PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has named several local government officials who will serve as concurrent chairmen of the regional peace and order councils (RPOCs) in the country, led by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) yesterday released, through social media, the latest batch of appointments compromised mostly by the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the RPOCs.
Duterte, brother of the Vice President Sara Duterte, will chair RPOC Region XI (Davao) while Romualdez, cousin of the President, chairs RPOC Region VIII (Eastern Visayas).
The other chairpersons include San Juan Mayor Francisco Zamora who will serve as chairman of RPOC-National Capital Region (NCR), Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong who chairs RPOC for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Raphaelle Veronica Ortega-David, for Region I (Ilocos), Carlos Padilla for Region II (Cagayan Valley), Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr., for Region III (Central Luzon), Angelina Tan, for Region IV-A (Calabarazon), Eduardo Gadiano, for region IV-B(Mimaropa), and Jose Edwin Hamor, for Region V (Bicol).
The other chairpersons are Eugenio Jose Lacson for Region VI (Western Visayas), Dulce Ann Hofer for Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), Xavier Jesus Romualdo for Region X (Northern Mindanao), Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr. for Region XII (Soccsksargen), Alexander T. Pimentel, Chairperson for Region XIII (Caraga), and Ahod Ebrahim for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The President also appointed the following as RPOC vice chairpersons: Jonnel Estomo and Alexei Musñgi for NCR; Audrey Pasia and Mafelino Bazar for CAR; John Chua and Andrew Costelo for Ilocos Region; Percival Rumbaoa and Pasia for Cagayan Valley Region; Costello and Cesar Pasiwen for Central Luzon Region; Roberto Capulong and Jose Melencio Nartatez for Calabarzon; Sumulong and Sidney Hernia for Mimaropa; and Adonis Bajao and Rudolph Dimas for Bicol Region.
The other vice chairpersons are Benedict Arevalo and Leo Francisco for Region VI; Arevalo and Jerry Bearis for Region VII; Carmilo Ligayo and Rommel Francisco Marbil for Region VIII; Neil Alinsañgan and Antonio Nafarrete for Region IX; Wilbur Mamawag and Lawrence Coop for Region X; Jose Eriel Niembra and Benjamin Silo Jr., for Region XI; Jimilil Macaraeg and Alex Riller for Region XII; Mamawag and Pablo Labra II for Region XIII; and John Guyguyon for BARMM.
Other appointments announced by PCO were those of Victor Oliveros who was named member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Puerto Princesa City and Raul Marcelo as member of the board of directors of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) representing the business and investment sectors.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin yesterday denied that he has resigned from his post, branding the reports as mere “fake news” or “black propaganda” against him.
Reports about Bersmain’s quitting the Marcos administration circulated over the weekend, followed by reports that members of the Office of the Executive Secretary were also asked to resign after supposedly earning the ire of the President and First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos following allegations that some people “paid” for their appointment in government.
