Duterte swears in new acting DA, DBM secretaries, SC justice

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday led the oath taking in Malacañang of newly appointed officials, including the acting secretaries of the Agriculture and Budget departments and a new Supreme Court magistrate.

Duterte administered the oath of William Dar, acting secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Wendel Avisado, acting secretary of the Department of Budget and Management and Rodil Zalameda, associate justice of the high court.

Photos of the oath-taking ceremony were released by Malacañang on Tuesday.

“We welcome these two distinguished gentlemen [Dar and Avisado] to President Duterte's official family,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

“We expect the new Justice [Zalameda] to serve the high court with competence, integrity, and fidelity to our Constitution and serve justice to each person with dispatch.”

Separately, the president led the mass oath-taking in the presidential palace of several new appointees in government which included judges and prosecutors.

In his speech during the mass oath-taking rites, Duterte told the newly appointed officials that he expects them to help him in the task of regaining people’s trust in government by pursuing necessary bureaucratic reforms that “will enable us to address the needs of those we serve.”

“Help me institute the necessary reforms so that our government may effectively stamp out criminality, illegal drugs, terrorism, and other ills that have prevented us from improving the lives of our people,” he said.

He also encouraged the newly appointed officials to keep their dignity intact.

“Know that you will always have my complete support as long as you resist any temptation that will taint your character and reputation as public servants,” Duterte said. —LDF, GMA News