa kakayahan mo Sen.Alan kaya ikaw ang nararapat dyan sa DFA. Godbless you always!
napaka gandang balita ito,hindi kasi nag papabaya si cayetano sa tungkulin.
tuloy tuloy parin ang magandang hangarin ni cayetano sa ating bansa hindi na blilang senador kundi bilang isang sec ng DFA.
kahit saan naman ilagay si sir alan tiwala akong gagampanan nya ito ng mabuti at maayos.
malaki ang tiwala kong gagawin lahat ni sir alan para mapaganda ang DFA.
hinding hindi pag sisisihan ni Duterte ang pag pili ky cayetano,alam naman natin kung gaano katalino at kasipag si Sec Alan.
sino paba kasi ang nararapat sa posisyon na yan,wala namang iba kundi si Sen Alan lang.
hindi naman kasi maipag kakaila ang kagalingan ni Sen Alan kaya tama ang pag pili skanya ni Duterte.
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