DAVAO CITY—The previously designated press secretary for the incoming Duterte administration, Salvador Panelo, has been named chief presidential legal adviser instead, while the evangelist Ernesto Abella will take the post as the new presidential spokesman.
The new appointments came as Duterte directed Panelo to ensure that the coconut levy funds are released to the country’s farmers, incoming Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Thursday.
In an interview with reporters at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, Abella announced that Duterte has appointed Panelo as chief presidential legal counsel.
“Mr. Panelo will be his chief legal counsel. As of this evening I am [the presidential spokesperson],” Abella said, without offering any reason for the change.
Earlier, press groups objected to the appointment of Panelo, who once served as lawyer for members of the Ampatuan clan accused of slaughtering 58 people, including 32 journalists, in the Maguindanao massacre.
Duterte, who named Panelo as his spokesman in May, later said the appointment was temporary.
But incoming Communications secretary Martin Andanar said the plan “since day one” was to make Panelo the chief presidential legal counsel.
Abella had earlier said that he hopes to have a warm relationship with the media.
Andanar will gain sole control over the Palace communications group after he changes the Aquino administration’s three-headed approach.
Speaking to reporters in Manila Wednesday night, Andanar said that he will reform the current set-up, which “has sparked confusion” so that it can better aid in the delivery of the President-elect’s message through the mass media.
The Presidential Communications Operations Office, which he will head, will be tranformed into the Presidential Communications Office, akin to the old Office of the Press Secretary.
Andanar said there will be no Press secretary, and that Abella will be presidential spokesman, a Cabinet-level position.
Duterte, who met with the secretaries-designate Wednesday evening, ordered Panelo to act after Piñol requested the president-elect make a policy statement on the coconut levy funds.
“This is an emotional issue for the coconut farmers, including my late mother. The coconut levy funds should be given to the farmers,” Duterte told the members of his incoming Cabinet.
“I am directing Attorney Panelo to look into this matter and make sure that the coconut levy funds are released to the farmers,” he said.
In his campaign speeches, Duterte vowed to order the distribution of the levy within a month of his taking office.
Duterte said political will was needed to enforce the Supreme Court decision to return the money to farmers after it ruled that the levy was a public fund meant to develop the country’s coconut industry.
Last year, President Aquino issued Executive Order No. 179, which governs the disposition and privatization of the coco levy assets, and EO No. 180, which provides the guidelines for the use of the P74.3 billion recovered from San Miguel Corp. Its enforcement was stopped after coconut farmers obtained a restraining order from the Supreme Court.
Piñol said the release of coco levy funds can help grow the coconut industry.
“With the expected release of the coconut levy funds to the real owners and the start of the massive national coconut planting program, the coconut industry is expected to regain its reputation as one of the country’s biggest foreign exchange earners for the country,” he said.
Piñol also reported to the president-elect of the plan for a six-year coconut planting program to cover 600,000 hectares.
The program, called Copra or Coconut Productivity and Rehabilitation Agenda, aims at the massive replanting of coconut in the country to regain the country’s status as the No. 1 coconut producer in the world.
“I was assured by PCA officials that the agency and its stakeholders are capable of producing planting materials to cover the 600,000-hectares of new coconut areas in the country,” Piñol said.
The Presidential Commission on Good Government earlier estimated the levy, including assets bought using it, to be worth P83 billion—P73 billion in cash (liquidated shares from SMC) and P10 billion in shares of stock in the United Coconut Planters Bank and oil mills operated by the Coconut Industry Investment Fund.