New finance usec, PCGG commissioner named

President Arroyo has appointed a new commissioner at the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and an undersecretary at the Department of Finance (DOF), signaling an early start of her promised reorganization of her official family.

In a press briefing at Malacañang, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President appointed retired Sandiganbayan justice Narciso Nario as PCGG commissioner and former assistant executive secretary Gaudencio Mendoza as finance undersecretary on Jan. 1.

Nario would replace Alvin Dans at the PCGG and Mendoza would succeed Emmanuel Bonoan who resigned last Dec. 31 at the DOF.

Nario, appointed to the Sandiganbayan by former President Fidel Ramos, had served as member of the anti-graft court’s fourth division and retired in 2002.

Mendoza, for his part, had served as assistant executive secretary for Legal Affairs in Malacañang during the administration of deposed President Joseph Estrada. He also served in various posts at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the Food Terminal Inc. in a concurrent capacity.

Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo would soon make announcements on the appointment of permanent secretaries to the Departments of Education (DepEd) and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

"First of the choice of the Cabinet and the constitutional bodies and members of the Armed Forces for that matter is a presidential prerogative and therefore the President has the freedom to take a look at the performance of the other (Cabinet) members and those up for appointment or reappointment if there is a necessity for it," Ermita said.

"When someone is removed from one place, it does not mean that he or she has not performed in the manner expected but rather, the President thought that the Cabinet can be reshuffled," he said.

Ermita earlier announced that the Palace is undertaking a performance review of all agencies which will serve as the basis for a reorganization. He said there would be some changes in the Cabinet but no major revamp.

Ermita has likewise hinted that Environment Secretary Michael Defensor, whom he described as "the Super Boy" of the Cabinet, might also be given another post. Defensor himself has hinted that it could be at the DSWD or at the Palace.

Defensor, who had various informal designations from the President, yesterday began his task as the point man for the administration’s P35-billion economic pump priming program for the first quarter of the year.

Defensor said he would be willing to be appointed to any post by Mrs. Arroyo. — Paolo Romero