PCOO forms global media affairs office

MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has formed a unit that would deal with queries from foreign media as President Duterte faces criticism from international groups over his war on drugs.

PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar said the Office for Global Media Affairs was formed in preparation for the establishment of a press attaché division.

Andanar said once the press attaché division is created, it would send media representatives to other countries.

“The Office for Global Media Affairs will take charge of the concerns or questions of foreign correspondents not just in the Philippines but in other parts of the world,” he told radio station dwFM on Sunday.

“If the creation of the Office of the Press Attaché pushes through, this office would transition as the headquarters for the press attachés that will be assigned in important missions around the world,” he added.

The global media affairs office is expected to link policymakers with the international media and to assist foreign journalists conducting legwork in the Philippines.

Former TV5 reporter Jayvee Arcena has been tapped to lead the office.

Andanar admitted that the appointment of a press attaché would entail huge costs.

He said the government would have to spend more than $10,000 a month.

Andanar said an alternative to sending a press attaché is hiring locals in the country where the government is planning to form an office for media affairs.