FORMER senator Gregorio Honasan II on Monday, July 1, took oath as the new head of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

President Rodrigo Duterte swore in Honasan shortly before the start of 39th Cabinet meeting at the Malacañan Palace, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

Panelo said Honasan joined the Cabinet meeting soon after he took oath as the secretary of the DICT.

"Former Senator Gregorio Honasan has joined us in the Cabinet meeting," the Palace official said in a statement.

"He took his oath of office before PRRD just before the Cabinet meeting. He is the new DICT Secretary," he added.

The President first offered the DICT post to Honasan in November 2018.

Honasan is a former military man who graduated from the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1971 before he became a public servant.

He assumed the top DICT post despite his supposed failure to meet the requirements under Republic Act (RA) 10844 or the Department of Information and Communications Technology Act of 2015.

RA 10844 states that an appointed DICT secretary must have "at least seven years of competence and expertise in any of the following: information and communications techology; information technology service management, information security management, cybersecurity, data privacy, e-commerce, or human capital development in the ICT sector."

Honasan adds to the growing number of former military officials in the Duterte Cabinet. (SunStar Philippines)