Sen. Pangilinan: ‘Recycling of sacked execs weakens Duterte’s image’

MANILA, Philippines — The reappointment of sacked government officials weakens President Duterte’s image and his fight against corruption, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said yesterday.

Pangilinan made the statement after former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II confirmed his appointment as board member of the Social Security System (SSS).

Aguirre resigned last April after he received flak over the Department of Justice’s dismissal of drug charges against Kerwin Espinosa and Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim as well as the acceptance of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles into the government’s witness protection program.

Pangilinan hit the reassignments of axed Cabinet officials, particularly those who were linked to corruption.

Other officials who either resigned or were removed from office were  former Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor commissioners Manuel Serra Jr. and Melissa Avanceña Aradanas, former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon and former SSS board member Jose Gabriel La Viña.

Duterte appointed Serra as board member of the Philippine Coconut Authority while Aradanas was named deputy secretary general of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

Faeldon was designated deputy administrator of the Office of the Civil Defense. La Viña is now agriculture undersecretary.

“These reappointments weaken the President’s tough stance against corruption,” Pangilinan said.