Palace bares new appointments

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has appointed a retired police general as deputy chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Malacañang said yesterday.

Renato Gumban, former director of the Philippine National Police Regional Office 18 (the then Negros Island Region), was named deputy director general of the anti-drug agency last May 17, according to a Facebook post of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

Marcos has also appointed newspaper reporter and former National Press Club president Paulino Gutierrez as executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.

Gutierrez, who was appointed last May 19, succeeded Joel Egco. His position carries the rank of undersecretary.

The media security task force was created through Administrative Order No. 1 signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2016.

Also appointed was Alvin Feliciano, now assistant general manager of the National Housing Authority.

Feliciano was chairman of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor during the Duterte administration.

Other new appointees are Alvin Blanco (National Telecommunications Commission deputy commissioner); Aaron Pinzon (member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of La Union); Aileen Ibay and Rufino Moreno III (PCO directors III); Cupido Asuncion, Ledwino Macariola, Glorioso Martinez, Eric Tabaldo and Roque Verzosa III  (Land Transportation Office directors II); Manuel Baricaua, Antonio Bartolome, Manuell Betaizar, Eleanor Calderon, Gaudioso Geduspan II, Johan Macaumbos, Vicent Nato and Arthur Ranque (LTO directors I); Agnes de Leon (Department of the Interior and Local Government director IV); Neila Aquino and Maria Daniot (local government operations officers VIII); Cherry Mae Gonzales (Armed Forces Nurse Corps reserve second lieutenant); Marivel Sarabi (Nurse Corps reserve captain) and Antonino Cameja (Nurse Corps reserve lieutenant commander).

PIA chief steps down from post

In a related development, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) director-general Ramon Cualoping III has announced that he has stepped down from his post.

“My resignation, which I tendered on April 4, 2023, to give PCO Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil a free hand to choose whom she sees best to be the director-general of the Philippine Information Agency, has been accepted,” Cualoping said in a Facebook post, as he vowed to ensure a smooth transition once his successor has been named.

He added that he was grateful for the opportunity to serve as PCO assistant secretary from 2016 to 2020 and as undersecretary and director-general of the PIA since 2020.