Palace appoints Sotto to drug board, defends Arroyo's choices for Comelec

MANILA, Philippines - Malacanang Friday announced the appointment of former Sen. Vicente "Tito" C. Sotto III as head of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), verifying rumors that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will give government posts to her allies who lost in last year’s midterm elections. In a chance interview at Malacanang, Exec. Sec. Eduardo R. Ermita said he already gave Mr. Sotto his appointment papers. "The termination of the appointment of chairman of the DDB is on July 4. He (Mr. Sotto) came to my office. I gave him his appointment papers," he said. Mr. Ermita expressed confidence that Mr. Sotto will be effective in his new job. "I think he (Mr. Sotto) has the capability. He played a major role in passing the Dangerous Drugs Act. When he was Vice-Mayor of Quezon City, his platform was the fight against drugs," he said. Mr. Sotto, who is also a host of the noontime show "Eat Bulaga!," will replace Anselmo Avenido in the board. The former Senator was an opposition stalwart and even served as campaign manager of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. when the latter ran for President in 2004. But he opted to run as senator under the administration party Team Unity in May 2007 allegedly due to some differences with some opposition figures. He, however, lost amid criticisms that he lacks party loyalty. The Election Code states that a defeated candidate cannot be appointed to any government position within one year after the election. The ban lapsed last May. Earlier reports claim that Mrs. Arroyo is inclined to grant posts to defeated senatorial bets of Team Unity after the election ban ends. Mr. Ermita himself confirmed this and even claimed that the losing Team Unity bets have high chances of being named to government posts. "Let’s find out...Only the President knows that. The President does not forget that they (Team Unity bets) did not make it during the election. The President does not forget them...After all, they are well-known public figures. There is no problem about that (appointment)," he said in Pilipino. "[Their appointment is] highly probable, why not? When they were chosen to run in Team Unity, the President is a major factor in the composition of [the party] and therefore that fact alone that they were chosen means that they will not be forgotten by the President." Aside from Mr. Sotto, the other administration senatorial bets last year were former Environment Sec. Michael T. Defensor, former Bukidnon Rep. Jose Miguel F. Zubiri, former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero A. Pichay, Jr., re-electionists Edgardo J. Angara and Sen. Joker P. Arroyo, then Sen. Ralph G. Recto; former senator Teresa "Tessie" Aquino-Oreta, former Zambales Gov. Vicente Magsaysay, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson; actor Cesar Montano and Sultan Jamalul Kiram III. Among these candidates, only three — Messrs. Angara, Arroyo, Zubiri — won. Last week, Malacanang announced the appointment of Mr. Defensor as head of "Task Force NAIA-3," the panel tasked to work for the smooth opening of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Passenger Terminal no. 3. Meanwhile, Malacanang defended the President’s decision to appoint retired Court of Appeals Justice Lucenito N. Tagle and Malabon Regional Trial Court Judge Leonardo L. Leonida as Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners. Mr. Ermita reiterated Friday that the President has the sole prerogative to chose officials for government posts. "It’s one to recommend, its one for the President to make her decision over something. In the end, it is the President who makes the final decision...That is the essence of presidential decision," Mr. Ermita said. The statement came after Henrietta T. de Villa, chairman of the election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, said her group is "disappointed" with the appointment of Messrs. Tagle and Leonida as they were not part of the list of persons they recommended to the President. Mr. Ermita, who is also the Presidential Spokesman, said the President is "satisfied" with the qualifications of the two new commissioners. "Definitely, [she is satisfied]. She would not announce their appointment unless she is not satisfied," he said. The Palace official also reacted to criticisms that the new poll commissioners are "unknowns," saying that the appointment of officials are not popularity contests. "The president makes her decision on her own. It is not matter of who is better known, well known or not known. That is the prerogative of the President. The guy who gets appointed does not have to have some reputation before. She has her own criteria for making the final choice. It is not a popularity contest," Mr. Ermita said. He said the two new commissioners will be "of great help" to the Comelec as it is preparing for the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao local polls in August. Mr. Ermita announced the appointment of Messrs. Tagle and Leonida in a press briefing last Wednesday. They replaced Commissioners Florentino A. Tuason Jr. and Resurreccion Z. Borra who retired early this year. Mrs. Arroyo still has to fill in one more slot in Comelec, which was vacated after Commissioner Romeo A. Brawner died of heart attack last May. Mr. Ermita said the President has yet to name Mr. Brawner’s replacement. - BusinessWorld