Malacañang names Ernesto Perez as ARTA OIC

Malacañang on Friday announced the designation of Undersecretary Ernesto Perez, the current deputy director general for operations of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), as the officer-in-charge of the agency.

Based on the memorandum by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Perez will serve as OIC until June 30 “in order to ensure continuous and effective delivery of public service.”

His appointment came after five ARTA executives, including its director general, Jeremiah Belgica, were placed under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman ordered a six-month suspension of officials of the ARTA, in line with graft complaints filed by officials of Dito Telecommunity Corp.

In a statement, Perez vowed to ensure that he will sustain the agency’s reform programs.

"My appointment as OIC of ARTA appears to be providential as I was also appointed as OIC when the agency was formed,” he said.

“I thank the President and the officials and staff of ARTA for their continued trust and support. During this period, I will ensure that ARTA will be able to sustain its reform toward our dream of a smarter and better Philippines," he added.

Perez was assigned as the ARTA head last December 18, 2018, before the appointment of Belgica on July 9, 2019.

He is a lawyer and certified public accountant (CPA) who served as assistant secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Consumer Protection Group from January 6, 2017 to November 30, 2018.

He also concurrently served as the chairman of the DTI-Steel Task Force where he led the investigation on the biggest steel importation in the country.

Perez likewise served as OIC-Director of the Bureau of Philippine Standards where he promulgated the development of 108 new standards and revision of 151 Philippine National Standards aligned with the international standards of ISO/IEC and good regulatory practices of the World Trade Organization (WTO).—LDF, GMA News