The Office of the President (OP) may hold the key in resolving the tug-of-war in the leadership at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).
Charito Plaza, who claims she remains to be the PEZA director-general (DG) and his deputy DG, now officer-in-charge (OIC) Teresa Panga agree a clarification from the OP, the designation of an holdover official or an appointment of a new DG would put the issue to rest and would ensure the continued smooth operations at the Authority.
But Plaza said the squabble could have been avoided had Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, PEZA board chairman, appointed an OIC or put the existing DG in a holdover position.
In a press conference, Plaza said is PEZA exempt from the OP’s Memorandum No. 1 which declared her position vacant. That memo, issued July 1, 2022, resulted to the appointment of Panga.
Plaza said OP in a subsequent Memorandum No. 3 declared PEZA exempt from Memorandum No. 1 but a department order issued by Pascual on Aug. 2, 2022 acknowledging Panga as the agency’s OIC had added to the confusion.
“The timing of the DO is suspicious, and questionable. The rift could have been prevented had Secretary Pascual officially designated from the beginning my deputy as OIC or me in a holdover (position),” Plaza said.
