Sara Duterte taps Salvador Panelo’s son Paolo as her new spokesperson

Vice President Sara Duterte has a new spokesperson, and the name echoes her family’s political past: lawyer Paolo Panelo, the son of the man who once spoke for her father’s Malacañang, is stepping into the role. The Office of the Vice President announced the appointment on Wednesday, filling a position that has sat vacant for nearly two years.

Who is Paolo Panelo

Paolo Panelo is the son of Salvador Panelo, the former chief presidential counsel and presidential spokesperson of Rodrigo Duterte. The OVP confirmed Paolo will be “the official point of communication” for the Vice President, “representing the views and positions of the Vice President and engaging with the media and public on relevant matters.”

The Panelo Law Office has long represented the Duterte family. In March, Paolo was counsel for Duterte in her perjury case against Ramil Madriaga, the self-confessed former bagman of the family who aired explosive claims before the House justice committee’s impeachment pre-trial hearings.

Why the timing matters

The new spokesperson steps in as Duterte faces dual pressures. Her impeachment trial is underway in the Senate, and she also confronts a grave threats case tied to her November 2024 remarks about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The appointment also lands a day after prosecutors said they would call Duterte to the witness stand.

The office’s spokesperson slot has been empty since Michael Poa vacated it in November 2024; Poa now sits on Duterte’s impeachment defense team and speaks for her in the trial.

Quick facts

Paolo Panelo fills the role as Duterte’s camp debates the vote threshold to convict her. His appointment puts a familiar surname back at a Duterte podium at the most legally fraught point of the Vice President’s public career.