President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed businessman Ramon Jacinto as undersecretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Jacinto was named at DICT on May 22 and his appointment is "co-terminus with the appointing authority."

"We are confident that Usec. Jacinto will serve DICT with dedication and integrity and will contribute to achieving the Department's mandate under the current administration," he said.

Prior to his appointment, Jacinto, also a musician, was Duterte's adviser on ICT.

He replaced former DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio Jr., who quit from the post last February but whose resignation was only accepted by the President on May 22. Celerina Monte/DMS