Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he has appointed Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, his unsuccessful running mate in last year's elections, as the country's new secretary for foreign affairs.
Cayetano, 46, is a former congressman and an incumbent senator who heads the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. A lawyer by profession, he was defeated by Leni Robredo in the vice presidential race in May 2016.
Duterte made the announcement shortly before leaving on a trip to Cambodia, Hong Kong and mainland China through Monday.