Ex-NTC exec named Pagcor president; new appointees named

Former National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) commissioner Jorge Sarmiento has been appointed as president of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). Executive Secretary Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa Jr. confirmed Sarmiento’s appointment in an ambush interview with reporters in Malacañang Monday. Sarmiento was NTC deputy commissioner from January 2003 to April 2009. He was also head of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) from January 1999 to August 2002, and a postmaster general in 1993. Sarmiento is the brother of Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Rene Sarmiento. President Benigno Aquino III had earlier named Cristino "Bong" Naguiat Jr. as Pagcor chairman, replacing Efraim Genuino whose term had been extended by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Genuino quit his post before Aquino could name his replacement. Ochoa also confirmed that Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima will be replacing acting National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director-general Augusto Santos in the Monetary Board. New government officials who took their oaths of office before Aquino earlier in the day were Department of Justice undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar; Department of Transportation and Communication undersecretaries Aristotle Batuhan, Glicerio Sicat, and Dante Velasco; DOTC acting assistant secretary Ildefonso Patdu Jr.; and acting Toll Regulatory Board executive director Manuel Garay Imperial. Others who took their oaths were Maritime Industry Authority Emerson Lorenzo; Philippine Ports Authority general manager Juan Sta. Ana; PPA assistant general manager Raul Santos; Civil Aeronautics Board acting executive director Carmelo Arcilla; Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board member Mabel Mamba; and Bureau of Internal Revenue deputy commissioner for legal and inspection group Estella Sales. - Jam L. Sisante/KBK, GMANews.TV