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Duterte inauguration will be simple, frugal –spokesman


Don't expect a lavish inauguration ceremony when presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte takes his oath of office on June 30, his transition team said Thursday.

In a news conference in Davao City, Duterte's spokesperson Peter Laviña said the ceremony would be "simple and frugal," the way Duterte wants it.

"Mayor Duterte already said in the past that it will be simple [and] frugal. We have also to consider the prestige of the Office of the President so we will make the inaguration fitting for such [an] institution," he said.

Laviña said the challenge so far is figuring out who would be invited to the ceremony, noting that Duterte's campaign involved numerous groups and volunteers inside and outside the country.

"You will note that the campaign of the mayor has involved so many support groups, volunteers, and so many individuals in the Philippines, not only in Davao, but throughout the country as well as abroad," he said.

Laviña added that victory parties around the country were initiated by Duterte's support groups and not by his campaign team.

Duterte's transition team is composed of four sub-committees: the policy review committee, selection advisory committee, and the committee identifying his "personal representatives."

Laviña said the policy review committee has been working for several days to identify key issues Duterte would prioritize one he formally takes over.

The selection advisory committee will break down the Cabinet posts according to clusters: the economic team, social development team, infrastructure, peace and security, and a separate team for government-owned and -controlled corporations.

Laviña said this will be the agenda of the transition team once it resumes its meeting Thursday afternoon.

He noted that they would also identify personal representatives of Duterte who will convey his message of unity and cooperation from the different sectors, including the diplomatic corps.

“We will be sending out the representatives to the various embassies, departments, Congress, Senate, the judiciary, media outfits, civil society, the various churches and all other key sectors that we need to ask for their help and cooperation,” Laviña said.

Meanwhile, the transition team will also have Sen. Pia Cayetano as its adviser in appointing women and gender-sensitive officials in the cabinet.

Cayetano, sister of Duterte's running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, said the Duterte administration would have a “gender-balanced” leadership and would try to close the gap in the global ratio of women in the labor force.

She added that she is looking into appointing women in the economic and infrastructure clusters of the Cabinet that would feature talented women in the short list who are willing to step-up to the opportunity. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KBK, GMA News

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