Cayetano is top DFA spokesperson despite having 2 assistants

While the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has an undersecretary and an assistant secretary in charge of public communications, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano remains the agency’s principal spokesperson.

The DFA on Wednesday announced that Cayetano had designated former Chargè d’Affaires Elmer Cato of the Philippine Embassy in Iraq as acting assistant secretary for public diplomacy.

Cato assumed the post vacated last year by now Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles Jose, who was then also the DFA spokesperson.

The DFA made it clear that neither Cato nor Undersecretary for Strategic Communications Ernesto Abella is its official spokesperson.

“The [Secretary of Foreign Affairs] is the No. 1 spokesperson and will be supported by both Abella and (Assistant Secretary) Cato,” Office of Public Diplomacy executive director Charmaine Aviquivil said. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan