MANILA (UPDATE)- President Rodrigo Duterte has designated the head of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission to co-chair the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) after Vice President Leni Robredo was sacked from the post.

Jimenez was appointed to the ICAD on Feb. 21, according to a list of new presidential appointees made public on Friday.

The post was left vacant for over 3 months after it was briefly held by Robredo.

It can be recalled that the vice president was appointed to the ICAD following her criticism of President Duterte’s war on drugs.

At the time, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said her appointment was "was an offer to make the campaign against illegal drugs better" but 2 weeks into the job, Robredo was criticized by the President for allegedly using the post for grandstanding.

Jimenez on the other hand was the founding chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption before he assumed leadership of the PACC.

• Duterte fires Robredo from anti-drug body a day after apologizing to her

The ICAD was created by President Duterte in March 2017 through an executive order to ensure the effective conduct of anti-illegal drug operations and arrest of "high-value drug personalities down to the street level peddlers and users."

Robredo had suggested transferring the leadership of the body to the Dangerous Drugs Board from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, explaining that the former is better equipped in crafting a more balanced approach against the country's narcotics problems.

OTHER APPOINTEES

Aside from Jimenez, the President also appointed other new officials and approved the promotion of several senior officials of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Among the new appointees is Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo who was named as the Philippines’ new permanent representative to the United Nations.

Manalo replaces Rodolfo Robles, who in turn was appointed as the Philippines’ ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Canada.

A lawyer by profession, Robles was part of a consultative committee formed by President Duterte tasked to craft a new constitution that establishes a federal system of government.

Aside from the two diplomats, the President also named Abdullah Hashim as a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.