Palace hails Cayetano’s confirmation as DFA chief

May 17, 2017

Malacanang lauded on Wednesday the speedy confirmation of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as the new secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Commission on Appointments approved Cayetano's nomination about a week after President Rodrigo Duterte announced his appointment to the post before he left for  Cambodia, Hong Kong and China. Cayetano accompanied Duterte in all his foreign trips. "Secretary Cayetano is a welcome addition to the President’s official family," Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement. He said Cayetano's experience and "legal acumen shall enrich the leadership of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and promote and enhance our international relations with the countries of the world." Abella noted that as a senator and chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations of the 17th Congress, Cayetano authored and co-sponsored the bill extending the validity of the Philippine passport to 10 years, and the resolutions concurring in the ratification/accession to the Articles of Agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Philippine-Japan Agreement on Social Security, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. There was no schedule on when Cayetano will take his oath of office. When he assumes the Cabinet post, Cayetano is deemed resigned as a senator. He replaced Perfecto Yasay Jr. whose appointment was rejected by Cayetano's colleagues in Congress for allegedly being an American citizen. DFA Undersecretary Enrique Manalo was named as the officer-in-charge of the department after Yasay's denial of nomination to the post in early March. (Celerina Monte/DMS)