President denies Yasay is quitting as DFA head, for now

President denies Yasay is quitting as DFA head, for now

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MANILA – It has to be the chief executive himself who has to put off the fire on the persistent rumor.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday denied the rumor that Perfecto Yasay is on his way out as Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary.

”So let me just douse cold water on the rumor,” President Duterte said in video statement released by the Radio Television Malacanang.

Duterte even assured that the DFA secretary is in good company. The president stressed that the rumor has no basis and not true nor there is no plan for the ouster of Yasay from the cabinet post.

”I would like the Philippines to know that I personally pleaded with Secretary Yasay to join my government because he is competent and honest and he knows his business.

Yasay accepted the DFA post on the condition that he will only serve for a few months which Duterte confirmed.

”Not even a year because he has his contractual obligations to teach, professional chair in the most – well, most of the universities in the Western side, maybe California, Hawaii and somewhere else,” Duterte said.

The President said Yasay, as DFA secretary, would speak for him particularly on the recent verdict of the international arbitral tribunal favoring the Philippines on its arbitration case against China over the West Philippine Sea row.

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