Duterte appoints new chief legal counsel

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has appointed Jesus Melchor Vega Quitain as his new chief legal counsel, replacing Salvador Panelo who is seeking a Senate seat in 2022.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque also said the President appointed Aristotle Batuhan as officer-in-charge of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), following the resignation of Secretary Vince Dizon.

Dizon’s resignation was effective Oct. 15, he said.

“Secretary Vince has asked the President to unload him of this task so that he can focus full time on the national government’s COVID response efforts and vaccination rollout,” Roque said at a press briefing.

Dizon will retain his positions as presidential adviser for COVID-19, deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and testing czar, Roque added.

Roque said under Dizon’s leadership, the BCDA earned P48 million in revenues, the highest by far of any administration in only five years and by itself represents almost 40 percent of total revenues in the last 27 years.