Cabinet members would be speaking in behalf of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte who shies away from media interviews, incoming Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said on Wednesday.
“The fact that the President has given [the members of the Cabinet] the authority and leeway to talk to the press.… If we connect the dots, I think that the President himself also believes in principle that you need to talk with the media,” Andanar said in a radio interview.
“We Cabinet members are the alter egos of the President. Whatever we say is like what the President told us to tell you,” he said.
Duterte had a falling out with media during a nightly news conference, after the France-based Reporters Without Borders called on the local press to boycott him for saying that it was all right to kill corrupt journalists.
Although no local news organization heeded the call, Duterte angrily challenged journalists covering him to abandon their coverage and leave Davao City, saying he would course his messages through the government station PTV 4.
Andanar said he would also ensure that all avenues through which information about Duterte and the government will pass through remain “transparent and efficient.”
Duterte has also accused reporters of twisting his statements.