Marcos swears in 3 more government execs
Credit to Author: Helen Flores| Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday swore in three newly appointed government officials, including the daughter of Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.
Lawyer Katrina Ponce Enrile took her oath of office as administrator and chief executive officer of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone at Malacañang.
Marcos also administered the oath taking of Mohammed Hussein Pangandaman as administrator of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan and Suharto Mangudadatu as director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Pangandaman is a former Lanao del Sur representative, while Mangudadatu is a former governor of Sultan Kudarat.
The powerful bicameral body Commission on Appointments (CA) has screened and approved a total of 597 appointees of President Marcos since the 19th Congress began in July 2022, a CA member from the House contingent has disclosed.
“All told, the CA gave its consent to the appointments of 21 Cabinet secretaries, five constitutional commissioners, 119 foreign service officers, 451 military officers and a member of the Judicial and Bar Council,” Rep. Johnny Pimentel said.
He is an assistant minority leader who is among members of the CA House contingent.
This excludes, however, the latest appointments of former Tarlac congressman Gilbert Teodoro and Ted Herbosa as secretaries of the Departments of National Defense and Health, respectively.
The Palace recently bared a fresh batch of presidential appointees that included Mersole Mellejor as ambassador to Nigeria with concurrent jurisdiction over Benin, Burkina Faso and Cameroon, and Raquel Solano as chief of mission, class II.
The appointments of the two diplomats will be sent to the CA for screening and confirmation.
Marcos concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture. – Delon Porcalla