Duterte names new NAPC, PCUP heads

President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed new heads of two agencies involved in the poverty alleviation programs of the government, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Duterte signed on October 31 the appointment papers of Noel Felongco as lead convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) and Alvin Feliciano as chairperson of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP).

Felongco, currently the PCUP chairperson, replaces Liza Maza who resigned in August as she protested the cancellation of peace talks with the communist rebels and the possible return to power of the Marcoses.

Maza recently slammed Duterte’s decision to transfer some agencies under Malacañang’s supervision to departments whose heads are former military officials.

The former Gabriela party-list lawmaker last week took to Facebook to criticize Executive Order 67, which reorganized the Office of Cabinet Secretary by transferring eight agencies under its wing to three departments and abolishing two offices.

The Palace, however, said EO 67 was meant to “promote greater efficiency, agency convergence and participatory governance in the delivery of essential public services to all the sectors of society, given that they are now transferred to line agencies.” 

Malacañang also released the appointment paper of Charmalou Aldevera, who was named assistant secretary under the Office of the President.

Aldevera had served as lawyer to Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, a friend of Duterte. —KG/MDM, GMA News