President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday appointed Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza and broadcaster Ramon Tulfo as special envoys to the European Union and China, respectively.
The appointment papers released by Malacañang said Dureza will serve as a special envoy to the EU from July 1 to Dec. 31, taking over the post of the late former Senate President Edgardo Angara.
Tulfo’s appointment paper showed he will hold the post of special envoy for public diplomacy to China for six months.
Tulfo, a broadcaster and columnist, had previously expressed interest in serving the Duterte administration.
“The President said he wanted me to help him, so I broached the idea of becoming a special envoy to China, which he approved,” Tulfo wrote in his column almost a year ago.
“As a special envoy to China, which pays only one peso per year, I could retain my public service program Isumbong Mo kay Tulfo on dzRP, my bread and butter. Helping people is my passion.”
Tulfo said the President had asked him to seek an elective post and even offered to spend for his campaign but he refused, saying he didn’t want Duterte to spend for him.
“That was very flattering but I told him I didn’t want him to spend for me… If I run for senator, I would have to give up my radio program and my columns for the Inquirer and Bandera,” Tulfo said.
“But as a special envoy to China, I could bring in Chinese investors on agriculture and fisheries.”
Duterte also appointed PTV News Operations head Raquel Rodriguez Tobias as an undersecretary at the Presidential Communications Operations Office.
