President Duterte has appointed undersecretaries of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as temporary leaders of the two agencies while he surveys the field for replacements.
To “ensure the continuous and effective delivery of public service”, the President has tapped Health Undersecretary Herminigildo V. Valle and Information Undersecretary Eliseo M. Rio Jr. as officers in charge (OIC) of the DOH and the DICT, respectively. The appointment papers were signed by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea by authority of the President.
The appointment of Valle came two days after former Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial was rejected by the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA). The CA on Tuesday voted to remove Ubial after bypassing her twice.
Ubial became the fifth Duterte appointee to be rejected by the CA, joining removed Cabinet members Perfecto R. Yasay Jr., Regina Paz L. Lopez, Judy M. Taguiwalo and Rafael V. Mariano.
On the other hand, the appointment of Rio came in light of the resignation of former Information Secretary Rodolfo A. Salalima, who quit as a Cabinet member in September.
Salalima said he stepped down as information chief because he can no longer deal with corruption and interference in the DICT. He added his deal with Duterte was “no interference, no corruption” under his leadership in the information department.
Salalima was the first Cabinet member to resign. However, the Chief Executive has said he asked Salalima, who was his former classmate at the San Beda College of Law, to resign for reportedly favoring a telecommunications company.
“Many are complaining to me that he seemed to be partial because he was vice president of Globe [Telecoms Inc.], but I know that,” the President said in a television interview.
Valle earned his medical degree at the Far Eastern University and received residency and fellowships at the Long Island College Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Hospital, respectively. He was the first Filipino to become the medical chief of staff of Seton Hospital in Daly City, California.
On the other hand, Rio finished his engineering degree at the University of the Philippines and the University of the East. He was awarded Most Outstanding Professional in the Field of Electronics and Communication by the Professional Regulation Commission in 2002.