Sacked leftist Labor undersecretary gets new post

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:17 p.m.) —President Rodrigo Duterte has given a left-leaning Labor official whom he fired as he was criticizing groups that were allegedly goading workers to hold strikes a new post.

Duterte has appointed former Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod as Executive Director III of the Labor department's National Maritime Polytechnic, documents released by Malacañang on Monday showed. 

According to its website, the NMP "is the only government maritime training and research center in the Philippines" and is tasked with conducting specialization and upgrading courses for merchant marine officers and ratings, and with conducting competency assessments of seafarers.

Maglunsod, a former Anakpawis party-list representative, was one of the progressive officials Duterte appointed as a gesture of goodwill for the peace talks with communist rebels. Anakpawis is part of the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives.

Last October, Duterte announced that he had dismissed Maglunsod from his post but did not say why. The president made the announcement as he was lambasting groups that were supposedly agitating workers and holding strikes that paralyze the economy. 

"Joel Maglungsod, I made him leave. I gave them a chance when I was new because I wanted... They were there in my office, Joel Maglungsod and all the others... We were together in Davao. But your ideology... But in the long run, what they want is to bring it to government," Duterte said in Filipino in a transcript from the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

He also said he would be forced to "arrest those [Kilusang] Mayo Uno and Joel Maglungsod" if the alleged attempts to agitate workers continue. 

The right to organize unions and the right to strike are recognized by the 1987 Constitution and the Labor Code.

READ: Duterte sacks leftist Labor undersecretary

Duterte mentioned his firing of Maglunsod in a speech before tricycle operators and drivers in Pasay on January 23. 

"So what's the f***...We have been at war for 52 years. Do you mean to say you  would win if given another 52 years? And you radicals believe in (Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria) Sison...Ayan ‘yan si Maglunsod, ‘yung sa - tinanggal ko na (I fired Maglunsod)," the president said. 

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo could not say why Duterte gave Maglunsod another position. 

"I’ll check with him (Duterte)," Panelo said in a press briefing when asked why the dismissed Labor official was reappointed. 

New appointees

Maglunsod is one of the newest appointees of Duterte.

Two of the appointees were diplomats while two were Cabinet members who were given ad interim appointments. 

Noel Eugene Eusebio Servigon was named the Philippines' permanent representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations while Ma. Teresita Daza was appointed ambassador to Chile with concurrent jurisdiction over Ecuador and Peru. 

Cabinet members who were given ad interim appointees were Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista. 

Also appointed was Ana Dione, who replaced Maglunsod as Labor undersecretary. 

Also appointed were:

• Kelvin Lester Lee (Commissioner at the Securities and Exchange Commission)
• Aileen Lizada (Commissioner at the Civil Service Commission)
• Francis Laurel (Member of the University of the Philippines Board of Regents)
• Antonio Gardiola, Jr. (Member of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board)
• Paul Cervantes (Member of the Energy Regulatory Commission)
• Rodolfo Drapete (Member of the Professional Regulatory Board of Dentistry)
• Alain Russ Dimzon (Part-time commissioner of the Commission on the Filipino Language)
• Daryll Bryan Villanueva (Board member of the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Company, Inc.)
• Salome Siaton (Director IV of the labor department), Melissa Yan (Deputy Executive Director IV of the Government Procurement Policy Board - Technical Support Office)
• Elmira Caisido (Deputy Executive Director IV of the Government Procurement Policy Board - Technical Support Office)
• Edgardo Quiros (Assistant director of the National Library of the Philippines)
• Ma. Felina Yu (State Solicitor II).