MANILA, Philippines?President Benigno Aquino III has signed the executive order reorganizing the Office of the Press Secretary into the Communications Group (ComGroup) to be headed jointly by two secretaries with Cabinet rank.

The two secretaries will have separate budgets which will have to be defended during the budget deliberations in Congress later this year.

Secretary Herminio Coloma, who will handle the ?dissemination? branch of the ComGroup, said having two budgets did not mean the communication team wanted to splurge using government money.

?It?s not a mindset of wanting to increase the budget. The other branch will also be very judicious in allocating resources for its unit,? he said.

The ComGroup?s other branch is the ?messaging? unit to be handled by former TV broadcaster Ricky Carandang, whose deputy will be former Inquirer columnist Manolo Quezon III.

Coloma said the EO formally establishing the ComGroup was ?already signed by the President but without a number yet.?

?The process will be completed at the records office,? he said.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, who will be part of the ComGroup though not strictly under either Coloma or Carandang, yesterday said Mr. Aquino would issue the EO on the ComGroup once the Truth Commission has been formed.

?The Truth Commission will be EO No. 1,? he said.