Duterte reconstitutes Office of Presidential Spokesperson, abolishes PCDSPO

MANILA, Philippines —President Rodrigo Duterte has reconstituted the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson to improve public awareness of the activities, actions and policies of his administration.

The OPS will be under the Office of the President, according to Executive Order No. 111 signed by Duterte on Monday.

The order was released two weeks after lawyer Harry Roque returned as presidential spokesman.

It also amended EO No. 4, which reorganized the Office of the Press Secretary and created various communication offices in 2010.

Under EO No. 4 signed by former President Benigno Aquino III, the task of communicating the activities, programs, policies, and achievements of the executive department were shared between the Presidential Communications Operations Office, the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office and the presidential spokesperson.

"There is a need to update and harmonize the functions of the said communication offices under the OP (Office of the President) to ensure the efficient and effective performance of their common mandate, and to streamline the release of relevant information to the public," Duterte said in the order.

"It is imperative to improve the awareness of the public of the activities, actions, pronouncements and policies of the President and his administration," he added.

Under EO No. 111, the presidential spokesperson will have a Cabinet rank. The spokesperson may be assisted by a deputy spokesperson and an assistant spokesperson, who shall serve in a co-terminus capacity.

EO No. 111 also abolished the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office "to achieve simplicity, economy and efficiency in government."

The OPS may review and modify if necessary existing organizational structure and staffing pattern to effectively and efficiently carry out its functions.

The new organizational structure and staffing pattern shall be subject to the approval of the budget department except for positions that are beyond its authority or unless the President decides to exercise such approving authority directly.

The OPS was tasked with speaking for the president on matters pertaining to his actions, policies, programs, official activities and accomplishments; coordinating and cultivating relations with private mass media entities; providing news and information to the public by using relevant mass media and other emerging platforms; and developing and implementing necessary guidelines and mechanisms on the dissemination of information.