After media missteps, Palace to unveil 'communications group' Monday

After nearly two weeks of clumsy media relations, Malacañang will formally announce on Monday the composition of President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III’s "communications group." The team is expected to include former Transportation and Communication undersecretary Herminio Coloma and former news anchor Ricky Carandang, who will also head Aquino’s media group. Sources have described a struggle inside the Aquino administration for control over its communications apparatus, with Coloma being backed by Aquino's first cousin Maria Montelibano who directed the media bureau of the Aquino campaign but was rumored to be backing Jojo Binay for vice president. Carandang and Manuel Quezon III, who will also have a key role, have been backed by the Noy-Mar group led by Liberal Party stalwarts. The new appointments should enable the administration to break out of a near-paralysis of its communications efforts. President Aquino still does not have an official web site. In a radio interview on Sunday, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said they are still finalizing the structure of the communications group, including the reorganization of the Office of the Press Secretary, which will be under the team. “Inaayos pa rin iyung mga maliliit na bagay pa na kailangang matapos bago ianunsyo. Mas mahalagang maayos muna ang istraktura bago iyung mga taong pupuno doon sa mga ahensya at istraktura," Lacierda told Radyo ng Bayan. (We’re still organizing and taking care of the small things. It’s better to deal with these things first before making the announcement on who will compose the group.) Lacierda, whose first days as spokesman were marked by missteps and heated run-ins with the Malacañang press corps, has cited his inexperience and lack of a deputy spokesman as reasons for his rocky start. He was among the administration's first enrollees in a media relations seminar organized for senior government officials. Tasks Among the first tasks of the new communications group is to determine how it will handle the National Broadcasting Network and the attached agencies of the Office of the Press Secretary such as the Philippine Information Agency. Lacierda said the group would also oversee the feedback mechanism being established by the Aquino government, which would include Twitter and Facebook accounts where the public can air their grievances and leave comments. He said the group would also look into how they can improve the programs on government TV stations, and whether they would tap popular personalities to join the shows. The Office of the Presidential Spokesman would be under the communications group instead of the Office of the President as had been in the past, Lacierda said. Montelibano not included Lacierda said the group would not include Maria Montelibano since she is Aquino’s first cousin. She, however, may be consulted “from time to time." “Malaking tulong siya kung siya ay kokonsultahin. Ang kanyang talento ay magagamit namin kung sakali kami ay merong mga konting problema o kailangan naming ng expert advice, siguradong tutulong naman si Ginang Maria Montelibano in whatever capacity," he said. (Mrs. Maria Montelibano will be of great help especially in giving expert advice. I hope she’s help us in whatever capacity.) Malacañang on Saturday announced that the media group has finally been formed which would be headed by Colona, Carandang and newspaper columnist and blogger Manuel Quezon III. Carandang and Quezon will be in charge of crafting the messages and statements of the President while Coloma would be the one handling the dissemination. - KBK, GMANews.TV