DUTERTE NAMES NEW CABINET MEMBERS

Confirming persistent rumors about a Cabinet shake-up, President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday appointed new heads of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra was appointed as the new Justice secretary, replacing Vitaliano Aguirre II who has resigned.

Guevarra’s appointment was announced two hours after President Rodrigo Duterte said he has accepted Aguirre’s resignation.

Duterte also appointed National Capital Region Police Office chief Oscar Albayalde as the next head of the PNP, replacing incumbent Director General Ronald dela Rosa who will finally retire.

Duterte has also picked Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez Jr., currently Western Mindanao Command chief, as replacement of outgoing Armed Forces chiefof-staff General Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

Duterte himself announced Albayalde’s appointment in a speech delivered yesterday at the Palace’s Rizal Hall.

Albayalde, in an interview, said he was elated by the trust and confidence given to him by the President.

He thanked Dela Rosa for his support and for endorsing him as his successor.

As of yesterday, however, Albayalde said he has yet to receive a formal order on his appointment.

Dela Rosa reached the mandatory retirement age of 56 on January 21, 2018. A month before he could retire, however, his term of service was extended by the President to April 21.

Duterte said on February 20 that he would further extend the term of Dela Rosa “for a little bit longer.” But in his latest remark, Duterte said Albayalde is qualified as the next PNP chief because of his being “strict.”

Just like Dela Rosa, Albayalde belongs to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1986.

Meanwhile, Roque announced the appointment of Guevarra as new Justice secretary and Galvez as new military chief.

Guevarra will replace Aguirre, whose stint as DOJ chief has been marred by controversies arising from the dismissal of charges against suspected drug lords and the granting of provisional witness protection to alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Aguirre resigned just two weeks after reports about the dismissal of drug charges against suspected drug lords Kerwin Espinosa and Peter Lim and their cohorts surfaced.

Aguirre has since reversed the DOJ resolution and reopened the case.

At the Armed Forces, incumbent chief of staff Guerrero is due to retire on April 24.

He reached the compulsory retirement age of 56 in December 2017, but Duterte extended his service until April 24 this year.

Roque said Galvez is expected to assume the new post on April 18, or six days ahead of Guerrero’s retirement on April 24.

The oath taking of the new police and military leaders will be on April 18, 2018, Roque said.