Palace defends Rene Villa's appointment to LWUA

Malacañang on Saturday branded as unfair accusations that new Local Water Utilities Administration head Rene Villa was chosen for the post because of his ties to the “Hyatt 10." Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte maintained Villa was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III because of his competence and “integrity." “I think it’s unfair to call him (Villa) this or that. There are people who have worked in government regardless of who sat as president," Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. Malacañang on Friday announced the appointment of Villa to replace Prospero Pichay Jr. as acting LWUA chairman. Pichay, who also served as LWUA's chairman, was dismissed in July after he and two other officials were linked to the alleged misuse of the agency's funds. Pichay said he will question the dismissal order at the Court of Appeals. Villa served as agrarian reform secretary under former President Gloria Arroyo, although he joined the Hyatt 10 – the ten Cabinet and sub-Cabinet officials who withdrew their support for Arroyo amid the alleged “Hello Garci" poll-fraud scandal that was made public in 2005. The “Garci" scandal involved wiretapped phone conversations that suggested Arroyo cheated to win the 2004 presidential election. “When Villa’s capabilities were assessed, he was found capable of discharging duties as acting LWUA head," Valte said. Asked if Villa will not do what Pichay allegedly did, she said, “Opo, opo, opo, confident tayo (Yes, yes, yes, we are confident)." Meanwhile, Valte dismissed speculations that other government posts are also being readied for Liberal Party (LP), Aquino's party, senatorial candidates who were defeated in the 2010 elections. “That’s assuming too much at this point," she said, but admitted Aquino’s familiarity with them as LP party-mates may be a factor. “It’s a matter of the president knowing a party-mate having the same reform-mindedness as he does," she said. Defeated LP senatorial bets who were recently appointed to government posts were:

• Rozzano Rufino Biazon (Customs commissioner)
• Danilo Lim (deputy Customs commissioner)
• Nereus Acosta Jr. (presidential adviser on environmental protection)

Meanwhile, Aquino's party-mates still without government posts are:

• Ana Theresia Baraquel
• Martin Bautista
• Alexander Lacson
• Yasmin Lao
• Sonia Roco

— LBG, GMA News