President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he would appoint retiring Philippine Army Commanding General Lt. Gen Rolando Bautista to head the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
In his speech before the members of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. in Malacañang, Duterte expressed his preference for Bautista to be the next Social Welfare secretary.
“I’ll announce it, the next DSWD secretary… Rolly, Rolly Bautista. Sorry secretary,” Duterte said, apologizing after he mistakenly announced Eduardo del Rosario, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, as the incoming DSWD secretary.
Duterte originally planned for the Army chief to head the National Food Authority after his appointee Jason Aquino asked to be relieved.
He, however, changed his plans for Bautista’s post-military career, as he now wants the former Army chief to focus on Filipinos’ social welfare and development.
Bautista, the first Presidential Security Group chief under Duterte, will retire from the military on October 15 as he turns 56 years old.
He graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1985.
