PRESIDENT Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III appointed former Akbayan representative Etta Rosales as chairperson of Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
He also named former Cibac Party-list representative Joel Villanueva as head of Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda).
He made the announcement Tuesday night at a dinner with the members of the Malacanang Press Corps.
Former Akbayan representative Risa Hontiveros lauded the appointment of Rosales in the CHR.
"Itinataguyod ni Etta ang universality ng karapatang pantao na ang bawat tao ay may ganitong karapatan, na ang estado ay pangunahin dapat managot at na dapat managot din and mga non-state actors," Hontiveros told Sun.Star.
Rosales served as a representative of Akbayan from 1998 to 2007.
But groups like the Kilusang Mayong Uno and the Karapatan Negros Oriental opposed the appointment, saying that Akbayan is only getting desperate to get a government post for its leaders.
"The problem, it seems, is that Akbayan is getting desperate to get a government post for its leaders as payback for its support for President Aquino in the last elections," said Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general.(Jill Beltran/Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)