Thursday, August 28, 2008 Arroyo recommends Pichay as LWUA board chairman
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo nominated former Surigao del Sur congressman Prospero Pichay as chairman of the board of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) after initially naming him as an acting member of the board, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.
Arroyo signed Pichay's appointment papers last August 20.
Pichay's initial designation is acting member but with a nomination for chairman, as it would be up to the members of the LWUA board to elect and decide who would be their chairman.
Ermita said there was no mention if the chairman post is a Cabinet-rank.
Asked why Pichay was appointed to LWUA, the executive secretary said he has no idea but "give it to the President. She chooses appointees that can help in running government agencies. And of course, the President saw that he has the capacity to fulfill his duties."
Pichay would be the fourth Team Unity (TU) defeated senatorial bet to get a post in government after Arroyo earlier named Ralph Recto as planning secretary, Vicente Sotto III as head of the Dangerous Drug Board, and Michael Defensor as head of the Presidential Task Force on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
Defensor had resigned after the Naia Terminal 3 opened its terminal to international flights in early August but is lending his expertise, on a private capacity, to the North Luzon Railway project.
Earlier reports said another TU member, former senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta, is being groomed for a job in the education sector, but she earlier said she is already happy with what she is doing at the moment and that her education advocacy and related programs are still being implemented even if under different names.
The 58-year-old Pichay, a member of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, served as congressman from 1998-2007.
Pichay, a Bachelor of Science Degree holder from De La Salle University, is the owner of the printing press Carlo Commercial Publishing and Carlo Publishing that produces the tabloid Remate. He also a part owns of the AM radio station, dzME.
He is the chairman of the Philippine Surfing Federation (PSF) and former president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. He was also elected president of the Basketball Association of the Philippines in 2007.
As a lawmaker, Pichay authored Republic Acts 9355 or an Act Creating the Province of Dinagat Islands; 9340, which amends RA 9164 to extend the terms of office of barangay officials and reset the date of barangay elections; and 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. (JMR/Sunnex)
