President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named a career diplomat to be his protocol chief.
As chief of presidential protocol, former Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Adelio Angelito Cruz will be in charge of assisting Marcos and his delegation during overseas trips as well as coordinating the visits of foreign dignitaries.
Cruz has previously served in various posts, including as consul general in Los Angeles, USA and Xiamen, China as well as chargé d’affaires in Tripoli, Libya.
He will also serve as presidential assistant for foreign trips in a concurrent capacity.
His appointment came after Marcos chose a career diplomat—the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Enrique Manalo—to head the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, the Palace denied reports that Marcos designated former Commission on Elections Commissioner George Garcia to head the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
“I would like the public to be informed that there is no truth to the statements Protocol… being made on social media that a certain George Erwin Garcia has been appointed Pagcor chairman. No such appointment has been made,” Press Secretary Trixie Angeles said in a statement.
Garcia is a veteran election lawyer who represented Marcos when he filed an electoral protest against former Vice President Leni Robredo in 2016.
He was among the appointees of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the poll body who were bypassed by the Commission on Appointments.
Andrea Domingo is the current head of PAGCOR.
