MANILA – Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Ramon “RJ” Jacinto has been named Presidential Adviser for Telecommunications, Malacañang said Wednesday.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte signed Jacinto’s appointment paper on Nov. 25.
He said Jacinto’s appointment will have the rank of Secretary.
Prior to his appointment, Jacinto has served the Duterte administration in various capacities.
He was the former Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs and Information Communications Technology, with the rank of Undersecretary.
He was appointed to the DICT after DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio Jr. resigned on January 31 this year.
Jacinto, a musician and businessman, helped campaign for Duterte in the 2016 presidential elections. He also composed a campaign jingle for Duterte.
He is currently the chairman of the board of the Philippine Overseas Telecommunications Corp., which is the holding company of Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation. Before that, he was president and CEO of Philcomsat since 2008.
Philcomsat is a development stage company seeking to venture into telecommunications and the development of low-cost housing. The Company was incorporated in 1956.
Jacinto graduated with honors from the Ateneo de Manila with a degree in Economics. He continued his studies by taking up law at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
Roque expressed confidence that Jacinto would effectively fulfil his job as presidential adviser.
“We are therefore confident that PA Jacinto would ably and effectively discharge his duties in this new assignment,” he said.
Malacañang has yet to release a copy of Jacinto’s appointment paper.