Ex-CJ Puno reappointed to UP Board of Regents

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has reappointed retired chief justice Reynato Puno to the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines for two more years.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. has sent Puno’s appointment papers to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Patricia Licuanan.

Puno’s term will expire on Sept. 30, 2014.

The nine-member Board of Regents is the UP system’s highest governing body, headed by the UP president and the CHED chairman.

Evelina Buencamino Guevarra-Escudero resigned from the UP Board of Regents after she filed her certificate of candidacy last week.

Escudero is running for Congress in the first district of Sorsogon, the seat occupied by her late husband Salvador Escudero III, father of Sen. Francis Escudero.

Other appointees are former secretaries Angel Alcala and William Padolina, who were designated members of the executive council of the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Department of Science and Technology.

Other NAST-DOST members include Mercedes Concepcion, Evelyn Mae Tecson-Mendoza, Jaime Montoya, Reynaldo Vea and Ruben Villareal, all of whom – including Alcala and Padolina – will have a fixed term until October 2015.

New commissioners are Robert Martinez of the Civil Service Commission, whose term will expire in February 2018; John Barrios of the Commission on the Filipino Language with a term until January 2017; Eduardo Jose of the Philippine Racing Commission, whose term will end on Aug. 15, 2014.

Algamar Latiph was designated acting deputy executive director IV of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, replacing Amihilda Abdulhakim; Helen Catalbas as acting director IV of the Department of Tourism, replacing Edwin Trompeta.

At the Department of Transportation and Communication, new appointees are acting director III Roman Jumawan; director II Raul Aguilos of DOTC’s attached agency Land Transportation Office.

LTO acting directors II are Emilio Bantog Jr., Putiwas Malambut, Noreen Bernadette San Luis-Lutey, Jesus Ma. Vitug; directors I Manuel Betaizar, Macario Gonzaga, Vincent Nato and Francisco Ranches Jr.

At the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Juan Miguel Cuna was named director III, while Romeo Gonzales Hidalgo was designated NGO representative at the National Solid Waste Management Commission, with a term until August 2014.

At the Department of Agriculture, Rene Fuentes was designated a member of the board of directors, representing the private sector, of the state-run Food Terminal Inc.

His term will be until June 30 next year. He replaced Ricardo Cruz.