DUTERTE NAMES DUQUE’S BROD PCA ADMINISTRATOR

After saying he wants an honest man to handle the P100-billion coco levy fund, President Duterte has named the brother of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

Gonzalo Duque was appointed PCA administrator amid controversies surrounding the two brothers.

His designation was confirmed by the President’s spokesperson, Salvador Panelo, in a text message when asked to verify the report.

The new PCA chief reportedly took his oath before Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Monday morning.

The appointment came a week after Mr. Duterte said he preferred investing the coco levy fund in a trust fund and that he wanted an “honest” official to handle the funds.

In his fourth State of the Nation address on July 22, the President proposed investing the fund instead of distributing it to coconut farmers, which, he said, would open it to corruption.

“That is P100 billion … Until now, I haven’t found anyone. Look, it is really hard to look for an honest man. Because this is big, and you assign a corrupt idiot. If it is distributed, all of it like sprinkles, then it will be gone. The one distributing it will get his share as well,” he said.

But in February, Mr. Duterte vetoed a measure seeking to strengthen the PCA, as well as the creation of the P100-billion trust fund for the benefit of 3.5 million coconut farmers.

Plunder charges

The Duque brothers are both facing plunder and graft cases in the Office of the Ombudsman over a lease contract between Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Duques’ family-owned corporation.

They are accused of profiting from PhilHealth’s lease of a building in Dagupan City owned by Educational and Medical Development Corp., a firm where the Duques supposedly still have shares.

PhilHealth rents the building, which serves as its office for the Ilocos region, for P529,261 a month.

Health Secretary Duque is the ex-officio chair of PhilHealth, which has been found to have misused funds through massive overpayments to health centers and “ghost” dialysis treatments.

Malacañang welcomed Gonzalo’s appointment as the new PCA head, noting his career in public service. Panelo cited his record in both the government and academia.

“With his credentials, we expect a man of competence and integrity in the likes of Mr. Duque to champion the cause of the Filipino coconut farmers,” Panelo said in a statement.

The Palace cited his appointment to the Social Security Commission in December 2016 as a representative of the labor sector, and his term as a vice governor of Pangasinan province from 1987 to 1992.

Gonzalo was then designated director and later deputy administrator at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

“Aside from working in both the national and local levels of the government, Duque was active in the academe,” Panelo said.

Gonzalo served Lyceum Northwestern University for 17 years as chancellor, executive vice president, chair of the board of trustees, and fourth president.

He received his bachelor of arts degree in political science from San Beda College Manila in 1972 and his law degree from the same school in 1976.

With his credentials, we expect a man of competence and integrity in the likes of Mr. Duque to champion the cause of the Filipino coconut farmers Salvador Panelo Presidential Spokesperson