The start of the year saw changes in two government agencies with the appointment of new chiefs for the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
President Benigno Aquino III appointed Atty. Adrian Cristobal, Jr as ad interim DTI secretary effective December 31 of last year, replacing Gregory Domingo who resigned in September but stayed on until after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. Domingo is returning to the private sector.
Cristobal joined the Aquino administration in August 2010 when he was appointed DTI undersecretary for international trade.
He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California in Berkeley and his Juris Doctor of Laws from Ateneo de Manila University.
Meanwhile, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) executive director Robert Cabrera has been appointed LTO chief following the resignation of Alfonso Tan Jr. last November.
Cabrera, who became LTFRB executive director in 2013, took over the position on January 4. He is a lawyer with a Masters of Law degree from Boston University.
Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya clarified that Tan was not sacked but voluntarily resigned. Last year, the LTO was marred by controversies over alleged irregularities involving contracts on the acquisition of driver’s licenses and car plates, now in short supply.
Meanwhile, no announcement has yet been made on the replacement of Atty. Juan Sta. Ana as head of the Philippine Ports Authority. Sta. Ana, who is also returning to the private sector, resigned from his post early December but stayed on until December 31.
Abaya told PortCalls in a text message an appointment for a replacement or officer-in-charge “should happen within the week.”
