PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has named retired Army chief Ricardo "Dick" Morales as vice chairperson of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) board of trustees, based on a document released by Malacañang on Tuesday, June 4.

Morales's appointment paper, signed by Duterte on May 27, showed that he replaced Reynaldo Velasco, MWSS administrator and board's vice chair.

Velasco would now take Demonteverde's place as chairperson of the MWSS board.

Under the MWSS charter, the state-run water regulator's administrator automatically becomes the vice chairman of the MWSS board.

Morales's stint at MWSS will expire on June 3 this year.

The President earlier announced that he had picked Morales as MWSS chair.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea reportedly corrected the President, saying that Morales replaced Velasco.

Medialdea had also made it clear that Demonteverde would be transferred to another agency with an equivalent or higher position.

The MWSS had earned the President's ire, following the water crisis that hit parts of Metro Manila and other nearby provinces in March. (Ruth Abbey Gita/SunStar Philippines)