Monday, May 19, 2008 Dureza is new press secretary; Esperon assumes Dureza's post
MALACAÑANG announced Sunday the appointments of presidential adviser on peace process Jesus Dureza and former Armed Forces chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. as press secretary and peace adviser, respectively.
Dureza and Esperon, who just retired on May 12, will assume their new posts on June 16.
Dureza will replace Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye who was appointed earlier to the Monetary Board, while Esperon will assume the post Dureza is vacating.
Bunye will continue to act as presidential spokesman and concurrent political adviser until July 3. It is still uncertain if President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will name a separate spokesman and political adviser.
Bunye said Dureza, a lawyer and former congressman of Davao, would still wind down his current work before assuming his new post.
Dureza is currently in Libya on the invitation of Colonel Khadafi's son, Sail Al Islam, who has been brokering among Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leaders to ensure enhanced implementation of the 1996 Peace Agreement with the MNLF.
In a message sent through Bunye, Dureza said he is "humbly accept(ing) the new task and I thank the President for the honor and privilege of serving her and the country as Press Secretary".
"I consider this as a progression of my work and commitment for peace and development, this time perhaps with a bigger, wider platform. I will give it my best shot. I hope I can fit in the big shoes Secretary Toting Bunye is leaving behind with distinction," he added.
Dureza, who is an army reserved officer who holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, was Arroyo's former adviser for Mindanao and former chairman of the government Peace Panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) before eventually heading the Office of the presidential adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp).
As Opapp chief, he exercised oversight functions on the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) and the Mindanao Super Region. He is also the head of Medco-Official Development Assistance-assisted programs and the co-Chairman of the Armm Social Fund for Peace and Development (ASFPD) and the Philippine signing minister to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga).
He is also a member of the Facility Advisory Board of the Philippine-Australia Human Resource Development Facility and the president of the Philippine Army Reservist Association, Region 11.
Prior to his work in government, Dureza had worked as an editor of the Mindanao Times from 1972 to 1987 and was a correspondent of the Manila Times until 1972 and Manila Bulletin until 1987. He also hosted the television program "Brainstorm" in Davao City and radio host of Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) Bombo in Davao. He also became the president of the Davao Press Cub in 1972.
He later became the spokesman and panel adviser of the Philippine government panel negotiating with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) before becoming the spokesman of the House of Representative during his stint as Davao representative and later of former president Fidel Ramos from 1999 to 2000.
Esperon, who was given a three months extension in his tour of duty from February to May, prior to his retirement was leading the campaign to neutralize the CPP-NPA by 2010.
As peace adviser, the negotiations between the government and the MILF, and the government and the CPP-NPA-NDF will be under Esperon's jurisdiction.
Dureza also once served as a law professor of the Ateneo de Davao and during the time of the president Corazon Aquino was named director of the governing board of the Philippine Coconut Authority.
Replacing Dureza at the helm of Opapp is Esperon who is currently in Tokyo on "a well-deserved vacation."
Esperon, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1974, was earlier described by Arroyo as the hero of Rajahmuda for leading the assault and capture of the MILF second largest training camp in Mindanao in 2000 under then president Joseph Estrada.
"I am awed, humbled by the big task. But the challenge is by itself the incentive and the inspiration. I'm ready, Sir," Esperon told Bunye after being informed that he would already make public his new appointment.
"So there you are, the "revamp" is complete. Will there be any more additional announcements? Definitely. The high profile positions involved, however are non-Cabinet, but nevertheless very vital in helping achieve the development programs of this administration," Bunye added.
He earlier said the Cabinet revamp that the President announced earlier was limited to him and Cabinet secretary Ricardo Saludo who was earlier appointed to chair the Civil Service Commission (CSC) vice Karina David whose term expired last February.
Saludo would be replaced by presidential adviser on new government centers and former solicitor general Silvestre Bello III who would assume the Cabinet secretary post once Saludo is confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. (JMR/Sunnex)
