Duterte hints at possible Cabinet appointments

DAVAO CITY - Leading presidential candidate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night hinted at some possible Cabinet appointments if he wins the election.

Before leaving the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City, Duterte said he may give government posts to old pals Jesus Dureza and Carlos Dominguez.

Duterte may ask Dureza to lead peace talks once again. Dureza was the peace adviser of former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. 

"I hope he would accept it. Iyong peace process dito, fingertips ni Dureza iyan. He has been at it since Ramos' time, then Arroyo. Alam niya lahat, eh, the entrails of Mindanao, the problems," he said.

Dominguez, on the other hand, may take either the top post in the Finance or Transportation and Communications Department.

"And maybe Carlos Dominguez, owner of Marco Polo (Hotel Davao). We grew up together. It could be Finance or DOTC. Ang pinaka-corrupt ang problema ko. Pinaka-corrupt ang DOTC," he said.

According to Duterte's spokesperson, Peter Lavina, Dominguez was the campaign's finance manager. He is also CEO and president of the Philippine Tobacco Flue-Curing & Redrying Corp., and was Duterte's elementary and high school classmate at the Ateneo de Davao.

Dominguez also held government positions during the Ramos and Cory Aquino presidencies. Lavina claimed that Dominguez also had a good reputation in the business community.

During Duterte's campaign speeches, Dureza and Dominguez had always been the subject of his jokes. Duterte enjoyed pointing out the the two were top students while he was merely average.

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Duterte had previously said that his running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano could be appointed Justice Department or Foreign Affairs Department secretary.

The tough-talking local chief executive also said that former military men could occupy "lower echelons" in his administration.

"Do not be surprised if others are military people. Meron akong mga kilala, they are already retired na," he said.

Lavina previously said that five former police generals from Davao handled Duterte's security during his campaign. They were led by former Police Deputy Director General Isidro Lapena, who was Duterte's choice for Davao City Police chief.

Meanwhile, Duterte said that national campaign manager and Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio Evasco would not hold any cabinet positions, as he would "stay with me."

Lavina and Duterte's lawyer Salvador Panelo would be his spokesmen. — DVM, GMA News