Incoming President Duterte And Spokesman Panelo nag babala sa lahat ng Kriminal

DAVAO CITY - Incoming presidential spokesperson Atty. Salvador Panelo Jr. is looking for a deputy who will help him in being the official mouthpiece of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

"He or she has to have the style of Rody. He or she must also be an alter ego of the President-elect," Panelo, who claims to be an alter ego of Duterte, said.

Panelo refused to reveal his shortlist, but hinted that he is considering three people who may or may not be media practitioners.

Panelo said he is not keen on hiring a woman to soften the image of the incoming administration, but is more concerned on the willingness of the person to serve under the 71-year-old firebrand.

Duterte's ''three-headed communications group'' is led by Panelo as presidential spokesman and television and radio anchor Martin Andanar as head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

Under PCOO are government information agencies such as PTV4, Philippine Information Agency, and Radyo ng Bayan.

Andanar is replacing PCOO Secretary Herminio Coloma while Panelo will take over from presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.

The incoming administration has yet to announce a new Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) chief, which will complete Duterte's communications group.
The current head of the PCDSPO is Undersecretary Manolo Quezon.

Duterte got flak after he named Panelo, a former lawyer of the Ampatuans in the Maguindanao massacre case, as his spokesperson.

He later defended his choice saying Panelo was a bit like him.
"Many of the guys there do not like him. Sal Panelo has been a good friend of mine for the

longest time. He is honest, he can talk and maybe he is also abrasive in his language but that is the nature of the person," Duterte said early this month.