President Bongbong Marcos: “People have misunderstood.”
PRESIDENT BONGBONG MARCOS — The President has clarified the appointments of former PNP chief Camilo Cascolan as Health Undersecretary and director Paul Soriano as Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications.
To recall, Malacañang confirmed last October 17 that Soriano was appointed as the Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications, while the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the appointment of Cascolan as health undersecretary last October 23.
The President said in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, October 26, that he appointed Cascolan as DOH Undersecretary to look into the agency’s functions.
According to the President, part of Cascolan’s job is to trace possible syndicates in the health department, particularly those that could have been involved in previous anomalous procurements during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s not health issues that he (Cascolan) has to look at that’s why he doesn’t have to be a doctor. He’s going to look at the function of the DOH. We talked about rightsizing; we talked about structural changes,” the President said. “We need somebody to examine what has been going on.”
Meanwhile, the President justified the appointment of Paul Soriano as Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications.
READ ALSO: Paul Soriano P1 Yearly Salary as Adviser; Netizens Give Mixed Reactions
The President said that people have misunderstood Paul Soriano’s role in his administration. According to him, Soriano wasn’t given a government position to bolster his “PR machine” as earlier insinuated by netizens and several camps.
“People have misunderstood. He’s not there to be part of the PR (public relations) machine,” the President said. “He’s there to find ways to promote the creative industry. Kasi doon siya galing, eh.”
He also said that Soriano will help develop the country’s tourism industry by finding ways to promote Filipino crafts and artistry.
Based on a report, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco earlier said that the Department of Tourism (DOT), under her watch, wouldn’t only promote destinations, but would also urge travelers to see Filipino talent, try Filipino food, and buy Filipino weaves and other local crafts.
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