Rio vows support to next DICT secretary

Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday said he will support whoever President Rodrigo Duterte appoints as the department's overall leader.

"Ako'y acting secretary lang. I serve at the pleasure of the President. Kung meron siyang i-assign ay susuportahan ko 'yun," Rio said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

Rio: Susuportahan ko po kung sino man ang itatalaga ni Pang. Duterte bilang secretary ng DICT. https://t.co/z3DZeBZMXC

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) November 7, 2018

Senate President Vicente Sotto III had earlier said Senator Gringo Honasan will become DICT Secretary and will leave the Senate by December, although Malacañang has yet to confirm this. Honasan, meanwhile, has yet to issue a statement regarding his reported appointment.

Rio, who was named DICT officer in charge in May or months after the resignation of Rodolfo Salalima, said he is still willing to help the government despite his likely departure from DICT.

Rio is a former military general who also served as commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission as well as DICT undersecretary.

As DICT OIC, Rio will oversee the bidding process for the country's third major telecommunications player. —KBK, GMA News