From left: Dominguez, Tugade, Cayetano
Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday gave the names of some people whom he would like to have in his Cabinet.
Some were previously mentioned by Duterte’s spokespersons.
During a press conference in Davao City, the mayor said he hoped former Agriculture secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez III would reconsider his offer to make him finance secretary.
“Sonny Dominguez has many misgivings in the past on my offer. I hope he would consider,” he said.
“Art Tugade will get the DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications),” he added, referring to the former president of the Clark Development Corp.
At one point, Duterte called on Sen. Alan Cayetano to join him in front. He called Cayetano his ”vice president,” although Cayetano has lost in the electoral race.
However, Duterte said he is offering the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice to Cayetano.
“I don’t know what his preference is,” Duterte said in Filipino. He said he would respect Cayetano’s decision if he decides to remain as senator.
He said he can also appoint an acting secretary while Cayetano waits for the one-year ban on appointment for losing election candidates.
“If ayaw nya, andito si Perfecto Yasay (If he doesn’t want it, Perfecto Yasay can take his place),” he said. Yasay is a lawyer and former chairman of the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission. Duterte said they were roommates in law school.
However, he said Yasay mentioned that he has a teaching commitment in the US.
As for the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Labor and Employment, Duterte said he would offer it to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
“They are the most vigilant group in the Philippines about labor,” he said.
Duterte offered the CPP several key positions if it decides to join his government.
“What I will offer the Communist Party of the Philippines if they decide to join the government are DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform), DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), Labor, DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development),” he said.
Later in the press briefing, Duterte said the CPP’s military arm, the New People’s Army, should also realize that “(he is) with government and (he is) also the enemy.”
“But I offer my hand in peace to (Jose Maria) Sison and to the rest and we can talk,” he said.
Sison was Duterte’s former professor at the Lyceum of the Philippines University.
Sison will be welcome to return home after nearly three decades in exile and participate in peace talks, Duterte said.
Sison wrote in a Facebook post last week that he hoped to come home following the landslide May 9 election win of Duterte, with whom he has maintained ties while living in the Netherlands.
Duterte said late Sunday that Sison’s return to the Philippines would be important in helping end the rebellion.
Duterte also mentioned three names for the top post in the Philippine National Police: Chief Insp. Ramon Apolinario, Chief Insp. Ronald dela Rosa and Senior Supt. Rene Aspera.
Duterte said the three served as police chiefs of Davao City.
Duterte also considered Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya to be the next Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff by Duterte.
Visaya told reporters yesterday that he met Duterte in Davao City on Sunday night and they discussed pressing security matters in Mindanao.