PRESIDENT Duterte has named Undersecretary Jesus Melchor Quitain, of the
Office of the Special Assistant to the President, as chief presidential legal counsel vice Salvador Panelo who is running for senator in 2022.
Quitain served as administrator of Davao City when the President was still mayor before his appointment as undersecretary in 2018.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President also named Aristotle Batuhan, director of the Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), as officer-in-charge of the agency, in place of Vivencio “Vince” Dizon whose resignation as president and chief operating officer took effect on October 15.
Dizon has not made public the reason for his resignation.
Roque said Dizon has been named presidential adviser for COVID-19 response, and will continue to be deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force against COVID-19, and testing czar.
Roque said there is yet no replacement yet for Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones and Information Secretary Gregorio Honasan who are also running for senator.
Asked about his possible Senate bid, Roque reiterated his decision depends on whether presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will run for president.
He said he remains hopeful that Duterte-Carpio will run for president in 2022.
Reports said Roque may run as a substitute candidate for senator under the People’s Reform Party (PRP), the party of the late senator Miriam Santiago, which has declared support for Duterte-Carpio.
The filing for substitute candidates is until November.
