Duterte on Harry’s threat to quit: Sabi ko, ‘‘Di, sige’

Secretary Harry Roque is free to go if he wants to resign after being kept out of the loop as regards President Rodrigo Duterte's check-up at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center last week.

Duterte said Roque told him that he wanted to resign after he was put in a bad light with the media when he said that the President only took the day-off on Wednesday and stayed at the Bahay Pangarap.

"And sabi niya, mag-resign siya. Sabi ko ‘di sige. Then immediately... namili na kaagad ako ng replacement but I cannot tell you now kung sino sila," Duterte said.

As regards why Roque was not informed of his hospital visit for a procedure on his digestive tract, Duterte said, "Hindi naman kailangan sabihin ko lahat eh. There are things which are limited to the immediate members of the family."

"And of course if there’ something wrong, then I would communicate with the Cabinet members," Duterte said.

"Nothing of that sort happened so parang masabi na hindi ako pumunta, hindi naman siya nagtanong so he felt that he was placed in a bad light. Parang he was lying," he added. 

Press secretary

Duterte said he was considering appointing Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo as his press secretary.

“Ang problema ko sa totoo lang, I did may homework very fast noong sinabi niya na hindi katatakbo ay naghanap agad ako," Duterte said.

"Sal Panelo ay maganda tingnan. I am to going to organize the [Office of the] Press Secretary at kanya (Panelo) lahat. Pero tingnan muna natin,” he added.

Duterte sounded uncertain where to appoint Roque if the latter would not run for any elective post.

“Sabi ni Roque tatakbo siya, hindi siya tatakbo, tatakbo siya, kaya namili agad ako [ng kapalit niya] para walang paralysis. Ngayon sinabi niya na hindi siya tatakbo. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung saan ko siya ilalagay,” Duterte said.

The revival of the Office the Press Secretary is expected to cause the abolition of the Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO) headed by Secretary Martin Andanar.

With the PCOO gone, Duterte said Andanar would be named a consultant and would be in charge of “re-configuring” the programs of state-run PTV-4 "to make it more responsive.” —NB, GMA News