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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 05 Nov) — Davao City’s 1st district representative to Congress, Karlo Nograles is the new Secretary to the Cabinet, vice Leoncio Evasco Jr., who resigned last month to run for Governor of Bohol.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo opened his press briefing in Malacanang Monday by announcing that “former Congressman Karlo Nograles will be taking his oath of office this afternoon as Cabinet Secretary.”
Asked why the President named Nograles to the post, Panelo replied: “he enjoys the trust and confidence of the appointing power, the President.”
Panelo said the President decided to name Nograles to the post “I think as early as two weeks ago.”
The 42-year old Nograles, chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, is now on his third and last term as representative.
He had earlier planned to run for the Senate but did not file his certificate of candidacy. President Duterte had also mentioned him as among the possible senatorial bets but quarterly survey results from the Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia have shown his name is out of the winning circle.
Nograles is the eldest son of Duterte’s erstwhile political rival, Prospero Nograles, who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives under the Arroyo administration. (MindaNews)
