Cayetano named DFA chief; Año to DILG

MANILA, Philippines - After defending the Duterte administration’s war on drugs before the United Nations, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has been designated Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary.

In remarks before his departure yesterday for Cambodia for the World Economic Forum on ASEAN, President Duterte announced the appointment of Cayetano as well as of Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Año as the new secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“For the DFA, I remember I signed an appointment just before I left my room, I saw the name of Sen. Cayetano,” Duterte told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The appointment came as the election ban on the appointment of defeated candidates to government posts lapsed.

Cayetano was the President’s runningmate in the last presidential elections. He lost to Leni Robredo in the vice presidential race.

In appointing Año to the DILG, Duterte said he needs somebody in the military who exudes a strong leadership quality.

Año, who was also at the NAIA, was personally informed by the President of his appointment.

“Whatever job is given to us, if we can contribute, then we will, I will do my best to be able to contribute,” he said, noting that the announcement was sudden and unexpected.

The AFP chief, who is retiring in October, said he does not know yet if he would opt for early retirement.

“May I call upon my chief of staff General Año, can you come forward and be counted as one of the Filipinos?” Duterte said. “Kailangan ko (I need him), because I have a problem with the police,” he said.

The President said reading about reports on the arrest of four policemen for kidnapping got him enraged.

“So you need one, somebody who knows the police,” he said with expletives.

Apart from peace and order, Duterte expressed the belief Año would be useful in the administration’s campaign against terrorism.

“What looms very big ahead is the IS, they are coming in, we are fighting in Mindanao ngayon. As a matter of fact, I’ve been using the F50A jets on bombing runs,” he said.

Duterte said he would likely allow Año to reach retirement before asking him to formally assume the top DILG post, which now has former police general Catalino Cuy as officer-in-charge.

Cuy said he welcomed Año’s appointment.

Duterte said he wanted Año to complete his term at the AFP because there are projects he has to implement.

“You know, at this time, you cannot just pull out somebody in the Armed Forces, especially those who are tasked with programming, what will happen next and the remedies that we are supposed to be ready,” Duterte said.

“The AFP’s loss is the DILG’s gain,” AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said in reaction to Ano’s impending move to the DILG.

“The AFP will not run out of competent and professional commanders who are ready to take the lead and the reign of command of the AFP,” Arevalo said.

Defending appointments

The Chief Executive also defended his appointment of another military general – retired Armed Forces chief Roy Cimatu – to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and of Mocha Uson as an assistant secretary in his communications team.

Duterte recalled his relationship with Cimatu, who served in Davao when he was a congressman.

“He is a good officer, a true soldier and I am impressed with his industry,” he said.

“He will remain loyal to his oath. I can assure you that everything, it would be all right and the DENR is in safe hands,” the President said, referring to Cimatu.

On Uson, Duterte said she is bright and that there’s nothing wrong with her dancing as she was not doing it naked.

Duterte said his appointment of the controversial blogger and former sexy dancer was his idea and that her past “does not deprive her of the honor she deserves.”

“Why? There’s nothing wrong with the woman or the girl. She’s bright. She’s articulate. And if it is just a matter of dancing, she was not dancing naked,” the President said.

“She was with me during the campaign. A little bit sexier than the others but that does not prevent anybody to deprive her of the honors that she deserves,” he added.

Uson, whose real name is Margaux Justiniano Uson, was appointed assistant secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) last May 8.

A former board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, Uson will handle the PCOO’s social media operations.

Before joining the Duterte administration, Uson led the female dance group Mocha Girls and appeared on sex instructional videos and daring flicks.

Duterte said Uson performed sexy dances to earn a living. He admitted that debt of gratitude played a role in his decision to appoint her.

“There’s no law which says that if you expose half of your body with shorts and a bra, you are disqualified from being the president of the Philippines,” he said. 

“At utang na loob ko ‘yan sa kanila (That’s my debt of gratitude to them) because they offered their services free at the time when I did not have money because they believed in me. Now, it’s my time to believe in them,” he added. 

Duterte also praised Uson for having a “very structured mind.”

“You can listen to her. You can debate with her. Look at her Facebook and she can have a very structured mind. So what’s the problem?” the President said.

Uson had accused journalists of being “presstitutes” because of their alleged bias against Duterte.

She briefly had a show on radio station dzRH but it was suspended after she spouted invectives at Robredo.

Meanwhile, senators welcomed Cayetano’s nomination, saying they expect him to easily hurdle the Commission on Appointments (CA). – With Alexis Romero, Marvin Sy, Edith Regalado