Updated at 12:47 am Nov. 17, 2021
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has tapped Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles to temporarily act as his official spokesman in light of the departure of Harry Roque Jr., who quit to make another Senate bid.
Roque stepped down as spokesman last Monday.
During his Talk To The People briefing on Monday night, the Chief Executive said Nograles will concurrently serve as Palace spokesman until he appoints Roque’s permanent replacement.
“I don’t want to burden you with so much. Alam ko ang paperwork dadaan sa ‘yo (I know all the paperwork goes through you),” Duterte told the former congressman.
Nograles is also the co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID). He serves too as executive vice president of the Cusi-led faction of the PDP-Laban, which Duterte heads.
It is still unclear, however, if Nograles will also be the IATF spokesman, a post also held by Roque.
“We have a meeting in the IATF; it may come out. We will await what the IATF will decide on officially,” Nograles said during his first news briefing on Monday.
Read More: Cabinet secretary new Palace spokesman