'Hyatt 10' member, 30 others, take oath before Aquino

Another member of the so-called "Hyatt 10" group of officials and more than 30 other persons on Monday took their oaths as new officials of the administration of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. Juan Santos, the new chairman of the Social Security System (SSS), and former Department of Trade and Industry Secretary, was the fifth "Hyatt 10" member to take his oath before the President. The Hyatt 10 is a group of high-ranking government officials who resigned from their posts at the height of the Hello Garci scandal during the administration of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo. The four others whom Aquino previously appointed were Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles, who returned to their old posts; and Budget Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad, who held the education portfolio during the Arroyo administration. Another official during the Arroyo administration, former Civil Service Commission chair Karina Constantino David, took her oath Monday as a member of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Board of Trustees. David retired as CSC chair in early 2008. The aforementioned Hyatt 10 members, as well as David, supported Aquino in his presidential campaign. Environmentalist Regina "Gina" Lopez, managing director of the ABS-CBN Foundation involved in rehabilitating natural resources, was sworn in as the chairperson of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning head Ricky Carandang, who worked as a broadcast journalist for the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) before his appointment, said in a text message that Lopez's appointment was a "logical choice" because she has "long been involved in efforts to clean up the Pasig River." Presidential Communications Operations head Sonny Coloma, who has the rank of secretary, also took his oath. Other oath-takers Aside from Santos, Lopez, and Coloma, those who took their oaths were: * Patricia Licuanan as chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education; * Daniel Lacson Jr. as GSIS chairman; * Emilio de Quiros as SSS president and chief executive officer; * Francisco del Rosario Jr., president and CEO of the Development Bank of the Philippines(DBP); * Jose Nunez, DBP chairman; * Antonio Jose Periquet and Juan Kevin Belmonte, DBP board members; * Ma. Regina Martin, Sugar Regulatory Administration administrator; * Felizardo Serapio Jr., Philippine Center for Transnational Crime executive director; * Peter Tiangco, administrator of the National Mapping and Resource Information of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; * Geraldine Go Bernardo, Philippine Sports Commission executive director; * Jose Luis Reyes Gomez, PSC Commissioner; * Teofilo Abejo II, Toll Regulatory Board member; * Manuel Dimaculangan, Manila Economic and Cultural Office board of directors member; * Jaime Laya and Maria Cristina Turalba, Cultural Center of the Philippines board of trustees members; * Palawan Gov. Abraham Kahlil Mitra, chairman of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development; * Chito Cruz, National Housing Authority general manager; * Rex Derequito Piad, special envoy for transnational crime. * Antonio Parungao and Jerry Pacturan, Department of Agrarian Reform Undersecretaries; * Herminia Fe San Juan, Mary Frances Pesayco Aquino, and Felix Perry Villanueva, DAR Assistant Secretaries ; * Maria Theresa Martinez, Tourism Undersecretary; * Maria Victoria Jasmin and Domingo Ramon Enerio, Tourism Assistant Secretaries * Jacqueline Veloria Mejia and Geronimo Sy, Justice Assistant Secretaries, and * Renato Marfil and Elizardo de Layola, Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretaries. Belmonte, formerly partner in-charge of the revenue enhancement and strategy services practice of the SGV Business Consulting Division, is a son of House Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr., Aquino's ally. Aquino also swore in officers of the League of Municipalities of Leyte. –VVP, GMANews.TV