Noy fires aunt as school head

MANILA, Philippines -  President Aquino has replaced his aunt, Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, with Ruben Platon as president of the Philippine Public Safety College.

Aquino also named the wife of STAR columnist Jarius Bondoc to the board of the John Hay Management Corp.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte yesterday announced the appointments of Platon, Marissa Bondoc and several others on state-run radio dzRB. Valte said though that she has yet to check if Cojuangco resigned or was replaced.

Cojuangco is married to former Tarlac Rep. Jose Cojuangco, brother of President Aquino’s mother, the late President Corazon Aquino.

In December 2010, Aquino also appointed Jarius as member of the board of directors of the Independent Realty Corp. Group of Companies, a private sequestered firm under the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

Marissa’s colleagues in the John Hay board are Jaime Eloise Agbayani, James Guanso Jr., Ceasar Oracion, Antonio Tengco and Lawrence Wacnang, a former congressman of Kalinga province.  

Aquino also appointed the brother of his Liberal Party ally, Sen. Franklin Drilon, to an agency under the Department of Agriculture.

Undersecretary Cesar Drilon was appointed executive director to the National Agricultural and Fishery Council.

Other new appointees include UP Law dean and Inquirer columnist Raul Pangalangan, now a member of the Committee on Dangal ng Bayan award of the Civil Service Commission, along with Carol Yarobe.

Businessman Guillermo Luz, formerly with the National Movement for Free Elections, was named co-chairman representing the private sector in Department of Trade and Industry’s National Competitiveness Council, replacing Cesar Bautista.

Lesley Jeanne Cordero was appointed assistant secretary for legislative affairs of the Presidential Communications Operations Office under Secretary Herminio Coloma.

Natividad Bernardino was designated director III of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, vice Camad Edres.

Promoted as police generals were Chief Superintendents Lorlie Nilo Arroyo and Carmelo Espino Valmoria of the Philippine National Police under the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The new PNP colonels are Police Senior Superintendents Eduardo Gatacelo Chavez, Valeriano Templo de Leon, Edmund Alonday Gonzales, Nickson Babul Muksan, Ronaldo Escobar Olay and Ronaldo Genaro Evangelista Ylagan.

Helen Alindogan was appointed member of the board of directors of the Cooperative Development Authority (representing Luzon) under the Department of Finance while Perdatun Disimban will be representing Mindanao.

Felicitas Acosido will also be joining them in the agency.