Marcos names COA chair, GSIS chief

Asked when Marcos’ camp will announce Cabinet posts for other agencies such as the Departments of Health (DOH) and Foreign Affairs (DFA), Cruz-Angeles said candidates are still in the process of being evaluated. (File Photo: Bongbong Marcos/Facebook)

MANILA – President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has bared his picks for chairperson of the Commission on Audit (COA) and president and general manager for the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

This was announced Wednesday by incoming Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles in a press conference.

Marcos nominated outgoing Solicitor General Jose Calida as chairperson of the COA, a constitutional commission.

Calida, who served as one of the campaign managers of outgoing President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, was Justice Undersecretary during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from 2001 to 2004.

He was also concurrent executive director of the Dangerous Drugs Board from January to October 2004.

Calida graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English at the Ateneo de Davao University in 1969, and his law degree at the Ateneo Law School in 1973.

Meanwhile, Marcos also picked Philippine National Bank (PNB) president and chief executive officer (CEO) Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso as president and general manager of the GSIS.

He has over 30 years of banking and capital markets experience, garnering various industry recognitions throughout his career.

Prior to his stint with PNB, he was president and CEO of HSBC Philippines, the first Filipino CEO in HSBC’s 144 years of operations in the country.

Veloso completed his bachelor of science degree in commerce, major in marketing management, from the De La Salle University in 1986.

Asked when Marcos’ camp will announce Cabinet posts for other agencies such as the Departments of Health (DOH) and Foreign Affairs (DFA), Cruz-Angeles said candidates are still in the process of being evaluated.

“Sinusuri pa po nila. As you know, nagtalaga tayo ng applications process at saka mayroong proseso para sa page-evaluate. Dahil nga sinsabi niyo mahalaga yung mga posisyon na ‘to, hindi puwedeng madaliin yung proseso (They are still being evaluated. As you know we implemented an applications process. Because, as you said, these positions are important, we cannot rush them),” she said.