MANILA – Malacañang on Thursday said there are no ongoing discussions about replacing Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco despite criticisms over alleged self-promotion in government-funded tourism campaigns.
Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed speculation that Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio was being considered to head the Department of Tourism (DOT).
“As of now, wala pong pinag-uusapan na ganyan,” Castro told Palace reporters.
Castro’s remark came amid questions about Frasco’s position following scrutiny over promotional materials that prominently featured the tourism chief.
She reiterated that there is currently no talk of any Cabinet change, echoing an earlier Palace statement that the Marcos administration was not planning a reshuffle.
During a Senate Committee on Tourism hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Raffy Tulfo showed slides of magazines and campaign materials highlighting Frasco, saying tourism promotions should spotlight destinations rather than officials.
Frasco rejected the criticism, saying her visibility stemmed from her duties as tourism secretary and was not politically motivated.
She later ordered the removal of Department of Tourism materials bearing her image and instructed regional offices to stop producing similar content.
The Palace has maintained that, despite the controversy, there are no discussions underway about replacing Frasco./PN
