Mar to return to DTI; Acosta to DENR: report

MANILA, Philippines - Two leaders of the Liberal Party (LP) who lost in the May 10 elections will likely be appointed to the Cabinet of President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III after the one-year ban on appointment of losing candidates lapses, according to a source in the Aquino camp.

The updated report on the Aquino Cabinet said outgoing Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II, who lost a closely-fought vice-presidential election to Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, will return to his old post as secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Gregory Domingo, a former trade and industry undersecretary and Board of Investments (BOI) chief when Roxas was at the DTI, will reportedly head the department for a year.

Environmentalist and former Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta, one of the LP senatorial bets, will reportedly be appointed secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) after the 1-year ban.

Current DENR Secretary Horacio Ramos, an old hand in the department, will reportedly warm the seat for a year. 

Lacierda: It's speculative

In an interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com and ABS-CBN News, Aquino's spokesman Edwin Lacierda said this so-called new list of Cabinet appointments was "speculative."

However, he added that he had no information about it since he does not sit in Aquino's search committee.

Lacierda said it would be best to just let Aquino announce the members of his Cabinet, which will be before his inauguration on June 30.

He said he was familiar with some of the names on the list since they were part of the Aquino-Roxas campaign team.

MBC exec to DOT

Alberto "Bertie" Lim, executive director of the influential Makati Business Club (MBC), will be appointed secretary of Department of Tourism (DOT), according to same report.

Lim was president of Ten Knots Development Corporation, owners and managers of El Nido resorts, before he became executive director of the MBC in 2006.

Earlier reports said Filipino singer and composer Jim Paredes of APO Hiking Society would head the DOT after it was rejected by TV host-talent manager Boy Abunda.

Aboitiz man to DOE

Jose Rene D. Almendras, president of the Manila Water Co., will be appointed secretary of the Department of Energy (DoE).

Before joining the Ayala Group, Almendras was treasurer of Aboitiz & Co., and Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

The Aboitiz Group has been involved in the country's power sector since the 1930s. (Click here for more details.)

RP's Grameen man to DA

Jaime Aristotle Alip, a 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service, will reportedly be named secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

Alip, a former staff member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, founded the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions and promoted microfinancing in rural areas, similar to the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.

BIR, DFA

Kim Jacinto Henares, former deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), will reportedly be the new chief of the agency.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, a long-time ally and supporter of the Aquino family, will stay in his post for another year. There was no information on who his successor will be, the report said.

Johnny Santos, a former trade and industry secretary and a member of the Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO), will be named ambassador to the US.

Others on list

Other likely appointees to the Cabinet who have been previously mentioned are (click here for story):

• former Education Secretary and Liberal Party campaign manager Florencio "Butch" Abad as secretary of the Department of Budget and Management;

• former Presidential Security Guard (PSG) chief during the Cory Aquino administration Voltaire Gazmin as secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND);

• former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima will return to his old post;

• Guillermo Parayno will return as Bureau of Customs commissioner;

• Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo will head the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Leila de Lima, chair of the Commission on Human Rights, will reportedly be named secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

However, Lacierda expressed surprise over this, pointing out that de Lima has a fixed term as head of the Philippines' human rights agency.