Aquino refuses to confirm Romulo's pullout from DFA

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday refused to confirm reports that he’s pulling out Secretary Alberto Romulo from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), saying an official announcement will be made this week. “We’ll make an official announcement, I think this week," Aquino told reporters after presiding over a command conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. Aquino said they are still finalizing the details of the announcement, especially since it involves Romulo, a Cabinet official during the administration of his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino. The President also said it is “very possible at this time" that Romulo may serve in another capacity in his government. “Bert Romulo is not a stranger to me. So he still has contributions that he can make. We are just tidying up . . . it’s the details that tie us up so I want to make sure that when I make a pronouncement perfect na. Hindi iyung subject to change," Aquino said. Former ambassador Albert del Rosario is reportedly being eyed as Romulo’s replacement in the DFA. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office head Ricky Carandang, meanwhile, said a Cabinet revamp is not in the offing despite the reported change of leadership in the DFA. “I don’t know if you can call it a revamp if only one person is moving. I don’t know if we can expect any other changes at this point. At least I’m not aware of any more changes at this point," he said in a separate interview. In a related development, Aquino said he is convincing outgoing Armed Forces chief Gen Ricardo David to take “another responsibility" after his retirement from the military service next month. “I’m also convincing Gen. David, bata pa naman siya (he’s still young), he might want to take another responsibility afterwards. I’m almost a hundred percent na nakumbinsi ko na siya (that I can convince him)," Aquino said. David, on the other hand, expressed openness to the offer. “Kung ano po ang bakante (if there’s a vacancy and) if it fits my qualification, I’ll be very willing to take the offer," he told reporters in a separate interview. David is set to leave his post next month when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 56. Aquino said he already has a list of candidates to replace David. “But I will make the announcement at the appropriate time and this is not the time yet," he said. - KBK, GMA News