Arroyo 'hopes' Puno will take GOCC post

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday expressed her desire to have former education executive Carlito Puno steer a government owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) as she unveiled new appointments to the government. Mrs Arroyo said that, "I am thanking him (Puno) for the good work that he has done in the past years at the CHED (Commission on Higher Education)." "I hope he will accept" the job as president of United Coconut Chemicals Inc, the President said of Puno, brother of Chief Justice Reynato Puno. The President said the former CHED chair was well suited for Coco Chem, given what she said was his background in the pharmaceutical industry. The head of the Supreme Court has recently taken an active stance in seeking ways to stop the string of extrajudicial killings in the country. Carlito was replaced at the CHED by former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri. He had criticized Malacañang for allegedly breaching protocol by making public his removal from office without first informing him. "Protocol-wise, they should have told me, especially for a Cabinet-to-Cabinet position. We can talk about those things privately. If there will be a formal appointment of Secretary Neri, I will step down. No problem [but] I am trying to be very professional, observe protocol," the Sun.Star quoted him as saying. Meanwhile, the President also announced the appointment of Ray Anthony Roxas Chua as chair of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT). Assistant Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol now assumes the position of deputy ombudsman for the Visayas. She also said the Central Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be transfered to Mactan City in Cebu. - GMANews.TV