President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s men meet with Outgoing President Aquino in Malacanang on June 16, 2015. (l-r Duterte’s special assistant Christopher Go, incoming Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Pnoy, Exec Sec Paquito Ochoa, incoming secretary to the cabinet Leoncio Evasco Jr. PHOTO FROM CHRISTOPHER GO
Outgoing President Aquino on Thursday congratulated his successor, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, assuring the incoming leader of an open communication line even after he steps down on June 30.
Mr. Aquino and Duterte spoke to each other by phone, the first time they talked since the boorish, foul-mouthed mayor of Davao City won the presidential election on May 9.
The two men, however, have yet to meet each other.
A well-placed source told the Inquirer that Mr. Aquino, in his phone conversation with Duterte, told his successor: “You can ask me anything.”
The source said this meant that Mr. Aquino had opened a communication line with Duterte for as long as the new leader served as the 16th President of the Philippines.
The Inquirer source said that incoming Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Duterte’s executive assistant, Christopher “Bong” Go, came to Malacañang for a meeting with outgoing Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, who introduced them to President Aquino.
In an official statement released last night, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Medialdea and Go, who is also the designated head of the Presidential Management Staff, came with other members of Duterte’s transition committee.
“Executive Secretary Ochoa brought them to the President’s office and introduced them. Then the President took them on a tour of the main Palace building,” Coloma said.
Go confirmed the telephone conversation between Mr. Aquino and Duterte, but gave scant details of the transition committee’s visit to Malacañang.
He said incoming Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco was part of the team that met with Ochoa.
Go said Mr. Aquino and Duterte spoke to each other by phone while Evasco’s group was meeting with Ochoa.
It was unclear who called who, how long Mr. Aquino and Duterte were on the phone, or what they discussed.
Duterte has said that he will have his inauguration at Malacañang on June 30.