Duterte appoints previously fired cousin of partner

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte KARL NORMAN ALONZO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The President appointed his partner’s cousin to a new government position, even after firing her last year.

In the appointment papers signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on March 7, Melissa Avanceña Aradanas was appointed to another council.

“Pursuant to the provisions of existing laws, you are hereby appointed Deputy Secretary-General, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC),” the letter read.

Aradanas, the cousin of Duterte’s partner Honeylet Avanceña, was one of the five sacked Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) officials led by former Kabataan party-list representative Terry Ridon back in December 2017.

She is set to replace Patrocinio Jude Esguerra III.

In a speech in December, Duterte said, “Pati siya tinanggal ko (I also fired her). But I told my wife ‘you call your cousin and say, alis sila (they are fired).’”

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. confirmed that Duterte fired all the PCUP executives.

“The President started two grounds – number one, it is, according to him, a collegial body, and they have not met as a collegial body, and number two, the commissioners are notorious for junkets abroad,” Roque said in a press briefing.

According to Duterte, the PCUP chief traveled at least seven times in his one-year stint.

“To think the office is an urban poor agency, I simply cannot understand why you had to be there at every pow wow in the international scene,” Duterte said.

Apart from Ridon and Aradanas, Joan Lagunda, Manuel Serra, Jr., and Noe Indonto were the other officials fired.

This was in line with the Duterte administration’s drive to get rid of corruption.