Former presidential spokesman Abella named as DFA undersecretary

November 23, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed his former spokesperson Ernesto Abella as undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Abella's appointment paper dated October 27, 2017 was released on Thursday.

Abella, a pastor, was removed as Duterte's spokesman in October and was replaced by then Kabayan party-list Representative Harry Roque.

Abella said Roque would be more than adequate to be his successor and would deliver the right support needed for Duterte's program of government.

Roque's appointment paper dated November 22, 2017 as concurrent Presidential Adviser on Human Rights was also released to the public on Thursday.

Prior to joining the government, Roque, a lawyer by profession, was also a human rights advocate. He founded the Center for International Law Manila (Centerlaw), an advocacy group that seeks to avail of existing international remedies for the promotion of human rights, humanitarian law, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press, where local remedies have proven ineffectual. Celerina Monte/DMS