Marcos names ex-Duterte supporter RJ Nieto to Palace post

September 16, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Rey Joseph “RJ” Nieto, known for his former “Thinking Pinoy” blog, as an assistant secretary of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary in Malacañang.

Nieto posted a copy of his appointment papers dated September 1 and signed by Marcos.

He will work under Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos, although Nieto said Abalos will describe his “exact portfolio.”

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve the Filipino people, but I am also aware that this is a difficult time for the country,” Nieto said in a Facebook post.

Prior to his appointment, Nieto served as a part-time instructor at Bulacan State University. He also wrote a column for the Manila Bulletin.

He got his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom in June 2026.

In 2021, he was acquitted in a cyberlibel case filed by ex-Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. He received pro bono assistance from the former law firm of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

In 2023, a Makati City court convicted him for violating the 2012 Data Privacy Act. This was after he doxxed Jover Laurio, who penned the Pinoy Ako Blog.