President Rodrigo Duterte said on Sunday that it was his "personal decision" to replace Ernesto Abella as his spokesperson.

"The reason is my personal decision. I'm not about to explain why I did it," Duterte said during a press conference before he left for a visit to Japan at the Davao airport.

Asked if he will still give a position to Abella, he said he will answer "when he is there."

Duterte reiterated his announcement that lawyer and party-list Representative Harry Roque will be his new spokesman.

Even if he has not formally assumed the post, Roque facilitated the press conference at the airport.

"By the way, meet the new spokesman of Malacanang, presidential spokesman. He will be carrying my word to the public and he is very competent, and all. It's in the messaging actually. We cannot speak with the same words altogether but how we would convey that message is the most important," he said.

He added, "I trust he would be able to come up with the expectations." Ella Dionisio/DMS