AFP chief to be next MARINA chief

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is accorded with military honors upon his arrival at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City for his attendance to the 82nd Anniversary Celebration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on December 20, 2017. Accompanying the President is AFP Chief of Staff General Rey Guerrero. ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The President has revealed who he will appoint as the next Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) chief, after axing its former.

President Rodrigo Duterte during a visit in Camp General Manuel T. Yan Sr., Compostela Valley, dropped Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff Gen. Rey Leonard Guerrero’s name as his next MARINA chief.

“Iyang si Jagger, pagkatapos niyan [sa AFP], siya iyong maghawak ng MARINA na pinaalis ko kay ‘sige travel’ (Jagger, when he is done with his service in AFP, he will handle MARINA [whose head] I removed so [he could] ‘go ahead, travel),” the President said.

‘Jagger’ is Guerrero’s nickname in the military. He has reached his mandatory retirement age of 56 on December 17 last year, but the President has extended his term to April 2018.

Meanwhile Duterte’s second ‘nickname’ was referring to the former MARINA chief, Marcial Amaro III that the President sacked over junkets.

Earlier this January, Amaro was lifted from his post for his supposed excessive foreign trips. However, the ex-MARINA head defended that his trips were needed and necessary.

(Read: Axed MARINA head defends foreign trips)

“But the thing is, MARINA is an international organization. We are a special organization of the government that deals with international organizations,” Amaro pointed out in an interview with ANC.

In the same interview, he admitted that he did have a total of 21 trips abroad, however, he stressed that all those travels were approved by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). In detail, he said that six out of 21 were sponsored by other countries, while the remaining were funded by the Philippine government.

DOTr, however, in a statement said, “The DOTr trusts that the President’s decision is just, fair, and unprejudiced as it was based on verifiable facts and a thorough investigation.”

The Transportation Department also said that they do not tolerate “corruption and excesses” in government.

Amaro said that he had no prior knowledge of his dismissal until Roque made the announcement. He, however, said that he respects the President’s decision.