2nd Palace spokesman? Comm Group shakeup seen

MANILA, Philippines - For two consecutive days, Secretary Sonny Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office presided over media briefings at Malacañang – a development that hints at changes in the President’s communications group.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda and his deputy Abigail Valte had alternately presided over previous press conferences.

In rare cases where both were not available, Coloma and Secretary Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development Strategic Planning Office would fill in for them.

Coloma has his hands full managing the state media PTV-4 and dzRB, among many others. Asked by reporters if a new setup is in place, Coloma said there is none because they all belong to the CommGroup of President Aquino.

“We are just one communications team of the President, and I form part of that group,” he said. He added that as part of the group, he can now join or even take charge of regular briefings at the Palace.

He also downplayed insinuations that there is a rift within the President’s communications team.

Coloma is identified with the so-called Samar faction in Aquino’s Cabinet while Lacierda, Valte and Carandang are associated with the Balay group of Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

Coloma also denied he was taking over as presidential spokesman. “There is no takeover because we are just one team, and we are all doing our job to contribute on the overall communication effort.”

Lacierda – the main spokesman – said it was “Coloma (who) asked if he can do alternate briefings” – a request to which he and the others agreed, “since we’ve been doing this for more than three years.”

He also showed Coloma’s text message requesting that he be allowed to preside over the Palace briefing last Tuesday “on alternate basis” with Lacierda and Valte.

“We were more than happy to accommodate (Coloma) as this frees our schedule to do our other work, like our daily meetings with other government officials and stakeholders,” Lacierda said in a text message.

He said he gave Coloma the Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday radio briefings.

Coloma confirmed the text message he sent Lacierda. “I sent him that message and I agreed with the proposed rotation (schedule), and that’s what we’re following now,” he replied.

Coloma said Aquino believes “that a well-informed citizenry is capable of making decisions that will empower them to transform themselves, their communities and the country.”