President Duterte has named Dr. William Dar as acting Department of Agriculture secretary.
Malacañang confirmed Dar’s appointment yesterday afternoon.
In a text message, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed that Dar will make a comeback at the DA. “Yes,” Medialdea said when asked for confirmation about Dar’s appointment.
According to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Dar is qualified to head the agency.
“William Dar has the educational qualifications, domestic and international experience in the field of agriculture,” he said.
Dar briefly served as Agriculture chief during the term of President Joseph Estrada.
Dar will replace Secretary Emmanuel Piñol who will head the Mindanao Development Authority. Dar will go to Malacañang to take his oath yesterday afternoon.
Piñol resigned as Agriculture chief last June following backlash on how he dealt with the 22 fishermen who were abandoned near the Recto Bank after their vessel was rammed by a Chinese boat.
Meanwhile, Duterte has appointed Court of Appeals Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda as the new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Medialdea yesterday confirmed that Duterte appointed Zalameda to the SC following the retirement of SC Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo who reached the minatory retirement age of 70 last July 29.
Zalameda, a law graduate from Ateneo de Mania University and former Mandaluyong City prosecutor, beat other SC aspirants in the Judicial and Bar Council shortlist, including Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez and CA
Associate Justices Apolinario Bruselas Jr., Japar Dimaampao, Ramon Garcia, and Jhosep Lopez.
Zalameda was appointed to the CA in September 2008. (Argyll Geducos and Genalyn Kabiling)
