‘Singson to DPWH; Cadiz or Laguesma to DOLE’

MANILA, Philippines – More names have come up as possible heads of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and Department of Health (DOH) under the administration of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

A source in the Aquino camp disclosed the names of the following individuals:

* former Integrated Bar of the Philippines President (IBP) Jose Anselmo Cadiz or former Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma as secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
* Maynilad Water Services, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rogelio “Babes” L. Singson as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways; and,
* former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez Tan back as secretary of the DOH.

Aquino lawyer

Cadiz, who served as IBP national president from 2003 to 2006, represented Aquino’s Liberal Party in a case before the Supreme Court that sought to quash the merger between Nacionalista Party and the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

The petition was granted in May, paving the way for Liberal Party to retain its dominant minority status.

His law group is allegedly one of the “satellite” arms of “The Firm” or the Villaraza, Cruz, Marcelo and Angangco Law Office. He is a Sigma Rho fraternity member.

Sources, however, said it was not his connections to “The Firm” that got him a post in the Aquino Cabinet, but his close relationship with Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo.

Cadiz himself represented Aquino and Robredo in a Supreme Court case involving the reapportioning of the districts of Camarines Sur into a new one.

The high court eventually upheld this law, Republic Act 9716, which paved the way for the president’s son, Rep. Diosdado ‘Dato’ Arroyo, and Arroyo ally, Rolando Andaya, to seek elective posts in Camarines Sur without being pitted against each other.

Robredo himself is being eyed to head the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Cadiz’s name was one of those also floated for the Department of Justice (DOJ) portfolio.

The Aquino camp supposedly chose Commission on Human Rights chief Leila de Lima as secretary of the DOJ. She confirmed Tuesday she will be joining the new administration, but did not say which post.

As of posting, however, Aquino was reportedly also considering former Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma to head the DOLE.

Laguesma spent his whole career in government in the DOLE bureaucracy. He was appointed secretary of the labor during the short-lived Estrada administration.

He once headed the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCBM), the office which seeks to preventively settle labor disputes through mediation.

Singson to DPWH?

Singson, on the other hand, joined Maynilad after its reprivatization in 2007 under new owners, DMCI-Metro Pacific Consortium.

Prior to joining the country’s largest water concessionaire, Singson was the chairman and president of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).

He was involved in the conceptualization and implementation of the country’s biggest property privatization—Fort Bonifacio.

He also helped monitor foreign-assisted Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects during the transition from the Marcos government to the administration of Aquino’s mother, Corazon.

Galvez-Tan back to DOH?

Galvez-Tan, meanwhile, became health secretary during the Ramos administration after a Catholic Church lobby succeeded in easing out Health Secretary Juan Flavier from the Department of Health (Doha) due to his strong support and advocacy for artificial birth control.

Many have clamored for Galvez-Tan’s return to the DoH.

A rural health physician, he became a consultant for the World Health Organization, different attached agencies of the United Nations, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the United States Agency for International Development.

He is currently the vice chancellor for research at the University of the Philippines Manila and the executive director of the National Institute of Health.

Others widely believed to have already been chosen are:

*     Aquino campaign manager Florencio “Butch” Abad as budget secretary;
*     Makati Business Club president Alberto Lim as tourism secretary;
*     President Cory Aquino’s former Presidential Security Guard chief Voltaire Gazmin as defense secretary;
*     Cesar Purisima as finance secretary;
*     Guillermo Parayno as Bureau of Customs chief;
*     Kim Henares as Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner;
*     former Nestle CEO Johnny Santos as Philippine ambassador to the US;
*     Manila Water Corp.’s Jose Rene Almendras as energy secretary; and,
*     Jaime Aristotle Alip as agriculture secretary.

Aquino is also expected to retain Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo for a year, while Horacio Ramos and Greg Domingo are expected to be one-year benchwarmers in the environment and trade departments.

Aquino’s running mate, Sen. Mar Roxas, and former Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta are expected to take over the two positions once the one-year appointment ban on losing election candidates lapses.

Aquino’s spokesperson Edwin Lacierda has described these leaks as “speculations,” adding that the president-elect would be the one to announce his Cabinet members.

Incoming Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa said he expects Aquino to announce his Cabinet this week. –abs-cbnNEWS.com