MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte plans to appoint Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Rey Guerrero as Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) administrator when he retires on April 24.

The President announced this on Monday, January 22, during the launch of a Department of Agriculture (DA) program for the military in Mawab, Compostela Valley.

“Jagger (Guerrero’s nickname), when it’s over, he will take over Marina,” said Duterte in a mix of English and Filipino.

Guerrero was supposed to retire last December 17 but Duterte extended his term  as military chief by 4 months.

Guerrero will replace Marcial Amaro III who was sacked as Marina administrator for going on 24 trips in 2016 and 2017, a number of trips Duterte found “excessive.”

Duterte has appointed to top civilian government posts all those who served as AFP chiefs under him. This started with his first AFP chief, Ricardo Visaya, who is now National Irrigation Administration (NIA) chief.

The AFP chief after Visaya, Eduardo Año, is now Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge. Duterte plans to appoint Año as interior secretary when the one-year appointment ban on retired military chiefs expires.

Duterte has appointed many other former military men into government, including Roy Cimatu, now environment secretary, Jason Aquino who heads the National Food Authority (NFA), and Danilo Lim, chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). – Rappler.com