Alan Peter Cayetano has formally bid his goodbye to his office and staff at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday, October 17.
Photos uploaded by the Office of Public Diplomacy show Cayetano saying goodbye to his officers and staff in DFA where he served as foreign affairs secretary for a year.
Today is the last day of resignation for government officials who wish to run for the 2019 midterm elections.
Cayetano will be running as Taguig City’s representative which is currently occupied by his sister, Pia, who has earlier filed her certificate of candidacy for her senatorial bid.
For his part, Cayetano said that if he will win as Taguig City’s representative, he will be eyeing to be elected as House speaker to become “Robin” to Duterte’s “Batman”.
“Kung Batman and Robin sina Duterte at [former Special Assistant to the President] Bong Go, with me, parang may Robin na rin si Duterte sa Kongreso,” Cayetano said in an interview with ANC.
“There are brilliant people there but yung systemic change na gusto ng presidente, he wants to grow our economy. I am a big believer of economic federalism,” Cayetano added.
Teddy Boy Locsin to replace Cayetano in DFA
Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin Jr. will be replacing Cayetano as foreign affairs secretary.
Locsin confirmed the news on his social media account stating that President Rodrigo Duterte himself offered him the post.
“I was asked I said yes; but love UN, the many friends & intellectual companions I made. But I didn’t say no when asked as I didn’t when he (Duterte) told me I was UN ambassador,” Locsin said.
As foreign affairs secretary, Locsin will still continue to handle UN-related matters.
“I will be Secretary of Foreign Affairs which includes the UN; I will have a direct hand until the architecture of sovereign independence in all matters of state that my team started to erect is remitted,” he said.
