By Genalyn Kabiling
Malacañang has announced a new set of government appointees, including the government corporate counsel and four special envoys of President Duterte.
Malacañang Palace (Photo by Richard V. Viñas) | Manila Bulletin)
The President has appointed Elpidio Vega as the country's new Government Corporate Counsel, replacing Rudolf Philip Jurado who was sacked last May.
Vega, currently the Deputy Government Corporate Counsel, served as officer-in-charge since the dismissal of Jurado for allegedly allowing Aurora Pacific Economic Zone to issue gambling permits outside its area.
Duterte has also reappointed former Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr. as his special envoy for intercultural dialogue and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from October 21, 2018 to October 20, 2019; Monica Teodoro, special envoy to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) from September 28, 2018 to September 27, 2019; Abdullah Mama-o, special envoy to Kuwait from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019; and Dante Ang, special envoy for international public relations from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019.
Also appointed was Datu Ras Sinsuat Lidasan Jr. as new commissioner of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos for a term of four years.
Lawyer Ricardo Moldez has been designated new member representing the employers' group in the Social Security Commission. He will serve the unexpired term of Amado Valdez that began last July 1, 2018 and will end on June 30, 2019.
National Youth Commission chair Ronald Cardema is a new member representing the youth sector in the Movie Television Review and Classification Board appeals committee.
The new Senior State Solicitors in the Office of the Solicitor General are Catalina Catral-Talatala, Linda Mae Aguirre, Gilbert Medrano, and Leanne Apolinar.
Other appointees in the Department of Interior and Local Government are Aurora Andrea de Pedro, Local Government Operations Officer VIII; Thelma Vecina, Director IV; and Elpidio Durwin, Director III.
Also appointed are Douglas Rufino, Director I, Bureau of Internal Revenue; V. Chewas Cadangen, BIR Director I; Alibasa Andig, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II; Saturnino Bello, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II; Christine Canlapan, Director III of the Intellectual Property Office; Jesus Ros, IPO Director III; and Ryan Lita, Director IV, Department of Budget and Management.