MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has appointed Tereso Panga as the director-general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) amid a leadership row with its former head Charito Plaza, Malacañang said on Saturday.

Panga was appointed PEZA chief on March 23, 2023, the Presidential Communications Office said.

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In January, PEZA employees filed a complaint against Panga for allegedly persecuting them for being supporters of Plaza, who insisted she remains head of the agency.

Plaza claimed the agency was exempted from a Malacañang memorandum declaring vacant several positions in the executive branch, as this does not cover "government instrumentality with corporate powers."

Panga's appointment as OIC was earlier affirmed by Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual during the leadership dispute.

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OTHER APPOINTEES

Meanwhile, Marcos appointed former ABS-CBN News reporter Rowena "Wheng" Hidalgo-Otida as an assistant secretary at the Media Accreditation and Relations Office under the Presidential Communications Office.

He also appointed Maria Waywaya Macalma, a former broadcast reporter for state-run PTV, as Director III at the PCO.

They were both appointed on Feb. 15, 2023, according to the Palace.

Other appointees are the following:

PCO

• EVANGELINE Q. DE LEON - Assistant Secretary
• EUGENE HENRY C. RODRIGUEZ - Assistant Secretary

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

• MONINA A. ZENAROSA - member

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

• WILLIE ANN M. ANGSIY - Director IV
• DENNIS R. ARPIA - Director IV
• WILBERTO O. CASTILLO - Director III
• LARRY U. SULTAN - Director III

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE
SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM

• EVA B. ARCOS - Acting Member, Representing the Workers' Group, Social Security Commission

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

• RALPH JOSEPH C. MONCATAR - Director IV
• JUNE VINCENT MANUEL S. GAUDAN- Director III
• JIMI RAMBO R. ARRANCHADO - Director II
• MELVYN CARLO T. BARROA - Director II
• RACHEL ANN P. GRABADOR - Director I

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