President-elect Rodrigo Duterte introduced his new batch of appointees in the middle of his meeting with incoming Cabinet members in the Presidential Guesthouse or “Malacañang of the South” in Panacan, Davao City.
His spokesperson Salvador Panelo announced their names.
The new appointees are:
- Former South Cotabato Governor and former PDP-Laban chairman Mike Sueño – secretary, Department of the Interior and Local Government
- Retired Major General Delfin Lorenzana – secretary, Department of National Defense
- Former Science Undersecretary Fortunato Dela Peña – secretary, Department of Science and Technology
- Retired police general Isidro Lapeña – chief, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)
- 5th Infantry Division chief Ricardo Jalad – chief, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
- Former Philippine Marines captain Nicanor Faeldon – Bureeau of Customs
- Former Davao City police chief Catalino Cuy – Undersecretary for Police Matters under DILG
- Forrmer Region 12 Police Director Alex Monteagudo – chief, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
- Former Davao City police chief Jaime Morente – chief, Bureau of Immigration and Deportation
- Cesar Dulay – chief, Bureau of Internal Revenue
- Martin Delgra – chief, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
- Edgar Navante – chief, Land Transportation Office
- Dante Giran – chief, National Bureau of Investigation
‘Men of integrity’
After the names of the new appointees were made, Duterte came to the podium to address the media.
“I can assure you that they are all men of integrity, honesty. Wala akong nakitang talagang bahid sa kanila. (I did not see any stain in their reputation.),” he said.
He said it was not a “simple job” to form a Cabinet. His days out of the public eye were spent “looking through the papers of the appointees,” he said.
Duterte promised both the public and his appointees that he would not interfere with their job. He gave assurances he would not abuse his position.
“There will never be a time when I will ask my coworkers in government to do a wrong thing and an unlawful act,” he said.
-Pia Ranada of Rappler
By Rappler