President Rodrigo Duterte has picked an officer-in-charge for the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and a replacement for his chief legal counsel, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

BCDA president and CEO Vince Dizon tendered his resignation effective Oct. 15, Palace spokesman Harry Roque confirmed.

• READ: Vince Dizon resigns as BCDA president, stays in gov't COVID-19 efforts - BCDA exec

He said Dizon “asked the President to unload him of this task so he can focus full-time on the national government’s COVID response efforts and vaccination rollout.”

The President appointed BCDA Director Aristotle Batuhan as officer-in-charge following this development, Roque said in a press briefing.

He added Dizon would remain as presidential adviser for COVID-19 and deputy chief implementer of the national task force against the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo earlier this month filed his 2022 candidacy for senator, which is considered as an automatic resignation from his post.

Duterte appointed Palace Undersecretary Jesus Melchor Vega Quitain as Panelo's replacement, Roque said.

Vera Files describes Quitain as a former Davao City councilor and administrator, a writer of Duterte's State of the Nation addresses, and is the OIC Special Assistant to the President, a post formerly held by now Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.

Roque said he had no update yet on the replacements for Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones and DICT Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II, who are also running for senator.

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