Afable reappointed to John Hay board

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has reappointed Silvestre Afable Jr., a press secretary of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as member of the board of directors of the state-run John Hay Management Corp. (JHMC), according to deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte.

Afable also served as chief negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front during the Arroyo administration.

Among those reappointed to the JHMC board were Jamie Eloise Agbayani, Arnel Paciano Casanova, Catherine Mary Biazon, Cesar Oracion and Antonio Tengco.

New JHMC board members are Reynaldo Agranzamendez, Gloria Peralta, Teddy Esteban Rigoroso and Emerito Perez Manalo.

Thirteen new labor arbiters for Luzon have been named at the National Labor Relations Commission.

They are Irene Castro-de Quiroz, Reynante San Gaspar, Julio Rafael Gayaman, Maria Minerva Paez-Collantes, Mary Ann Daytia, Laudimer Samar, Celso Virgilio Ylagan, Norberto Enriquez, Maria Bernardita Carreon, Maria Mylene Carag-Cruz, Alan Ventura, Agnes Alexis Lucero de Grano and Augusto Villanueva.

A new appointment was also made at the Department of Transportation and Communications: Edgar Cabase Sr. as director IV.

Four appointments were also made at Land Transportation Office: Hilarion Ulep and Edgar Catarongan, directors II; and Anuel Bonite and Jorge Ancheta Mamba Jr., directors I.

Ten members of the board of directors of the Philippine Sugar Corp. have been named: Renato Salvatierra, Augusto Araneta Jr., Joseph Conrad Ledesma, Cornelio Toreja, Freddie Zayco, Robert Abello, Andrew Regalado, Joseph Edgar Sarrosa, Teotimo Ballesteros, Jr. and Raymond Gomez.

Five members of the National Dairy Authority have also been appointed: Grace Cenas, Julius Migraso, Teodoro Panaligan, Minerva Yuvienco and Robert Enerio.

Migraso represents the Commercial Milk Processors Group, Panaligan the Luzon Dairy Cooperatives, Yuvienco the Visayas Dairy Cooperatives, and Enerio the Mindanao Dairy Cooperatives.

Dennis Cunanan was appointed member of the board of trustees of the Technology Resource Center, Romeo Covarrubias, provincial agrarian reform adjudicator of the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Ekeiko Paula Haidah Sadang was named director III at the Presidential Management Staff, while Kathleen Mangune is acting director III of the National Economic and Development Authority.

At the Army, Brig. Gen. Jet Velarmino has been named chief of the  Special Operations Command in place  of Maj. Gen. Romulo Bambao, who will retire today.

Velarmino is a member of Philippine Military Academy class of 1982.

The 52-year-old Velarmino assumes the post in an acting capacity while awaiting the designation of a permanent commander.

Bambao relinquishes his post in a change of command ceremony to be held today in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija

Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista is to lead the turnover rites.

Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc said Velarmino is regarded as a highly respected and professional military officer.

“He is lauded for his exemplary services both in the field and in staff positions,” he said.

Velarmino was deputy commander of the Special Operations Command, which supervises the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), the First Scout Ranger Regiment, and the Light Reaction Battalion.

He served as commander of the Army’s 101st Brigade, chief of staff of the 1st Infantry Division; Inspector General of the 7th Infantry Division, defense and Armed Forces attaché to Malaysia, Inspector General of the Intelligence Service and commander of the 51st Battalion.

New Army chief

President Aquino is expected to name a new Army commanding general this week.

Talks are rife that Armed Forces Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes is a strong contender for the post.

Coballes was a platoon leader under Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin when he was in the service. He was the former chief of the Western Mindanao Command.

Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Alan Luga and Army 6th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo are also being considered for the post, sources said.

The post of Army commander was vacated after Bautista became the 44th Armed Forces chief last Thursday. –With Alexis Romero