Aquino appoints new government peace panel member

MANILA -- President Benigno Aquino III has appointed Mehol Sadain as new member of the government panel negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Sadain filled the position left by Professor Miriam Coronel Ferrer who was appointed as chairperson of the peace panel replacing Dean Marvic Leonen, who was recently appointed by President Aquino as new Associate Justice of the 15-member Supreme Court.

The appointment of Sadain was announced by Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in his regular press briefing Thursday.

Aside from Sadain, Lacierda also announced several appointments to various government posts including Ardeliza Medenilla as acting assistant secretary in the Department of the Public Works and Highways, Lilibeth Signey as acting regional director in the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Mario Deriquito and Lorna Dino as undersecretary and assistant secretary, respectively, in the Department of Education.

Aquino also appointed seven new judges in various lower courts namely: Judge Beatrice Alvarez Caunan-Medina (Regional Trial Court Branch 75 San Mateo, Rizal), Judge Redan Acal (10th Municipal Trial Court, Cervantes-Quirino, Ilocos Sur), Judge Jesse Cabrillos (Municipal Trial Court, Balaoan, La Union), Judge Maria Celestina De Mayo Cabaguio (Municipal Trial Court, Cities Candon City, Ilocos Sur), Judge Emmanuel Recalde (Regional Trial Court Branch 38, Boac Marinduque), Judge Barry Boy Salvador (Municipal Trial Court Cities Branch 1, Antipolo City, Rizal), and Judge Evangeline Cabochan Santos (Municipal Trial Court, Cities Branch 2, Antipolo City Rizal).

The President also made new appointments to the Commission on the Philippine Language namely: Virgilio Almario, chairman and full-time commissioner representing Tagalog language; Purification de Lima, full-time commissioner representing Ilokano language; Jerry Gracio, full-time commissioner representing Samar-Leyte languages; Abdon Balde Jr., part-time commissioner representing Bikol language; Noriam Ladjagais, part-time commissioner representing Muslim Mindanao languages; Orlando Magno, part-time commissioner representing Cebuano language; and Jimmy Fong, part-time commissioner representing languages of Northern Cultural Communities. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)