MANILA – President Rodrigo R. Duterte has appointed Elpidio Jumalon Vega as the new government corporate counsel replacing Rudolf Jurado who was sacked last May.
Duterte signed Vega’s appointment paper of Sept. 27 but it was released to media on Monday.
Prior to his appointment, Vega was deputy government corporate counsel.
On May 28, Duterte announced that he has fired Jurado for allegedly favoring a gambling operator.
“May I call the government corporate counsel now. Are you here? Because if you are here, come out. You are fired,” Duterte said in his speech during the ceremonial signing of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 at Malacañang Palace.
Jurado has been accused of issuing a legal opinion that led to the approval of a 75-year permit to a casino operator inside the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (APEC).
He has denied the allegations but accepted Duterte's decision to fire him.
"I accept and respect our President's decision. As an appointee who serves under his pleasure, I am honored to have been given a chance to serve under his administration," Jurado said in an earlier statement.
Meanwhile, Duterte also appointed the following:
- Datu Ras Sinsuat Lidasan Jr. - Commissioner of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos
- Ronald Cardema - member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board Appeals Committee
- Monica Prieto Teodoro - Special Envoy of the President to the United Nations Children’s Fund from Sept. 28, 2019 to Sept. 27, 2019.
- Dante Arevalo Ang - Special Envoy of the President for International Public Relations from Nov. 1, 2018 to Oct. 21, 2019.
- Jose Claveria de Venecia - Special Envoy of the President for Intercultural Dialogue and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from Oct. 21, 2018 to Oct. 20, 2019
- Abdullah Derupong Mama-o - Special Envoy of the President to the State of Kuwait from Nov 1, 2018 to Oct. 31, 2019.
- Jesus Santos Domingo - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to New Zealand with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and the Independent State of Samoa.
- Catalina Catral-Talatala - Senior State Solicitor, Office of the Solicitor General
- Linda Mae Cajipe Aguirre - Senior State Solicitor, Office of the Solicitor General
- Gilbert Ulit Medrano -Senior State Solicitor, Office of the Solicitor General
- Leanne Maureen Seares Apolinar - State Solicitor I, Office of the Solicitor General
- Maria Luz Antonette Toyco-Tan - Prosecutor III, Office of the City Prosecutor-Taguig City, National Prosecution Service, Department of Justice
- Joselito Cabanela Bacolor - Prosecutor III, office of the City Prosecutor-Quezon City, National Prosecution Service, Department of Justice
- Alessandro David Jurado - Prosecutor III, Office of the City Prosecutor-Quezon City-National Prosecution Service, Department of Justice
- Luz Awayan-Macasinag - Prosecutor II, Office of the City Prosecutor-Manila-National Prosecution Service, Department of Justice
- Merryl Ann Hermila Nanaois Rabe, - Prosecutor II, Office of the City Prosecutor-Makati City, National Prosecution Service, Department of Justice
- Aileen Turla-Base - Prosecutor II, Office of the City Prosecutor-Caloocan City-National Prosecution Service, Department of Justice
- Elvira Badillo-Adarlo - Prosecutor II, Office of the City Prosecutor-Marikina City, National Prosecution Service, Department of Justice
- Aurora Andrea Gallardo De Perdo - Local Government Operations Officer VII, Department of Interior and Local Government
- Thelma Terciño Vecina - Director IV, Department of Interior and Local Government
- Elpidio Aquino Durwin - Director III of the Department of Interior and Local Government
- Douglas Allidem Rufino - Director I, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Finance
- V Chewas Cadangen - Director I, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Finance
- Alibasa Gunting Andig - Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, Department of Agrarian Reform
- Christine Pangilinan-Canlapan - Director III, Intellectual Property Office, Department of Trade and Industry
- Ryan Sy Lita - Director IV, Department of Budget and Management
- Jesus Antonio Zurbito Ros - Director III, Intellectual Property Office, Department of Trade and Industry
- Saturnino Bueno Bello - Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, Department of Agrarian Reform
- Ricardo Lopena Moldez - member, Social Security Commission, Social Security System (PNA)
