Cuy named to drugs board, Año to DILG

President Rodrigo Duterte has tapped former Davao police chief Catalino Cuy as the new chairperson of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), according to a January 4 appointment paper released by Malacañang yesterday.

To replace Cuy as officer-in-charge of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is former military chief Eduardo Año.

Cuy replaced Dionisio Santiago, who was fired by Duterte in November last year following his “incongruous” remark about the government’s decision to create a mega drug rehabilitation facility in Nueva Ecija.

Prior to his new appointment, Cuy was appointed by Duterte as DILG officer-in-charge since April 5, 2017.

Cuy, a former aide-de-camp of former president Fidel Ramos, served as chief of Davao City police when Duterte was then Davao City mayor.

Año, meanwhile, is the new officer-in-charge of DILG.

However, he is banned for a year from holding such a post since he retired from the Armed Forces of the Philippines only last October 2017, having reached the mandatory retirement age.

Local Government Act of 1990 states that “no retired or resigned military officer or police official may be appointed as Secretary within one year from the date of his retirement.”

Meanwhille, Duterte has renewed the ad interim appointments of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, who have both been bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Their appointment papers were signed by Duterte on December 14 and released by Malacañang yesterday.

The two were unable to get CA’s confirmation before Congress went on recess on December 16 last year.

Duque was appointed on October 26, replacing former Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial, whose confirmation was opposed by the powerful commisson on October 10.

Castriciones, on the other hand, was appointed by Duterte on December 1, 2017 and was picked anew to serve as DAR chief on December 14 of the same year.