Lorraine Badoy, Jun Santiago take oath as officials in Duterte admin

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday led the oath-taking of hundreds of new appointees including Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Lorraine Badoy and Presidential Adviser for Revenue Enhancement Undersecretary Narciso “Jun” Santiago Jr. at the Heroes Hall in Malacañang.

For her social media posts against the European Union, Badoy was recently slapped with a complaint by former Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman.

Santiago, meanwhile, is the widower of late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who passed away in September 2016. She ran for president in the May 2016 elections.

Duterte also administered the oath of office of Agriculture Usec. Evelyn Laviña, wife of resigned administrator of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Peter Laviña.

Meanwhile, former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Ricardo Visaya was also sworn in as NIA administrator.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista also took his oath as the chair of the Regional Peace and Order Council in Metro Manila.

Others who took oath were:

• industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue, co-chair of the Central Visayas Regional Development Council
• government implementing panel for the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Irene Santiago
• former basketball player Ramon Fernandez as head of Philippine Sports Commission
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director-general Guiling Mamondiong
• Government Service Insurance System chairman Francisco Duque III

Duterte also administered the oath of office to special envoys to China Carlos Chan, Wallie Lee, and William Lima; special envoy to the United States Jose Antonio; special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Almarim Tillah; and special envoy to Australia Miguel Ayala.

At the same time, Duterte also led the oath-taking of the officers of the Philippine Councilors League. Comedian and Parañaque Councilor Vandolph Quizon also took his oath as the group’s vice chairman for Luzon. — BM, GMA News