Cardema out as youth commission chair

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has appointed a new chair for the National Youth Commission (NYC), replacing Duterte Youth party-list founder Ronald Cardema.

In a Facebook post, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced the appointment of Department of Tourism Ilocos region director Joseph Francisco Ortega as the new NYC chair.

“With a distinguished background in tourism and youth advocacy, Ortega is well positioned to lead the NYC in its mission to develop and implement policies that will further the welfare and development of young Filipinos across the country,” the PCO said in a statement on Thursday.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte appointed Cardema as NYC chair in 2018 and reappointed him in 2022.

Cardema faced many criticisms during his stint at NYC, including his alleged mismanagement of the commission’s funds and his history of red-tagging.

Marcos also named Karl Josef Legazpi, a director at the House of Representatives, as the second commissioner-at-large of the NYC.

He worked as executive assistant for special concerns of Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The President also named new associate justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) on Thursday.

The appointments of justices Ferdinand Baylon, Marietta Brawner-Cualing, Mary Josephine Lazaro and Emilio Rodolfo Legaspi III were posted in the Official Gazette.

Baylon, who was the presiding judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 77, will replace justice Mariflor Castillo, who is set to retire on Sept. 21.

Cualing, who was the presiding judge of Benguet RTC Branch 9, will replace justice Oscar Badelles, who compulsorily retired on April 20.

Lazaro, who was the presiding judge of Rizal RTC Branch 74, will replace justice Ramon Garcia, who compulsorily retired on May 10.

Legaspi, who was the presiding judge of Metro Manila RTC Branch 13, will replace justice Alfredo Ampuan, who compulsorily retired on June 6.

Marcos also swore in new Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Jose Francisco Benitez at Malacañang yesterday. –  Helen Flores