By Genalyn Kabiling
Another member of the Belgica family is now part of the Duterte administration.
President Duterte has appointed lawyer Jeremiah Belgica as new Director General of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Malacañang announced Friday.
Jeremiah's father pastor Grepor "Butch" Belgica was appointed by Duterte as his Presidential Adviser for Religious Affairs last May. His brother Greco Belgica also serves as commissioner at the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).
The appointment paper of Belgica as ARTA Director General was signed by the President last July 3. It came a year after the President signed Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act that created ARTA in May 2018.
The anti-red tape agency has been temporarily supervised by officer-in-charge Ernesto Perez since its creation.
Jeremiah, also a pastor and a real estate broker, previously served as consultant of the Office of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission. He also founded and chaired the youth group called Kabataang Bagong Buhay.
Apart from Belgica, Malacanang has announced the list of other presidential appointees.
Among them are Mita Chuchi Lim, Director IV of the Department of Social Welfare and Development; Angelica Cayas, Governor of the Board of Investments; Ricardo Oñate, Director IV of the Department of Agriculture; and Greg Pineda, Assistant Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority. The two new NEDA Directors III are Arecio Casing and Cynthia Villena.
Also appointed by the President were Arnulfo Pajarillo, Undersecretary of the Office of the Presidential Peace Process (OPAPP), and David Diciano, Assistant Secretary of the OPAPP.
Newly- appointed at the Department of Information and Communications Technology were Jose Arturo de Castro, Undersecretary; Eleazar Almalbis Jr., Undersecretary; Emmanuel Rey Caintic, Assistant Secretary; Vicente Cejoco, Assistant Secretary; and Jose Carlos, Director IV.