Michael Ong designated acting executive secretary

FILE: Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea delivers his speech during the Fukuda Doctrine Commemoration at the Manila Hotel on October 1, 2018. TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday issued a special order designating Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Michael Ong as the government’s Executive Secretary during President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth visit to China.

Under Special Order No. 915, Ong was designated as Acting Executive Secretary from August 28 to September 1 since Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea will be accompanying Duterte in China.

“Now, therefore, I, Salvador C. Medialdea, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby designate Senior Deputy Executive Michael P. Ong as Acting Executive Secretary from 28 August 2019 to 01 September 2019,” the special order read.

The special order was signed, noting the importance of designating an Acting Executive Secretary “to ensure continuity of government service” by taking care of the day-to-day operations in the Office of the President.

Medialdea, meanwhile, enjoined all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of government to assist Ong in the discharge of his functions.

Duterte will visit China upon the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders will hold their eighth bilateral meeting in Beijing.

They will also witness the signing of several cooperative bilateral documents and memorandum of understanding, which “are all aimed to further increase the breadth and depth” of the cooperation between the two countries.

Duterte earlier said he will raise with Xi the arbitral ruling favoring the Philippines’ arbitration case against China in the disputed West Philippine Sea.

He will also tackle the 60-40 sharing deal on the proposed joint exploration for oil and gas in the WPS and the June 9 Recto Bank (Reed Bank) maritime incident, where a Chinese vessel allegedly rammed and abandoned a Philippine fishing boat at sea.

He will also watch the game between Gilas Pilipinas and Italy on August 31 in the 2019 FIBA World Cup at the International Sports and Cultural Arena in Foshan City.