GMA to Tiglao: Substance, not glitz, please

Less flash, more substance.

Newly sworn in Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said yesterday that his boss "wants less glitz, less porma, more substance."

Tiglao takes over the post from presidential chief of staff Renato Corona, who was concurrent spokesman during the first 90 days of the Arroyo presidency.

After President Arroyo administered the oath of office to the former journalist during mass oath-taking ce-remonies at Malacañang yesterday, Tiglao quoted her as saying: "Just be candid. Articulate what we’re doing."

The 49-year-old Tiglao, who will start work Monday, reassured Palace reporters he would try his best to facilitate the flow of information on vital matters relating to the presidency.

"So I would hope to better understand your needs," he said.

Personally recruited by Mrs. Arroyo to be her spokesman, Tiglao said he would like to believe that he is close enough to the President to be able to gauge her views on national issues and other matters of interest to the people and country. He said he has been consulting with her these past two weeks to do just that.

But he admitted he scarcely has any idea how he would discharge his role as spokesman for the country’s second woman president.

"It is not a matter of simply being a mouthpiece but understanding how she thinks," Tiglao said. "I guess I have to iron out details."

He expressed confidence he will not find difficulty dealing with local and foreign media, having worked with BusinessDay, Manila Chronicle (1986-1989), and the Hong Kong-based Far Eastern Economic Review, for which he was Manila bureau chief from 1993 to 2000.

The new spokesman was a Niemen Foundation Fellow for Journalism at Harvard University in 1988-1989, and was one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men named by the Philippine Jaycees in 1991.

Tiglao said his greatest fear in joining government service is "waking up early ... because like any other reporters, we’re used to late waking hours."

He rejoins his Chronicle colleague Press Secretary Noel Cabrera at Malacañang.

Cabrera said he and Tiglao will simply follow the working relations that existed between their respective predecessors Rod Reyes and Jerry Barican.

"He (Tiglao) speaks for the President and will reflect her mind and thinking on national issues," Cabrera said.

However, Cabrera said, as press secretary he may also perform the same functions whenever Tiglao is not around. – Marichu Villanueva