PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday designated Executive Secretary Salvador S. Medialdea as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Office of the President during his official visit to Vietnam for the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting on Nov. 9-11.
“To ensure continuity of government service, it is necessary to designate an Officer-in-Charge (OIC) to take care of the day-to-day operations in the Office of the President and oversee the general administration of the Executive Department,” Special Order No. 993 reads.
As OIC, Mr. Medialdea “shall, if necessary, act for and on behalf of the President, except on matters that the President is required by the Constitution to act in person.”
“All departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Government shall assist the Executive Secretary in the discharge of his functions as stated herein,” it added.
Mr. Duterte was scheduled for a Summit Keynote Address on “Regional Economic Integration-Lessons Learnt from ASEAN” Wednesday afternoon.
Bilateral talks with US President Donald J. Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin are also possible, according to Malacañang.
In this year’s APEC, the Philippines would push for the inclusion of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the global economy, sustainable and inclusive growth, connectivity, and human resources development. — Rosemarie A. Zamora
