DAVAO CITY — Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte has bared the names of his Cabinet appointees on Tuesday evening, May 31 in Davao City.
After a closed-door meeting held inside the guest house at the Department of Public Works and Highways compound in Panacan, Davao City, Duterte came out with the members of his cabinet who will be working with him in the government.
His cabinet posts included retired general Delfin Lorenzana who will be heading the Department of National Defense (DND); former provincial governor of South Cotabato Mike Sueno for the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); University of the Philippines Prof. Judy Taguiwalo as Social Welfare Secretary (DSWD); Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano as the head of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR); and undersecretary Fortunato dela Peña who will head the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Duterte also named his appointees for the different government agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation Region 11 director, Dante Gierran who will head the NBI; Isidro Lapena who is the incoming Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief; former Davao City Police Director Jaime Morente to head the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation; former Philippine Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon who will head the Bureau of Customs;Atty. Caesar Dulay for the Bureau of Internal Revenue; Atty. Martin Delgra who will head the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB); Department of Interior and Local Government (Police) Catalino Cuy; National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Alex Monteagudo; Atty. Jose Calida to head the Office of the Solicitor General and Ricardo Jalad for the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (NDRRMC).
Duterte said it took him several days to pick the members of his Cabinet.
“I can assure you that they are all men of integrity,honesty,” he said.
Duterte also described a Cabinet member as “an alter ego of the President.” “He must be one whom I can trust,” he said.
The following are the other members of Duterte’s Cabinet:
Department of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay Jr.
Department of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre
Department of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar
Department of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon
Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol
Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi
Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez
Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary Arthur Tugade
Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno
Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones
National Economic and Development Authority Director General Ernesto Pernia
Presidential Assistance for Visayas Michael Diño
‘80 percent complete’
Meanwhile, Duterte’s executive assistant Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Tuesday, May 31 told reporters here that the incoming president is still studying who to include in the Cabinet whom he trusts.
But the cabinet appointees of the incoming administration is now 80 percent complete, he said.
Among the other vacant Cabinet posts are the Department of Health, Department of of Tourism, Department of of Trade and Industry, Climate Change Commission, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Commission on Higher Education, Governance Commission for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, Metro Manila Development Authority, National Anti-Poverty Commission, Presidential Management Staff and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Duterte said he will be meeting with his Cabinet once a week. (davaotoday.com)