Palace denies Defensor is next Napocor chief

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang yesterday belied rumors that former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor would take the place of Cyril del Callar as president of National Power Corp. (Napocor), but hinted that an insider would be named to the post.

“These days, whenever there are vacancies in some plum post, the name of Defensor immediately pops up as a candidate, but the President will definitely promote someone from within the energy industry,” Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.

Interviewed over dzRB, Ermita said that Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. vice president for asset management and electricity trading Froilan Tampinco is next in line and would most likely take over the helm of Napocor.

Ermita said that the decision was to choose a senior official within the industry, considering that the government is in the process of privatizing the assets of Napocor.

Del Callar resigned as president of Napocor last Sept. 8 for health reasons, effective end of this month.

At a press briefing in Malacañang last Friday, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the President has yet to act on the resignation of Del Callar, who had wanted to leave the government for more than a year already.

However, based on the pronouncements of Ermita, the President has apparently already made her decision and an official announcement on Tampinco’s appointment would most likely come very soon.– Marvin Sy