MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday welcomed the confirmation of the appointments of Department of Tourism Secretary Bernardette Romulo-Puyat and three other officials.
Other high-ranking officials who hurdled the Commission on Appointments were Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones and Commission on Elections Commissioner Socorro Inting.
“The confirmation of the aforementioned officials reflects the full confidence on the competence and integrity of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s recent appointees,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.
With the confirmation of the four officials, Roque said each of one of them can now focus on bringing comfortable life to every Filipino.
“It’s time to work, work, work to realize the President’s vision of a comfortable life for all Filipinos,” Roque said.
Romulo-Puyat is the newest Cabinet member, replacing Wanda Teo who resigned only last May 8 following the Commission on Audit (COA) report questioning the tourism department’s PHP60 million advertisement placement for lack of necessary documents.
Prior to his appointment to DOT, Romulo-Puyat was undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture, where she served three administrations.
Guevarra has been appointed to replace Vitaliano Aguirre II, who also stepped down early last month, after two DOJ prosecutors dismissed the criminal charges against suspected drug lords Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim and several others.
On the other hand, Castriciones replaced Rafael Mariano, whose appointment as Department of Agrarian Reform chief, was rejected by the CA in September last year.
Duterte first appointed Castriciones in December last year but the CA bypassed his appointment, prompting the President to reappoint him on March 22 this year.
Inting, a Court of Appeals (CA) justice, was appointed only last month to replace former commissioner Arthur Lim, who retired last February. (PNA)
