Duterte repeals EO creating separate posts for SBMA administrator, chairperson

President Rodrigo Duterte has repealed an executive order issued by former President and incumbent Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that created separate posts for Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority administrator and chairperson.

Duterte has signed on September 25 Executive Order No. 42 merging the SBMA administrator and chairperson posts. The SBMA administrator will also be the chief executive officer of the SBMA.

Executive Order No. 42 repeals Executive Order No. 340 issued by Arroyo in 2004.

“The President shall appoint the Administrator of the SBMA, who shall be the ex officio Chairman of the SBMA Board,” Duterte’s EO read.

The powers, functions, and duties of the SBMA administrator would be as follows, with new or updated items in bold:

• To execute, administer and implement the policies and measures approved and adopted by the SBMA Board;
• To directly administer and supervise the operations and day-to-day business activities of the SBMA;
• To exercise the powers of control and supervision over decisions and actions of subordinate officers;
• To appoint, transfer, remove, suspend or otherwise discipline any employee of the SBMA in accordance with law;
• To represent the SBMA in all dealings with offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the Government and with all persons and entities, public or private, domestic or foreign, unless otherwise directed by the President or by the SBMA Board;
• To sign all permits, certificates, authorizations, and other official documents issued by the SBMA in the exercise of its governmental, regulatory, propriety, and commercial powers;
• To execute, on behalf of the SBMA, all contracts, agreements and other instruments affecting the interests of the SBMA or where the SBMA is a contracting party, duly approved by the SBMA Board;
• To direct and supervise the preparation of the agenda for the meetings of the SBMA Board;
• To preside at the meetings of the SBMA Board; and
• To perform such other functions and duties as the President may direct, or as may be assigned to him/her by the SBMA Board.

The order will take effect immediately.

Malacañang, meanwhile, is yet to clarify how the executive order would affect SBMA administrator Wilma Eisma and Chairman Martin Diño.

Duterte appointed Eisma as administrator in December 2016 amid a power struggle at the SBMA following Diño's administrative order declaring that he is assuming "the functions of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman/Administrator pursuant to Republic Act No. 7227.”

Then SBMA administrator Roberto Garcia resigned from his post. —ALG, GMA News