Friday, March 29, 2024

First on Newsbytes.PH | Ex-Globe lawyer and Duterte classmate tipped to become DICT chief

A former chief legal counsel of Globe Telecom has been tapped by President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to head the newly created Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), reliable sources told Newsbytes.PH over the weekend.

In this file photo from the Senate, then Globe counsel Rudy Salalima (in red tie) in a huddle with Senators Mar Roxas, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Jinggoy Estrada
In this file photo from the Senate, then Globe counsel Rudy Salalima (in red tie) in a huddle with Senators Mar Roxas, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Jinggoy Estrada

Lawyer Rodolfo “Rudy” A. Salalima, a law school classmate of Duterte at San Beda College, is expected to be named the very first DICT secretary in the next few days.

Right after the signing of the law creating the DICT, Salalima’s name cropped up owing to his law school connection to Duterte. Aside from Salalima, other members of Class 1971 of San Beda Law who have been given top government posts include Vitaliano Aguirre of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

While Salalima is said to have already bagged the top post at the DICT, there is no word yet if Duterte has named the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries for the new ICT agency.

Republic Act 10844, also known as the DICT Law, requires that there shall be two undersecretaries and four assistant secretaries. The DICT officials, including the secretary, should also have at least seven years experience in the ICT sector.

The incoming chief executive has also yet to appoint the chair of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the powerful but ineffective regulatory body that is attached to the DICT.

Salalima has an extensive experience in the telecommunications sector and even launched a book last year titled ?Telecommunications in the Information Revolution.”

He was the long-time general counsel of Globe before retiring to take an advisory role for the Ayala-owned telco. Before his Globe stint, he also served as lawyer for telegram operator RCPI. He was also once the president of the industry group PETEF (Philippine Electronics and Telecommunications Federation).

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