President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Abdullah Mama-o as secretary of the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DOMW), and named Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Undersecretary Anderson Ang Lo as the new Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao.
Acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said the President also named PDP-Laban secretary-general Melvin Matibag as his Cabinet Secretary, replacing Secretary Karlo Nograles who took oath as the new Civil Service Commission chairman this week.
In a statement, Andanar confirmed Mama-o’s appointment. “Mama-o’s experience and qualifications in labor and diplomatic negotiations, among others, as the Presidential Adviser on OFW concerns, will be invaluable to his new position and Filipino migrant workers,” Andanar said.
Lo’s appointment as Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao was also confirmed. Matibag took his oath before Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Wednesday morning.
Duterte also appointed two more justices, both from Davao, to the Court of Appeals as well as three deputies at the Office of the Ombudsman.
Appointed to the appellate court were Davao City, Davao del Sur Regional Trial Court Branch 52 Judge Ronald Tolentino, and University of Southern Philippines-School of Law (USEP-SOL) Acting Dean Rogelio Largo.
Tolentino would take over the vacancy left by former CA Associate Justice Stephen Cruz who compulsory retired on August 3, 2020, while Largo would fill in the post vacated by former CA Associate Justice Danton Bueser who retired on March 14, 2021.
Malacañang also informed Gesmundo of the appointment of Assistant Ombudsman Jose Balmeo Jr. as the new Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (MOLEO). With Rey E. Requejo
Replacing retired Cyril Ramos, Balmeo will have a seven-year term as Deputy Ombudsman. MOLEO of the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) handles complaints against members of the police, the military, and other law enforcement agencies.
President Duterte also appointed Anderson Ang Lo and and Dante Flores Vargas as Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao and Deputy Ombudsman for Visayas, respectively.
Lo replaced retired Deputy Ombudsman Rodolfo M. Elman, while Vargas took over the post vacated by retired Deputy Ombudsman Paul Elmer Clemente.
The President also appointed 30 RTC judges. All of them would be assigned to courts in various provinces in Mindanao. With Rey E. Requejo
