Abella is sole Palace mouthpiece – Andanar

Too many cooks spoil the broth. And to communicate clearly the pronouncements of the Palace, the Presidential Communications Operations Office has reorganized itself and the result: All official Palace statements will now come from the office of Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella.

Abella, who is now heading the PCOO Proper Content Group, confirmed the internal reorganization.

“PCOO had an internal reorganization, and content and messaging has been assigned to me. Sec. Mart [Andanar] takes care of departmental affairs,” Abella said in a text message.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar yesterday said the reorganization is not caused by his recent misunderstanding with the media.

“It is not an off shoot. I will concentrate in running PCOO Proper and its attached agencies to ensure lasting reforms,” Andanar said in a text message.

Andanar said he will attend to the affairs of other government information agencies. He was referring to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Philippines News Agency (PNA), People’s Television Network (PTV4), and Radyo ng Bayan, among others.

However, in times when Abella is not available he can speak in behalf of the President.

Andanar and members of the Senate media recently had a misunderstanding over Andanar’s statement that some quarters were giving $1,000 to reporters covering the retraction of confessed hitman Arthur Lascañas who was presented by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in a press conference at the Senate. The Senate media slammed Andanar for his “irresponsible” statement and demanded a public apology. Andanar refused.

On Wednesday night, Senate President Koko Pimentel invited Andanar to a dinner with members of Senate media in Pasay City. Sources said the Senate reporters gave Andanar the cold shoulder.

In a text message, Andanar said he was invited as a guest of Pimentel but did not say if the dinner was set to patch things up with the Senate reporters. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)