MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed a new chairman of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) two months since firing its top officials over alleged excessive foreign trips.

Appointment papers released by Malacañang Thursday showed that Duterte has named Noel Felongco as new PCUP chair.

Felongco replaces former party-list Rep. Terry Ridon as PCUP chair.

Also appointed as PCUP commissioner was Romeo Halasan Janduga.

Duterte earlier appointed Randy Halasan and Norman Brillantes Baloro as PCUP commissioners.

• Duterte appoints two PCUP commissioners

The President fired in December 2017 Ridon and commissioners Joan Lagunda, Manuel Serra Jr., Melissa Aradanas and Noe Indonto for supposedly going on junkets.

Amid the President’s firing spree of officials who supposedly take unnecessary trips, Malacañang last month issued a memorandum restricting travel among officials in the executive department, allowing only trips that would bring “substantial benefit to the country.”

• Duterte hits gov't official over extravagant travels