THE administration of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III still needs to finalize the creation of his media communications group.
Aquino earlier announced the abolition of the Office of the Press Secretary, replacing it with what he called the "communications department".
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda admitted that they are having a hard time finalizing the structure of the department.
“We are not just discussing on who will head the department. We have to finalize the strategy first then the structure, and then the person who will lead it,” he explained.
All Cabinet positions of the new government have been filled up except for the communications department and the Interior and Local Government.
The communications group will apparently be tasked to handle queries from the media.
Lacierda said someone will surely be appointed to head the department but won’t be called Press Secretary anymore.
“Somebody has to be accountable like in any other department. Somebody has to be accountable to the President,” the Palace aide said.
Two personalities are being considered to lead the group. It includes Ricky Carandang and Manolo Quezon, both from the ABS-CBN media network.
“Their names were mentioned but no action yet,” Lacierda said.
Both Carandang and Quezon met with President Aquino at his residence in Quezon City before the inauguration.
Lacierda also assured that the President will fulfill his promise to have a once a week press conference as part of his advocacy of transparency in governance.
On Friday, Aquino continued to fill up some of the remaining vacant posts in his government.
He appointed Bong Naguiat as chairman of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor); Margie Juico as chairperson of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO); and Guillermo Parayno as new head of Bureau of Customs. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)