MANILA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed a lawyer as minister of the newly-created Department of Information and Communication Technology, Malacanang, the presidential palace, said Friday.
Duterte has named Attorney Rodolfo Salalima as head of the department and described Salalima as "an information technology expert, an activist advocating the rights of the poor, and a long-time government servant are among the experts in their respective fields who have joined my Cabinet."
Salalima was a former executive of a private Philippine telecommunication firm, serving as its chief legal counsel and as senior vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs until his retirement in 2008.
He represented the country's information and communication technology industry as Asia Pacific representative and vice chair of the International Telecommunication Union council working group, which crafted the amendments to the International Telecommunication Union constitution and convention in Geneva, Switzerland.
The new department was created following the enactment of Congress and approved by former President Benigno S. Aquino III shortly before he stepped down from office.
