Paul Soriano is out as a presidential adviser
PAUL SORIANO – The TV and film director is no longer the Presidential Adviser for Creative Communications.
It was revealed on Thursday, during the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 that Soriano has departed from the Department of Tourism. Senate Minority Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel Jr. inquired about Soriano’s current status while the Office of the President (OP) budget was being discussed on the Senate floor.
Senator Sonny Angara, the sponsor of the budget bill and chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, confirmed that Soriano is no longer part of DOT. The discussion around Soriano arose when Pimentel Jr. asked about an ad campaign that previously featured the phrase “We give the world our best” on London buses.
Pimentel Jr. wanted to discover the source of funding for the London ad campaign. Angara clarified that the OP was not responsible for the campaign and hinted that it might have been funded by the DOT. Pimentel Jr. inquired further, insinuating that the presidential adviser might be involved, though the adviser’s name was not explicitly mentioned.
Angara suggested that the funds for the ad campaign might have been a personal initiative, speculating on the situation. Pimentel Jr. expressed concern about the lack of interest in investigating the funding source for the ad campaign. Angara assured that the OP would look into the matter and inform Pimentel Jr.
“Kelangan pa pa lang i-request. Walang kusa, wala tayong interest what’s happening? That’s an ad campaign. It mentions our country, sa London. Wala? Nobody lifted a finger to find out the background information. Wala? No one?” Pimentel asked. “Because it was still during the time of Director Paul Soriano. That’s what I’m told baka sya ang nakakaalam, we’ll ask,” Angara said.
Last July, Malacañang revealed that Soriano, the husband of actress-TV host Toni Gonzaga, took a leave of absence due to personal matters.
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