President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Carlo Dimayuga III as acting chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
He will replace lawyer Romando Artes, an appointee of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Marcos also appointed his personal physician, Dr. Samuel Zacate, as director-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and seven others as legal advisers and heads of executive offices, Malcanang said.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced Zacate’s appointment in a Palace press briefing.
Zacate is a known public health advocate with years of expertise in medicine and medical consultancy in other government units and offices, including the Public Attorney’s Office and the Presidential Security Group Hospital (2009-2022).
Before his appointment, Zacate was a diplomate of the Philippine Society for Venereology and a fellow of the International College of Surgeons.
Angeles also announced that lawyer Joseph Sagandoy has taken his oath as deputy presidential legal counsel of the President. Also taking their oath of office were lawyers Marforth Fua, Rogel Gathalian, Hubert Dominic Guevara James Jayson Jorvina, and Edwardson Ong as assistant presidential legal counsels.
Sagandoy received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines in 1997 and his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the same university in 1992.
He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1997.
Marcos expressed confidence in the capacity of the new officials of the Office of the Presidential Legal Counsel to deliver their mandate.
Marcos also named retired brigadier general Roman Felix as secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs (OPAMA).
Felix is a retired police general who served in various offices and units of the Philippine National Police in regional and national headquarters.
He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Matikas” Class of 1983.
Retired Maj. Gen. Ariel Caculitan was also picked by Marcos as OPAMA’s undersecretary for military affairs.
Caculitan served in various units of the Philippine Marine Corps and Philippine Navy. He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Makatao” Class of 1989 and a top notcher of the AFP Command and General Staff Course Class 45.