PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has transferred Undersecretary Jose Gabriel "Pompee" La Viña from the Department of Tourism (DOT) to Department of Agriculture (DA).
In an appointment paper dated June 6, Duterte tapped La Viña as replacement of Bernadette Fatima Romulo-Puyat, who was formerly from DA but now serves as the DOT chief.
La Viña's appointment paper was released by Malacañang on Thursday, June 7.
La Viña was part of Duterte's communication team for his 2016 presidential campaign.
It was not the first time La Viña was reappointed by Duterte, despite controversies hounding the former.
To recall, Duterte ordered La Viña in February to immediately step down from office as commissioner of the Social Security System (SSS) since the latter was serving in a hold-over capacity.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. had revealed that Duterte did not renew La Viña's term of office at the state-owned pension fund because of his supposed demands for a multi-million peso projects and vilification campaign against four SSS executives.
But in April, Duterte re-appointed La Viña as Tourism undersecretary.
Duterte has been firing various high-ranking officials linked to corruption in government.
The President's anti-corruption drive, however, was questioned by some of his critics, including ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who believe that it was a mere publicity stunt.
In an interview with Palace reporters on Thursday, June 7, Roque said the decision to reappoint La Viña was an "executive prerogative" and an "exception to the rule."
"It is not the rule; It is the exception to the rule," the Palace official said.
"As far as Mr. La Viña is concerned, that is really his prerogative. There was an investigation. He was removed but the President made the decision to reappoint him. And so be it," he added. (SunStar Philippines)