Andanar: PCOO would revert to OPS

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has asked his spokesman Harry Roque to put on hold his senatorial bid for next year as his expertise is needed to boost the communications strategy of Malacañang.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) chief Martin Andanar said the President wants Roque to be Press Secretary once the PCOO completes consolidating its operations.

“We are talking with Secretary Harry Roque if he can defer his candidacy because we need him in our communications team,” Andanar said in an interview with dzMM radio yesterday.

Andanar said he had personally tried to convince Roque – a former Kabayan partylist representative – to defer his political plans until the national elections in 2022.

He also revealed that Malacañang was considering a recommendation from Senate President Vicente Sotto III to revert the functions of the PCOO to the Office of the Press Secretary.

At a recent budget hearing, Sotto advised Andanar and his team to review the proposal while the Senate is still examining PCOO’s P 1.4-billion budget for next year.

“So, we’re thinking that perhaps this is the best time to study, while studying your budget, to review and study the possibility of reverting back into the Office of the Press Secretary,” the Senate President said.

“We can streamline that and use your current budget and, if necessary, we can infuse more budget, for that to be more effective, for the office to be more effective,” Sotto said. Sens. Ping Lacson and Gregorio Honasan supported the plan.

Roque told a briefing last Friday he needed to think things over before deciding if he would accept the President’s offer.

He said he was offered “a position which currently does not exist yet” – referring to the post of Press Secretary.

“While there was no categorical agreement on what to do, I did say I will consider it and I wanted the weekend to think it over,” Roque said.

For Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, Roque has to make a quick decision as the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy is on Nov. 17. He also voiced belief the presidential spokesman would be an asset in the Senate.

Roque has been on the short list of senatorial candidates of PDP Laban for some time and according to Pimentel, this has not changed.

The status of Roque’s bid for a seat in the Senate has come into question, with President Duterte’s comments about Roque’s slim chances of making it to the chamber.

With his expertise in international law, Pimentel said Roque would be able to do much as chairman of the committee on foreign relations, currently chaired by Sen. Loren Legarda.

Legarda has voiced her intention to run for congresswoman representing Antique.

PDP Laban is currently finalizing its senatorial slate and a slot is reserved for Roque in case he decides to push through with his election plans.

Another member of the executive branch, special assistant to the president Christopher “Bong” Go, is also being eyed by PDP Laban for inclusion in its senatorial slate.

But Go, Pimentel said, made no commitment when offered a slot in the PDP-Laban lineup.– With Marvin Sy