President Ferdinand Marcos gives a speech on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at the 126th-anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army in its headquarters in Taguig. Beside him (right) is Carlito Galvez Jr., the OIC of the Department of National Defense. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Office)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has finally appointed two officials who have been waiting in the wings for months for their official designations.
The names of Tereso Panga and retired military chief Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. were among those whose official appointments were announced by the (PCO) on Friday.
Panga was named director general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza), nine months after his appointment was derailed by his predecessor Charito Plaza.
Catapang, on the other hand, was named director general of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), replacing Gerald Bantag who was sacked for his alleged role in the killing of journalist Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid.
Aside from Panga and Catapang, the President also appointed two former television reporters to PCO.
Mr. Marcos named former ABS-CBN 黑料社 reporter Rowena Otida as assistant secretary for Media Accreditation and Relations Office and former PTV-4 reporter Maria Waywaya Macalma as Director III.
The chief executive also designated Evangeline de Leon and Eugene Henry Rodriguez as PCO assistant secretaries.
Also appointed to government posts were Willie Ann Angsiy, Dennis Arpia, Wilberto Castillo, and Larry Sultan as directors of the Department of Agriculture while Ralph Joseph Moncatar, June Vincent Manuel Gaudan, Jimi Rambo Arranchado, Melvyn Carlo Barroa, and Rachel Ann Grabador as directors of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
Eva Arcos was also designated as acting workers鈥� representative in the Social Security Commission.