Defeated admin bet Recto appointed as new NEDA chief

(Updated 5:27 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - Losing senatorial candidate Ralph Recto was appointed on Wednesday as the new director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Radio dzBB's Nimfa Ravelo reported that Executive Sec. Eduardo Ermita made the announcement during his weekly press briefing. He justified Recto's appointment saying he is qualified for the job. "Former Sen. Recto (has been appointed) director-general of NEDA effective immediately... The appointment was signed by the president is already forwarded also to Congress for CA (Commission on Appointments) approval," Ermita said. "My golly, he's qualified naman... I mean he's an economist for one thing, alam naman ninyo," Ermita said, when asked why Recto was named for the position. Recto was the former chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and the author of the Expanded Value Added Tax. A graduate of Commerce from the De La Salle University, Recto has two master’s degrees - one in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines Diliman, and another in Strategic Business Economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific. Incidentally, Recto is also the latest defeated senatorial candidate who ran under the administration's Team Unity last year to get a government post. Earlier, the Palace appointed former Sen. Vicente Sotto III to head the Dangerous Drugs Board. Another defeated administration senatorial candidate, Michael Defensor, was also recently appointed to head a task force handling the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. There are also talks that other defeated administration senatorial bets will be appointed to top government posts, with Teresa Oreta being eyed as Department of Education secretary and Prospero Pichay Jr as Customs commissioner. There are also reports that Pichay is being considered to head the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). In the briefing, Ermita fended off speculations that Recto's appointment was a "payback" for losing senatorial candidates of the administration. "Hindi naman natin mapag-aalis that people will always have something to say about the appointments being made by the President. Every time the President makes a significant appointment, we always get a reaction," Ermita said. "What is important there is we recognize that the President is the appointing authority provided for in the Constitution. The President alone will know the qualifications of those people she thinks could help her in governance. And therefore hindi naman gagawa si Presidente ng appointment na hindi makakatulong sa kanya. So let's give it to the President also," he added. Ermita also appealed to critics to hold off criticisms on Recto. "I'm very sure the President knows the qualification of the former senator. Alam din naman ni former Sen. Recto what is to be expected of him. So let's just see that now that he will be in the executive branch. Siguro mapag-aralan niya mabuti the kind of actions and measures, policies that he can craft to help the President as a member of the economic team. Let's observe the conduct of former Sen. Recto given his experience for six years in the Senate," Ermita said. The report said that with Recto's appointment NEDA acting director general Augusto Santos will return to his former post as the agency's deputy director-general. Santos occupied the top NEDA post in an acting capacity, replacing former NEDA chief Romulo Neri who was moved to head the Commission of Higher Education and was later appointed as president of the Social Security System (SSS). - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV