Mar to take oath on Monday

MANILA, Philippines - Former senator Manuel Roxas II will formally assume his post as secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications after he takes his oath before President Aquino on July 4.

According to the former trade secretary, Malacañang has scheduled his oath-taking this Monday, for which reason he was not in DOTC last June 30, when the resignation of his predecessor Jose de Jesus took effect.

Roxas, who lost to Vice President Jejomar Binay in the May 2010 polls, also disclosed that he met with De Jesus yesterday morning and “thanked him for his graciousness and service to the nation and likewise wished him well.”

Aquino announced his appointment of Roxas – his defeated running-mate in the Liberal Party – last June 7, several days after news of De Jesus’ resignation broke out.

De Jesus had said he wanted to go back to the private sector.

Four other undersecretaries resigned from the DOTC to give way to the choices of Roxas.

The President himself issued a statement that the former senator has accepted his offer, at the same time reiterating that Roxas is still part of his economic cluster as a “senior member.”

The President said that earlier, he had other plans for Roxas – foremost of which is being designated presidential chief of staff - but he couldn’t find any other person better fit for the DOTC.

“We need someone who can follow through on the reforms that have been started at DOTC. We can’t just entrust the position to somebody we don’t know,” Aquino told a hastily called press conference.

 “We need a competent person to run one of the biggest government agencies. More importantly, we need someone who can keep up with my mission to put everyone on the right path,” he added.

Meantime, while Roxas waits to take his oath of office, DOTC sources said that Transportation Undersecretary for Legal affairs and the Maritime Sector, lawyer Aristotle Batuhan, will serve as officer-in-charge of the agency.

Roxas, in the last few weeks, has been oriented by DOTC officers about all pending projects and programs left unfinished by De Jesus who suddenly announced his resignation from the top DOTC post early last June. – With Rainier Allan Ronda