The government’s communications group will have two Cabinet-rank heads, former transportation undersecretary Herminio Coloma and former television news anchor Ricky Carandang, to carry out the functions of the Press Secretary.

Under the reorganized communications setup, Carandang said he will handle messaging, or “help craft the message of the President and get his voice out to the public.”

Coloma will supervise the dissemination and operations aspect of the new communications team. The Philippine Information Agency and all government television and radio stations will be under Coloma “because he has to manage the bureaucracy of that,” according to Carandang.

“Basically, we’ll be communicating for the President. Sonny will have bigger department while we’ll have a relatively small department. Our focus is the presidential communications,” Carandang told reporters at the Department of Budget and Management office inside the Palace compound.

Carandang said the President is expected to sign this week the EO creating the communications team and outlining its composition, structure, and functions. He said the two components of the communication group will likely have their separate budgets although details will still be fleshed out in the EO.

He said Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda will remain connected with the Office of the President, although he will be part of the communications team.

Former columnist Manolo Quezon III, meanwhile, will serve as undersecretary of the communications group, according to Carandang. “He will be my deputy,” he added.

In keeping with the President’s plans to be interactive with the people, Carandang said they will set up a two-way communication system where the President sends his message to the public as well as receive comments and complaints from the people.

“In the old model, it’s always the Office of the President telling the public what’s happening. He really wants the feedback to come from different quarters unfiltered so that’s one of the changes,” he said.

“We felt it would be more efficient if we have one focusing on messaging and one group focusing on managing those bureaucracies,” he added.

The latest reorganization at the communications group came apparently to resolve the infighting over the control of the information machinery. The draft EO originally proposed all four officials would have Cabinet-ranks, a provision that reportedly did not sit well with the President.

The announcement of the communications group has been postponed for several days by the Palace pending the issuance of the executive order.