Duterte wants Honasan to be next DICT secretary

President Rodrigo Duterte has offered Senator Gregorio Honasan the post of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) secretary, two reliable sources have confirmed to INQUIRER.net.

Eliseo Rio is the acting DICT secretary.

One of the sources said Honasan is being eyed to take over as head of the DICT in January 2019.

Honasan, a former Philippine Army officer, is on his last term as senator.

He was part of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), a group of military officers that played a crucial role in the first Edsa people power revolution.

Sought to confirm the President’s offer, Honasan did not reply to phone calls and text messages from INQUIRER.net while Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said he has “no idea.”

Duterte’s offer to Honasan came as the government is choosing a third telecommunications player in the country to break the duopoly between PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom.

The sources did not disclose why Duterte wanted Honasan to lead DICT but the President has repeatedly said he wanted military men in his Cabinet not because of friendship but they get the job done immediately.

“Kasi ang military, ‘yung mga retired ‘pag sinabi mong, ‘Gawin mo ‘yan,’ gagawin ‘yan. ‘Pag sinabi mong, ‘Gawin ‘yan, huwag kang maghingi ni piso,’ susunod ‘yan,” he said in one of his speeches.

Among the notable former military officials in the Cabinet are national Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año and newly-appointed social welfare secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista. /muf