Noy swears in 10 new government officials

MANILA, Philippines - Ten of 12 officials appointed by President Aquino to various posts in government took their oaths of office before him yesterday.

The officials who were sworn in by Aquino include former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Eduardo Oban Jr. 

Shortly after his retirement in December 2011, Oban was appointed as one of the undersecretaries of the Department of Transportation and Communications until his transfer to the office of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. recently. 

Another official sworn in is former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez, who has been promoted and designated as the country’s ambassador to the Republic of Korea. 

Aquino also administered the oath to Petronila Garcia as Philippine ambassador to Canada, Joseph Gerald Angeles as Philippine ambassador to South Africa, and Marciano Paynor Jr. who will be Oban’s fellow undersecretary in Ochoa’s office. 

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Jesus Yabes and Special Envoy of the President to the Gulf Cooperative Council Amable Aguiluz V, however, were not able to make it to the ceremonies held at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang yesterday.

Others who took their oath were Jess Anthony Yu as undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, Jose Emmanuel Reverente as undersecretary of the Department of Finance, Edwin Carillo as assistant government corporate counsel under the Department of Justice, Victorio Mario Dimagiba as undersecretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, and Luie Tito Guia as commissioner of the Commission on Elections. 

The Office of the President listed Vice Admiral Rodolfo Isorena, who now heads the Philippine Coast Guard, as among those who took the oath but presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda clarified the PCG chief already took his oath last January.