Vice President Sara Duterte has appointed lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. as her new spokesperson, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) announced Wednesday.

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Atty. Paolo Panelo as the spokesperson for Vice President Sara Duterte,” the OVP said in a statement.

“In this capacity, Atty. Paolo will serve as the official point of communication, representing the views and positions of the Vice President and engaging with the media and public on relevant matters,” it added.

Panelo previously served as legal counsel for Duterte, including in connection with the perjury complaints she filed against Ramil Madriaga.

He has also served as one of Duterte’s legal counsels in several high-profile cases, including perjury complaints against impeachment witness Ramil Madriaga, as well as matters involving her grave threats case and impeachment trial.

The son of former presidential spokesperson and chief presidential legal counsel Salvador “Sal” Panelo under former President Rodrigo Duterte, Paolo Panelo passed the 2010 Bar Examinations, finishing one point short of the Top 10. He earned a BA in Development Studies from Ateneo de Manila University and an LL.B. with Honors from Arellano University School of Law.

He is the founder and managing partner of Panelo Law Office, which he grew from a one-man practice established in 2018 into a full-service firm handling complex litigation, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, securities, tax, labor, intellectual property, government procurement, and criminal cases.