Honasan points to qualifications to head DICT

Despite lacking expertise and experience in the field, newly-appointed Information Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan III on Tuesday defended his qualifications to head the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

"I've been a senator for 21 years. I've been chairman of labor, environment, defense, public order. If there are questions about my technical competence, maybe its up for debate but I would put these credentials, 44 years of public service on the table and let the appointing authority decide," Honasan said in his first press conference as DICT chief in Quezon City.

The former senator, who ended his term on June 30, was sworn in as the newest member of the Duterte Administration's cabinet on Monday.

"If may problema eh 'di 'wag ako... [but] I cannot be distracted by these issues," Honasan stressed.

The appointment of Honasan, who is also a former soldier, to the helm of the DICT has been criticized since the law that created the ICT Department states that no person shall be appointed as secretary, undersecretary, or assistant secretary unless they had at least seven years of expertise in the field of ICT, IT service management, cybersecurity, data privacy. — DVM, GMA News