PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has appointed veteran journalist and National Book Award recipient Jose Torres Jr. as head of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and retired police Brig. Gen. George Almaden as director of the Office of Transport Security (OTS).
The latest batch of appointments, which also include positions in the Departments of Finance, Justice, Labor and Development, and National Defense, Philippine Guarantee Corporation, Governance Commission for GOCCs and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office was released yesterday by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) through its Facebook page.
Prior to joining the government, Torres worked for various media outlets, both in the Philippines and abroad, including the Saudi Gazette where he was a sub-editor and in Isyu newsmagazine where he was an investigative reporter, The Manila Times, The Philippine Post, and The Sunday Paper.
He also worked with the ABS-CBN’s online platform in 2001, with the GMA News’ online in 2005, and with Remate online in 2009.
Almaden served as the former head of the legal department of the PNP.
The President also appointed former Philippine Export-Import Credit Agency president and chief executive officer Alberto Francisco Pascual as the acting president and chief-executive-officer, and member of Board of Directors of the Philippine Guarantee Corporation; Karlo Fermin Adriano as assistant secretary in the DOF; Vanessa Grace Samson as head executive assistant in the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO); and journalist Paulino Gutierrez as executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security under the DOJ.
Marcos also appointed Gilbert Cacatian (DOLE), George Almaden (DOTr), and Karen Kreez Tangco-Pascasio (OP-Governance Commission for Government-owned or-controlled Corporations) as Directors IV.
PCO said the President also promoted Bryx Leonida as Philippine Navy lieutenant.
