Lawyer, radio commentator, and online vlogger Rose Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles has accepted the nomination as press secretary of the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Vic Rodriguez, incoming Executive Secretary for the new administration, revealed that Cruz-Angeles accepted the nomination as Press Secretary which makes her head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office.
The primary task of Cruz-Angeles is to oversee the operations of the PCOO, which includes the conduct of regular press briefings to media practitioners covering Malacanang activities.
Marcos had earlier announced he would not appoint a spokesperson, which in effect limits the function of the Press Secretary to talking head during press briefings.
“I am grateful for the opportunity I am given to take part in the administration of President Bongbong Marcos as his Press Secretary. It is with humility that I accept the nomination and assume the responsibility of running the affairs of the PCOO,” she said.
Cruz-Angeles, who is noted for representing military officers charged with rebellion and mutiny, was also a former commissioner for Cultural Heritage of the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts and former spokesperson of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
She was also a member of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s legal team during his impeachment trial in 2012.
The veteran lawyer also wrote the draft of what later became Republic Act 10066 or the Heritage Act of 2009.
At present, Angeles is a radio host of the “Karambola” program over dwIZ.
She’s the former publisher of Politiko, an online publication on and about politicians and government officials in the country.
Angeles was, at one time, a lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University teaching Fine Arts 104 Arts and the Professional.
The incoming press secretary is also a former lecturer at the Institute for Cultural and Arts Management.
She was a social media strategist at the PCOO from July 2017 to 2018 during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Angeles finished her law degree at the University of the Philippines in 1997 and is taking an International Relations degree at the University of Minnesota in the US as well as an MA in Archaeology, also in UP.
Her undergraduate degree is in Linguistics, (AB, UP-Diliman).
Meanwhile, incoming Migrant Workers chief Susan “Toots” Ople said Wednesday she would first work on figuring out what possible assistance could be given to overseas Filipino workers in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita, Ople noted that cases of COVID-19 as well as monkeypox infections are rising in some areas abroad.
“I will prioritize studying the panoramic view of the situation of our OFWs during the pandemic, and determining what kind of help they need,” she said.
She added the Department of Migrant Workers under her leadership would fix the system for OFWs such as the difficulty in obtaining Overseas Employment Certificate and issues with the One Health Pass.
“We will have a systems review. We will also have a performance audit so that the right people are in the right place,” she said.