President Benigno Aquino III has appointed a retired senior official of the National Police as the new head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and stopped in effect the squabbling in public of its officials over alleged irregularities, the presidential palace said on Tuesday.
Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Mr. Aquino had appointed Arturo Cacdac Jr. as the new PDEA director general as a replacement for Jose Gutierrez, who had resigned.
“We confirm that Jose Gutierez has resigned as director general of PDEA. We further confirm that the President has appointed Arturo Cacdac Jr. to the post,” Valte said.
President Aquino also appointed a new secretary in the Department of Energy, but presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda gave guarded statements and told reporters to wait for official word on the issue.
But Remedios Petilla, Mayor of Palo, Leyte, said the president has appointed his son, Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla, as the new Energy Secretary after he decided not to seek an elective post in the 2013 elections.
“[Governor Petilla’s] appointment to a Cabinet post depended on the political situation in Leyte,” Mayor Petilla said.
A Palace source said Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras will be appointed as head of the Presidential Management Staff and its current head, Julia Abad, will be given a new post with lesser load of work to allow her to spend more time with her family.
The source said the president was expected to make the officials announcements before he leaves for Australia and New Zealand next week.
Official sources said Gutierrez was asked to resign as he and his former deputy, Carlos Gadapan, swapped charges in the media of alleged corruption and links with spurious groups.
Gadapan was sacked several weeks ago after he claimed to have told Gutierrez that Mrs. Gutierrez has incurred heavy gambling losses, which would make PDEA vulnerable to crime syndicates.
Cacdac, who took his oath before Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa on Monday, is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1978. He was formerly the PNP deputy chief for administration before his retirement.
When sought for comment, Cacdac told reporters: “It is an honor for me to be trusted by the President.” source
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