Retired banker is PCSO head

President Arroyo appointed yesterday retired banker Virgilio Angelo as the new general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and immediately swore him into office in a mass oath-taking ceremony at Malacañang.

Also appointed and sworn into office was lawyer Erlinda de Leon who will serve as presidential special assistant.

Angelo was formerly vice president of the Bank of the Philippine Islands while de Leon used to work for Mrs. Arroyo in the Office of the Vice President.

Officials who took their oath of office yesterday included Commission on Elections Chairman Alfredo Benipayo, Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra, Commission on Audit Chairman Guillermo Carague, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Chairman Efraim Genuino, Philippine National Oil Corp. board chairman Sergio Apostol and PNOC president and chief executive officer Thelmo Cunanan.

Presidential Spokesman Renato Corona said only three more Cabinet positions remained unfilled, namely: secretaries for the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Corona said the President is still going over the possible list of candidates for the said positions.

Meanwhile, Rep. Heherson Alvarez (Lakas, Isabela) told The STAR that he still would like to be appointed to the DENR post.

"That is precisely why I withdrew from the senatorial slate of the People Power Coalition," said Alvarez, who attended yesterday’s oath-taking at Malacañang.

However, objections to his appointment had been raised by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who is against the congressman’s position favoring selective logging ban instead of a total ban.

Corona said the President has taken cognizance of the objections raised by Pimentel.

Namfrel welcomes Benipayo appointment

The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) welcomed yesterday the President’s recent appointment of Benipayo as Comelec chief.

"With his impressive credentials and a wealth of experience as administrator of the Supreme Court and as a member of its committee that drafted the Code of Judicial Conduct, Justice Benipayo brings with him tremendous integrity and discipline, thus providing the necessary leadership to steer the election body including the Comelec bureaucracy," Namfrel said in a statement.

Namfrel likewise commended former Rizal Rep. Emigdio Tanjuatco for his statesmanlike decision to withdraw his nomination in order to uphold the greater interest of the greater number.

"We commend his decision to withdraw his nomination to avoid any question on his objectivity and integrity, in spite of the fact that his nine years in Congress has equipped him well to address election modernization and the fact that various political parties have expressed agreement that he is competent to do his job with objectivity," Namfrel said.

Tanjuatco, who had previously chaired the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, asked Namfrel and its 150 organizations to withdraw his name as their nominee for Comelec chairman submitted to Mrs. Arroyo.

"Each day that passes is one day that a leaderless Comelec has to struggle in gearing up for a very important exercise... The deadlock must be broken," the former congressman said.

Meanwhile, DOH career employees appealed to the President to hasten the appointment of a department secretary.

In an open letter signed by officer-in charge Undersecretary Antonio Lopez, 12 directors and an assistant secretary, the career executives expressed their dismay over the delay in the appointment.

"It has been almost a month since EDSA 2 and still the DOH is waiting for a new secretary. We urgently need a secretary to pursue vital reforms in the health sector," they said.

The career executives noted that programs needing attention include the parallel importation of cheap branded drugs, streamlining of the DOH central office, regional office and hospitals and the social health insurance system. – With Sandy Araneta, Ella Oducayen