President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has appointed Tereso O. Panga as director-general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Malacanang announced on Saturday, March 23.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Panga’s appointment on March 23, 2023. The appointment was also relayed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin to Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, chairman of PEZA.
Panga, who served as officer-in-charge of PEZA prior to his appointment as PEZA chief, was engaged in a leadership row with then PEZA Director General Charito B. Plaza, who insisted she remains as head of the agency.
Plaza claimed that she was exempted from a Malacanang Memorandum declaring vacant several positions in the executive branch upon the assumption of the Marcos administration stating the memorandum does not cover “government instrumentality with corporate powers.”
Pascual, however, affirmed Panga’s earlier appointment, retaining him as OIC. Panga is a career official, who rose from the ranks at PEZA. He was Deputy Director General of PEZA before he was named OIC.