DOT chief: Track record, not Duterte's fondness, behind appointment

MANILA, Philippines —Newly appointed Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Tuesday allayed rumors that she was appointed due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s fondness for her.

In a television interview with ANC, Puyat said she is “actually not affected” by these allegations.

Puyat, who was an undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture for 12 years prior to this appointment, cited that she also used to be a professor. She said she was a lecturer at the University of the Philippines School of Economics for 14 years and served as a deputy Cabinet secretary to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“Three presidents, three Cabinet members, I think my track record speaks for itself,” Puyat said in ANC's Headstart.

Duterte’s joke ‘no big deal’

Rumors of Puyat,a widow, being appointed due to Duterte’s fondness for her were sparked by an old news report on Duterte joking in 2017 about being “distracted” by her legs. 

In 2015, Asian Dragon Magazine also published a photo of Duterte, then mayor, holding Puyat's hand. The president was also quoted as saying Puyat remains to be “his ideal first lady.”

“She’s one person I’m proud of showing to the world,” Duterte said in the magazine interview.

Puyat said she didn’t comment on issue on her legs since the president later apologized.

“What matters was he admitted it was wrong and he publicly apologized,” Puyat said.

“He's very playful. He's never done it again,” he added.

Puyat admitted that she was flattered by the president’s remark that she was his “ideal first lady” but said that she didn’t really take it seriously.

“Because it's not relevant. We're friends,” Puyat said.

“He's a friend of the family. He's known my mom since they were teenagers. He's close to my dad. When we met it was about work,” she said, adding that the president is strict when it comes to work.

Duterte administered Puyat’s oath as Department of Tourism chief on Monday. She was joined by her daughter Maia, her parents Rosie and Alberto Romulo, a former senator and Foreign Affairs secretary, during her oathtaking ceremony. The event was closed to media.

The president also hosted a dinner for Puyat, her family and other guests at the President’s Hall in Malacañang. They then visited the wakes of late Sen. Edgardo Angara and Alvaro “Cheng” Muhlach at the Heritage Park in Taguig City.

DOT welcomes Puyat as new head

Puyat was also welcomed by the DOT, which acknowledged her as a true public servant, citing her previous work with the department through Madrid Fusion Manila and her farm tourism initiatives.

“The DOT warmly welcomes its newly appointed Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in the same gesture that Filipinos welcome every tourist that visits the country,” it said in a statement.

“Secretary Puyat's stellar record that boasts over 17 years of government service at the Department of Agriculture counts heavily as she takes over the helm of the DOT,” it added.

The DOT said Puyat’s “expertise and experience present an advantage in steering the industry and prompting the Philippines as premiere tourist destination.”

The Tourism department looks forward to working with Puyat to achieve the department target as embodied in the National Tourism Development Plan of 2016-2022, it also said.

Puyat replaced Wanda Tulfo-Teo, who resigned over the controversy over a questioned multimillion-peso advertisement deal with state-run Philippine Television Network Inc. and her brother's media outfit Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. The state-run TV network accepted money from the Department of Tourism to air its ads, then later paid blocktimer Bitag P60 million for airing them on its program.