Palace bares new GMA appointments

Malacañang released yesterday the latest batch of appointments to various vacancies in government issued by President Arroyo prior to March 12, when the election ban on new appointments took effect.

The Palace has formally announced the appointments of new government officials, including that of Press Undersecretary Robert Mananquil, former congressman Pacifico Fajardo as the new administrator of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chairman Manuel Morato as board director of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

An increase in the number of vacancies in sub-Cabinet positions is expected as those running for local posts have until March 26 to file their certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections.

Mananquil, husband of STAR lifestyle editor Millet Mananquil, took over from former undersecretary Heracleo Nazareno, who was transferred after an incident on the presidential plane during Mrs. Arroyo’s trip to Europe last September.

Nazareno now works as the deputy presidential adviser on political affairs and is part of the Palace campaign media bureau supervised by Marita Jimenez, presidential adviser on priority and official development assistance projects.

Prior to his new appointment, Mananquil wrote a daily opinion column in the People’s Journal, a sequestered newspaper where he also served as board director. He also has a daily program aired on Angel Radio and once served as vice mayor of La Paz town in Tarlac during the Aquino administration.

Mananquil’s first stint in national government was as consultant of then presidential adviser on flagship projects Robert Aventajado during the Estrada administration. As Aventajado’s consultant, Mananquil was involved in negotiations for the French journalists who were held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf in 2000.

Fajardo, on the other hand, replaced LRTA vice chief Teodoro Cruz, who resigned to run for a seat in Congress against former Camarines Sur congressman Arnulfo Fuentebella, father of incumbent Camarines Sur Rep. William Fuentebella.

Fajardo’s appointment paper was signed on March 1 and officially transmitted to Secretary Leandro Mendoza of the Department of Transportation and Communications, to which the LRTA is attached.

The President previously appointed Fajardo, a distant cousin of hers on the Macapagal side, as board member of the sequestered food and beverage firm San Miguel Corp. In 2002, Fajardo organized the Kalipi Foundation, which is comprised of all known Macapagal relatives.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, during yesterday’s daily press briefing, sought to downplay the fact that Fajardo is a relative of Mrs. Arroyo.

Morato, on the other hand, replaced former radio broadcaster Resty de Quiros on the PCSO board of directors. De Quiros will be running for a local post in his hometown in Bicol.

Though Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo has "retired" from politics, two of his children are among those running in the congressional race.

His daughter, Berna Romulo-Puyat, seeks to represent the district of San Francisco del Monte in Congress and is running under the administration ticket of re-electionist Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte.

Romulo’s son, Roman, is running in Pasig City under the banner of Partido Demokratikong Socialista ng Pilipinas-Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (PDSP-KAMPI) against Toti Cariño and Robert Jaworski Jr., whose father, Sen. Robert Jaworski, is running for re-election under the President’s Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4) ticket.