THE Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) recently welcomed new personalities as head of its attached agencies.
At the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Jose Angel Honrado was appointed general manager, taking over from lawyer Melvin Matibag who held the post after MIAA general manager Alfonso Cusi was transferred to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Honrado is a retired Air Force Major General and also part of the Presidential Security Group during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino.
Virginia Torres is the new Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, replacing Alberto Suansing. Torres, a shooting buddy of President Benigno Aquino III, formerly headed the LTO in Tarlac.
Dante Lantin has been designated officer-in-charge of the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTRFB). Lantin was also the former chief of the LTFRB during the Aquino, Ramos and Estrada administrations.
Still vacant are the positions of Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) administrator.
Reports, however, claim Atty Juan Sta. Ana has already been appointed PPA GM but there has been no such confirmation from the port agency as of this writing. Atty. Sta. Ana served as PPA port district manager during the first Aquino administration.
If Sta. Ana is appointed PPA GM, sources said he will likely call for a reshuffle and appoint Atty David Simon as PPA assistant general manager (AGM) for Finance and Administration, replacing current AGM Atty. Gloria Bañas. Sta. Ana may also install a new AGM for Engineering but retain Raul Santos as AGM for Operations.
It has also been speculated that Felipe Judan, a former classmate of President Aquino in Ateneo, and now connected with the Southwest Maritime Group, is in the running for the top job in PPA.
In Marina, the post is still up for grabs but sources said the administrator’s job will likely be filled by someone from the Joint Manning Group (JMG), a strong supporter of President Aquino in the last elections. JMG is one of the country’s most influential groups in the manning, crewing and shipping industries.
Other key appointments at the DOTC include investment banker Glicerio Sicat as Undersecretary in charge of the Air and Rail Transport Sectors; Cebuano lawyer Aristotle Batuhan as Undersecretary for Legal Services; and public relations man Dante Velasco as Undersecretary for Public Information in charge of the DOTC’s Action Center.
