Duterte told reporters today before flying to Cambodia to attend the World Economic Forum on ASEAN that he had appointed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to the new position.
The 46-year-old Cayetano, a lawyer first elected to the Senate 10 years ago, lost a race for vice president last year when he ran as Duterte's running mate. He then returned to his unfinished term at the Senate but continued to be a staunch defender of Duterte.
Last week, he stood up for Duterte against international criticism at the UN human rights review in Geneva.
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