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Thursday, February 01, 2007
Ebdane gets defense; Nachura is new SC justice
MANILA -- Malacañang on Wednesday announced a series of appointments led by outgoing Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. who was named as new defense secretary.
Ebdane would replace Avelino Cruz Jr., who resigned on November 30, 2006. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had been holding the defense portfolio in a concurrent capacity since December 1, 2006.
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Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the President picked Ebdane because she believes he could continue the defense reforms started by Cruz and that he would also do a good job at the Department of National Defense (DND).
Bunye, who is also Presidential spokesman, said Ebdane would assume the defense portfolio as soon as he finishes his work at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
He said the President also believes that the Armed Forces and the defense department would be able to accept and respect her choice. "We cannot please everybody. If we do that, we would end up pleasing nobody at all," Bunye said.
A commission formed to look into military adventurism in the past had recommended the appointment of a civilian as defense chief and Ebdane's appointment ran contrary to this recommendation.
In response to questions on civilianizing the defense establishment, he said Ebdane has left the police force years ago and has been "civilianized."
He also dismissed questions about Ebdane being among the "Hello Garci" generals. "These are all insinuations. We do not wish to dignify them with any comment," he added.
Ebdane, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1970 is the classmate of special envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu.
He was initially appointed by as national security adviser after his retirement from the police where he was the chief PNP but e was reassigned to the DPWH after a few months.
Bunye said Ebdane's post would be occupied by Public Works Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan, a civil engineer who has been with the DPWH for 34 years, who was named as officer-in-charge (OIC).
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said aside from rising from the ranks, Bonoan was very much qualified and was even endorsed by several sectors to head the DPWH, including some congressmen.
Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Reynato Puno, in an ambush interview at the annual vin d'honneur, said the President already told him about Solicitor General Antonio Eduardo Nachura's appointment as new associate justice of the Supreme Court (SC).
"That's per the information coming from the President," Puno said. He also confirmed the appointment of Government Corporate Counsel Agnes Devanadera as solicitor general.
Nachura, a former education undersecretary turned congressman of Western Samar, was initially named by Arroyo as her chief presidential legal counsel before appointing him as solicitor general and now as SC associate justice.
Devanadera, on the other hand, was a former interior and local government undersecretary and former mayor of Sampaloc, Quezon.
Ermita, during his weekly press briefing, also announced the appointments of Jacqueline Suzanne Aquino-Gavino, Rachel Marguerite Del Mar and Sheila Policarpio as acting members of the Movie and Television Classification and Review Board (MTRCB).
Aquino-Gavino was previously appointed by President Arroyo to MTRCB in 2003 vice June Keithley Castro whose term expired while del Mar, daughter of Cebu City Representative Raul Del Mar, replaces Claudine de Castro Zialcita.
At Camp Aguinaldo, Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina said a memorandum of
agreement (MOA) forged by the department with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) limiting the role of the military in elections stays despite the appointment of Ebdane as the new defense secretary.
Carolina said the defense department is not even considering pulling out of the MOA. "We're not going to do that. If ever, we are not going to withdraw (from the agreement)," said Carolina, stressing that the agreement seeks to control partisan political activities in the Armed Forces.
Carolina welcomed the appointment of Ebdane as defense secretary and that the defense department is confident on the capability of Ebdane to lead the DND.
At the public works department, employees lauded the appointment of Bonoan as acting public works chief.
The DPWH-Employees Union said the appointment of Bonoan as successor of Ebdane is a welcome action. "Undersecretary Bonoan is a well-rounded career official. He knows how to run this office, how to process the paper works, up to the actual implementation of the projects," said Rico Baysa, union president.
"We have no doubt that he will be very effective as DPWH secretary," he added.
DPWH-National Capital Region (NCR) Director Josefino Rigor expressed his support for the new leadership of the DPWH. (JR/VR/MSN/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (February 1, 2007 issue)
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